I think I need some bookstore therapy today. Often I'll order on amazon.com - but only when I know I'm going to buy the book. I can't use the Browse Inside feature (it's too clunky for me). So on a day like today, when I need to browse, I've just got to get over to the bookstore. I need to flip through pages, finding a new world in which to immerse myself.

But when at bookstores I need a strategy. Otherwise I'll get lost in the shuffle and totally intimidated. I'll usually arrive armed with the Booksense bestseller list and their pick of the month (currently The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson – has anybody read it yet?). I'm stuck on BookSense mostly because they recommended Water for Elephants. It's turned out to be the best book I've read this year.

Can anybody walk into a bookstore nowadays unarmed? What's your bookstore strategy?