Tag: Affordable Books

Affordable Books even to limited income earners

Why the need for Impeachment

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https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/trump-biden-natsec-transition-fires/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/03/14/youd-think-dictators-would-avoid-elections-heres-why-they-dont/?outputType=amp

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/world/europe/trump-autocrats-dictators.amp.html?0p19G=2103

https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/how-do-dictators-seize-power-the-malevolent-careers-of-eight-20th-century-leaders-explained/

https://dictators-page.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Dictators

Reading through history, analysis of the events and the words and facts in prior years are evidences of the intent. The unfortunate thing is that is about “Politics”. A scenario from time and time again was the main strategic moves of the dictators from 3rd world developing countries. The fact that this strategy is now the main advantage used by Political parties in the most powerful and richest nation in the world only means that it is now a sophisticated strategy against a democracy that is great threat not just to this nation but the global world.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coups_and_coup_attempts

This latest coup attempts marks historically perspective for the first time on the land of the free. the epitome of democracy, the United States of America. A country sought by immigrants for refuge and dreams of economic freedom. A country who placed children in cages, a country who has desecrated family immigration based on the color of their skin and culture, a country who named undocumented tax paying law abiding immigrants as criminals in these last 4 years. The Obama- Biden administration had the first years of their administration to fixed the US immigration system which they had failed

The coming first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration will be a test. No matter how much diversity of once cabinet is, without validating a Immigration reform will solidify the future of the Democratic Party that this is one thing they can never accomplished in their call for unity.

Top Picks for Gifting (and Getting) Christmas 2019

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What starts the holiday season for you? Detangling those twinkly lights once again? Christmas drinks in that coffee place you love? Here at Affordable Books, it’s deciding what to curl up with, share and to delight that someone who’s a little tough to buy for. Here’s five staff picks for almost any gift giver and recipient this year:

For the Foodie:

Simply Real Eating

Delicious eats for the holidays and beyond, Simply Real Eating by Sarah Adler ($27.95) features Instagrammable, drool-worthy ideas for your table and that of the gourmet in your life.

For the Film Buff:

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews, ($27.99). Essential reading for any film fan, Julie Andrews’ memoirs relate a remarkable life, with Andrews’ customary warmth.

For the Amateur Historian:

Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life

From Royal Curator Lucy Worsely, an intimate history of the young Queen Victoria. In Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life ($27.99), Worsely brings her gift for enlivening human stories behind the crown.

For the Girl Who Can:

Women Who Dared: 52 Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers and Rebels

Women Who Dared: 52 Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers and Rebels by Linda Skeers, ($12.99). A charming, aspirational read for little (and big) girls, with quirky artwork by Livi Gosling.

For the Crafter:

1,2,3 Sew: Build Your Skills With 33 Simple Sewing Projects

A calming antidote to the frantic consumption of the season, 1, 2, 3 Sew: Build Your Skills With 33 Simple Sewing Projects by Ellen Lucket Baker ($20.25), contains enough beautiful, easy-to-follow projects to occupy novices and experienced crafters.



All part of ADLE International’s mission: to offer rare to new bestselling books even to limited income earners



Our Holiday Choice, “Amber Brown Is on the Move”

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51k8Y4gio4L._SX309_BO1,204,203,200_  Amber Brown is On The Move 

Can’t believe the season is almost here just about when the talked about US Mid Term Elections concluded yesterday, Nov. 6, 2018.

Now it’s back to the wish and shopping list in time for the Holidays of 2018.  As we celebrate the diversity and the huge turn out of the youth in the recent concluded elections, it’s time to prepare our kids for the festivities and educate them of the historic process. After all, our kids are our future leaders in the next generation.

We love reading the Amber Brown series with kids when they visit our bookstore! It is a perfect series to discuss real life situations and it way that simplifies intense subjects for young children. We are down to the last few books in the series and I have to admit I will be sad to let Amber go. Through books and he Amer Series as an example, we empower our children of understanding life realities in an easier manner for them to understand.   Great for discussion and for inspiring children to reach within themselves for personal essays.

Bruce Coville author of this book as a young reader  loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and had fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!) Just like today’s television counterpart our our tech toys and smart devices, it still important that we educate our kids through reading interesting books.

Watch out our Amber Series as well as selected juvenile fiction and non-fiction bestsellers at ADLE International

We have most of these books on the lowest price deals, free shipping and surprised discount deals this holiday shopping 2018.  And most of all checked out the great rare classics which you may not even think still exist out there.

Happy Shopping this 2018 Holidays.

Our Team at your service.

Media Mail Tracking A Persistent Issue in Bookselling

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Why does a USPS Tracking Number show up as Not Available or Not Valid?

Quora.com on Tracking Issues We started ADLE International in 1998 and it’s 2017.

After almost 19 years in bookselling with all the new technology, mobile and apps integration, one thing is still far outdated. The USPS website tracking on Standard Media Mail desperately needs help Mr. Postmaster General. We now have the 45th President Donald Trump and this issue maybe one thing that can be addressed.

Nowadays that online selling platforms start-ups are trying to get a slice of independent booksellers, they have little idea why USPS tracking issues persist and why standard media mail  is the standard cheapest way to ship books in the bookselling industry.

There’s these magical emerging start-up marketplaces that will not pay booksellers by withholding the payments they have processed until a valid tracking shows delivery or en-route information. Sadly, as much as they are emerging due to their mobile technology, traditional booksellers will shy away from this platforms. On the earlier posts, we have discussed why some third party channel web e-commerce providers don’t want books a category as they there’s no money. So a small independent bookseller making cents in an order to be  totally deprived of a $10 net sale will definitely get scared away just because a “USPS tracking is not available or not valid” per the USPS website.

From the Ebay and Amazon years when buyers claimed not receiving the books shipped and constant email exchanges, these new marketplaces does not even provide the customers phone or email to booksellers so a bookseller can’t even confirm in case the book was even delivered. Hence, sometimes the USPS tracking number will never even update but the end customer will received the order. Of course, we would only find out if indeed it was not received if the customer complains.

As much as feedbacks and ratings still help make the case to click buy, it’s still about pricing when making the decision to buy and of course fast delivery. I must say though that in this 19 years, booksellers have tremendously improved by incorporating tracking numbers when they send  a book package in the mail.

With all this said, moreover as stated our US Postal Service are still way behind. From the issue that the tracking number does not even get scanned until the final post office destination to the USPS website updating the tracking information. Were still seeing customers emailing where the package is due to no tracking information then on the same night, the customer emails back they just received the delivery.

So I rest my case, for sure other independent booksellers have their own experiences on this never ending issue.

Alex Esguerra

Affordable Books

 

 


Affordable Books versus Cheap Books

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Conceptualizing the vision of Affordable Books in 1998 had it’s own pros and cons. The idea of having books “Affordable” especially for students, low income groups, seniors and disabled people indeed was the main idea behind the ideology. Although, the other part of it was keeping in mind that we are still a business needing profits to exist, thus we strive to offer the affordability concept but pricing enough to make some profit for operational expenses and the cost of doing business.

Hence, we shy away from using “Cheap” as we are not the cheapest place like the mighty name in the bookselling industry. Yet however we are not expensive like the drop shippers or antique book dealers trying to make that high bucks.  With this in mind though our flagship, www.affordable-booksonline.com and the rest of our online portfolios like www.usedbooksworld.com  strives to still offer the best prices specially for out of print and hard to find books as well as bestsellers and textbooks.

So looking at it, we are in between on pricing but were  niching on prompt delivery, customer service  and high quality books offered and described. And as any fledgling independent bookseller, there’s a lot of tough times and challenges simply to exist but the joy of doing what we do and the love of books keeps as going each day on our store and online.

Now on our 18th year, a lot has happened and transitioned in the industry including mobile apps and online advertising. I do however thank our loyal customers through the years who has continuously patronized us over the years through thick and thin. If not for them were probably not in cyberspace by now yet we have prevailed. The best part of it is that our online stores nowadays exist on their own which is really hard without the big box bookselling marketplaces we used to all belong and whom has the advertising dollars and pool of books from online booksellers.  Today we have streamline our participation on book marketplaces to the more specialized ones in tune to our concept of “affordability”.

As we go through our 18th year, our staff at ADLE International wishes to extend our special thanks to all of you.

Alex Esguerra

 

 

 

A Glimpse on “Difficult Women” – Roxanne Gay New Book

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difficult

Difficult Women went to bookshelves this January 03, 2017 as quoted from the BookForum’s ” An Untamed State is a gem, blasted into beauty by the world’s harshest conditions. This gripping debut has set the table for mangy great works to come”.

Browsing through this it does touches a lot on human connection in both privilege and those women dealing with poverty as it tells the different stories and daily lives affecting equality and even discrimination. We remember author Roxanne Gay writing on Marvel’s Black Panther series so this book she absolutely gives how her stories have a remarkable visual sweep.

“A powerful collection of short stories about difficult, troubled, headstrong, and unconventional women . . . Whether focusing on assault survivors, single mothers, or women who drown their guilt in wine and bad boyfriends, Gay’s fantastic collection is challenging, quirky, and memorable.”–Publishers Weekly

“A collection of short stories that will make your spine tingle with intrigue.” —Bustle.com

Biography (Roxanne Gay)

Roxane Gay’s writing has appeared in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, West Branch, Virginia Quarterly Review, NOON, The New York Times Book Review, Bookforum, Time, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Rumpus, Salon, The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy culture blog, and many others. She is the co-editor of PANK and essays editor for The Rumpus. She teaches writing at Eastern Illinois University. Her novel, She is the author of three books–Ayiti, An Untamed State, and Bad Feminist. She very much wants a tiny baby elephant.
As seen when she wrote on Marvel comics, “The real gift to readers in Difficult Women is [Gay’s] ability to marry her well-known intellectual concerns with good storytelling
Kudos to start a great works for 2017 with Roxanne Gay.

 

Our 2016 Affordable bestselling books

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Some of ADLE International’s Affordable Books on line most bought bestsellers this year.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child  –  curse

The Hidden Life of Trees – trees

Fantastic Beast – fantastic

Star Wars Rogue One – One Secret Mission – tsecret

When Breathe Becomes Air – air

The Underground Railroad –  underground

The Gene –   gene

The Undoing Project –  undoing

ADLE International started from a lof of humble beginnings, successes, pitfalls, and mistakes as any struggling start-up home based small business enterprise.

The story of Affordable Books and ADLE International encompasses the life stories and struggles of persistence and determination of it’s founder, author, writer, blogger

philanthropist, Alex Esguerra.

As a major brick and mortar online independent retailer, the storytelling begins with smallbusinessmentors  in 1999. Fresh from the collapse of an export and etock market empire after being hit by the 1998 Asian Economic Crisis which led to the stock market collapse in 1999, a ever persistent entrepreneur roam the parks of Vancouver, B.C. homeless, hungry and struggling for survival.

However, faith, hope and determination persisted when a struggling Alex still managed to register ADLE International as a sole proprietorship in Salem, the capital city of the state of Oregon, USA.

 

Spotlight: American Booksellers Association

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indie

The ABA, American Booksellers Association has been the backbone of the bookselling industry especially Indie Bound and Independent Booksellers.

“Founded in 1900, the American Booksellers Association is a national not-for-profit trade organization that works to help independently owned bookstores grow and succeed. ABA’s core members are key participants in their communities’ local economy and culture, and to assist them, ABA provides education, information, business products, and services; creates relevant programs; and engages in public policy and industry advocacy. The Association actively supports and defends free speech and the First Amendment rights of all Americans. A volunteer board of 11 booksellers governs the Association. ABA is headquartered in White Plains, NY.” Excerpt for the American Booksellers Assn website.

There are different tiers and membership levels in the ABA. It is also known for Advocacy Issues and Free Expressions such as pressing issues affecting a new or current bookseller, Issues like Sales Tax, Minimum Wage, Healthcare, Small Business Working Capital and even the fight on the Amazon monopoly as well as big box businesses.

With the onset of Amazon rules the Internet as well as policy and legislations that affect every bookstore owner today, one cannot find the cruel challenges faced by a small independent bookseller without the conglomerative efforts of the ABA.  There are also the professional chapters under the association’s umbrella. Though, there are other associations in the books industry aside, we know for a fact that ABA is indeed the main umbrella in terms of organization.

At Affordable Books @ ADLE International we extremely proud having ABA on our backs. The Indies first program and the different learning bookselling institute had help us increase our knowledge base and education. And proudly we can say that the American Booksellers Association is our association per se.

Alex Esguerra

 

 

 

 

Affordable Books for All

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Such a big mission for making books affordable for all.

  • Today’s Amazon monopoly on books seems to be a hard task on making books affordable.
  • Why is that when Amazon seems to be the cheapest site to buy books?
  • Yes and No. it’s huge drop ship wholesale sellers might be dominating the cheapest price on new and used books. Yet, when your scouting that one hard to find book and the quantity is almost none, these same people are Gods pricing such books as “Gold”. Sometimes looking at one book can be $500 to $3000.
  • As collectible as it may be it’s plain hoarding not to say will a real antiquitarian book collector really buy such a book?
  • So literally the destruction on independent booksellers are we’re trying to make that small profit to survive on a new or used book but it’s impossible to compete as these sellers are selling way lower that the price we buy them from publishers and wholesalers. How they do this is a long explanation but nevertheless it’s their way of doing business.
  • And again for the hard to find out of prints with considerable value valued at the priced of gold is another discussion.

So Affordability for us is competitive pricing while creating that book value, great service and personal buyer connection.

Yes the saga still continues on these monopolies but we’re here to stay our own saga at Affordable books