I am a voracious reader and, in this economy have had to make some tough choices recently.

My favorite choice is science fiction (preferably short stories or anthologies)

Do I buy a new book or wait until the weekend and hit yardsales and hope to find something that tickles my fancy, or even worse go to the local used book store and pile thru the stacks, again trying to find something for me. Well I do both and also hit the library and hope to find something I haven't read before.

With all that being said there is one book that I await eagerly every year (and pay full price @ $30) and that is "The Years Best Science Fiction" (now on issue 27) edited by Gardner  Dozois, for many years the pre-eminent work of sci fi short stories and the seminal source for all things sci fi in his yearly summation at the beginning of the book .

Imagine my surprise when in the first 2 paragraphs of his summation he described me and I'm assuming many of you.

OF three thousand adults interviewed in an online poll three quarters of them stated that they would sacrifice holidays, dining out, going to movies, and eben shopping sprees before they would stop buying books......historically books, magazines, and movies do well during recession, as hard economic times make people search for cheap entertainment to distract themselves from their financial woes.  Gardner Dozois 

In fact adult fiction sales (paper back and hardcover) are up 2% and 3% respectively.

With that run up (i hope you're still here) I wanted to ask, what are you doing to escape from the economic hard times we all (especially you folks unfortunate enough to be under or un employed) are experiencing?

Aside from books I find myself opting for more outdoor (AKA free) activities , local "events" (sidewalk sales concerts) etc and as stated in an earlier blog pot luck style gatherings.

So if any of you out there have any cool tips or ideas to share with the rest of us I would appreciate it. 

With my nose in a book

MjrF