I can explain.

A while ago, John sent me a message, revealing that he is my Secret Santa, and to watch for two packages in the mail coming my way.  Whee!

I promptly forgot about Secret Santas what with life, you know?  So yesterday, when two packages arrived for me, and DH had to sign for one because it was an international package...well, you can imagine my confusion.  Then, a flash of insight, in the nick of time! John aka Secret Santa!  Of course!  And then the horror: those are for Christmas.  That's weeks away.

I waited roughly 24 hours.

One package contained The Darkening Glass by Paul Doherty, and the other The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner.  It is with great pleasure and excitement that I go now to remove those titles from my WL.

Thank you John!!  What a lovely way to start the holiday season.<-----My justification. 

Do not know about the rest of you, but I think we should open our Secret Santa gifts immediately and share the news.  At least I want my recipient to open theirs immediately for sure --- want to make sure they actually arrived!!!!

Vicky, do you get a prize for getting yours first, or does John get the prize for the quickest shipping????  YIPPEE for both of you!!!!

The excitement begins!!!!

I agree with Becky - no waiting! BUT....I am still waiting on a book I ordered before I can mail...

Yes the excitement is certainly beginning! Nice gifts Vicky!!!!! John did good.

Yay for John!

Yay, John!

Definitely Yay for John--I am still waiting for some of the things I've ordered for my recipient to arrive, let alone getting a box and getting it all packaged up and gone---my poor recipient will definitely get hers in December.

Still waiting on one of mine as well.  Hopefully it will get here this week.

Colleen --- December is OKAY --- that John is trying to make us all look like slackers (hee hee)!!!!  I am most assuredly still waiting on books to arrive, from the U.K. no less!!!!  I am beginning to wonder if that was such a wise decision ---

December HAS to be okay! I'm still waiting! I wrote to Amazon letting them know that I am rather "ticked off" at the idea that no matter which or how many books we order, there is a 3.99 shipping charge and so many of these sellers have NO TRACKING INFORMATION! I'm really irked. How many of you have mailed books with delivery comfirmation and it didn't cost you 3.99? If we are paying that why can't the seller have DC?  @%@^#$%^$# Well, I will wait a little longer and then I will mail my giftee the books and then there may be a little package to follow - IF it shows up! Why am I sounding like Scrooge???

Jeanne --- Most of that $3.99 goes to Amazon I think.  The actual seller of the books makes pennies for the most part.  I almost exclusively use Abe's for used books any more.  I know the "big" guy has to make enough money to support the website, etc. you cannot run a business for free.  However, books are usually a minimum of a dollar, and often more, less than on Amazon.  Not saying I boycott Amazon, I do not, I just tend not to buy used books from them.  Also, do not know why most used book sellers do not use any sort of tracking information --- I thought it was only about 25 cents.  I am assuming that I will have everything I have ordered by the 2nd week in December, latest.  It is likely that I will simply have to ship it some way other than "Media Mail".

Becky - I figured that AZN got most of that. It still ticks me off since we can ship books via USPS cheaper even with DC. If you order more than one book from the same seller on AZN you still get charged 3.99 per book - grrrrr. You're right - Abe books or Awesome books are probably a much better way to go....

Well. I guess that I'll go have a little cheese with this Whine!

Jeanne --- You are too funny --- I love that one "cheese with the whine".  I find it extremely irritating that on Amazon it is $3.99 per book even from the same seller --- no volume discount.  I actually think many of those sellers have their own websites --- if one just took the time to look into it, they might discount shipping if you ordered direct.  Some of the ones I seem to use are Motor City Books, Silver Arch Books, Awesome Books, maybe Hippo Books.  Perhaps next time I am looking to buy I will see what I can find by checking them individually.  While I am not gardening this winter it can be a project!!!!

My books have arrived.  I did use Abe Books this time and got some excellent deals.  Wrapping and sending will have to wait until after turkey day!

I received one of my giftee's books, and went to check on the status of the other, only to find that expected shipping was 1/8.  WHAT!?!?!  Bad, bad.  Cancelled the order and went elsewhere.  I should get it next week, but GRRRR.

Wow Mary --- that is great customer service!!!  I received about 7 books yesterday and NONE of them was for Secret Santa --- UH OH!!!  I have been on an ordering binge, both with PBS and re-sellers.  I am doing two Challenges and have been filling in where I did not have books on the TBR --- isn't that silly????  Oh well, I suppose there are worse addictions than used books!!!  Thankfully almost every one of them is on a wishlist here at PBS, so at least once I read them they will head out the door.

It's that Black Friday time, so there should be great deals!

I am so happy to hear I am not alone in my weakness Mary!!!!  However, today another of my Secret Santa books arrived and it was one of the ones from the U.K., so things are looking up with only one more left to come.  Oh, did I mention that an Angus Donald just happened to turn up in the mail box today as well (YIPPEE)???  I wonder who keeps ordering these books and using my address???

I received one of my SS books from Thrift Books that I was not real happy with as well.  On the Abe Books web site it is described as "as new" which it definitely is not.  I don't think it's unpostable but there are a couple of things that just don't meet my standards.  I think I'm going to send it along anyway and just send an extra little surprise to make up for it.  Still waiting on one from the UK as well.

Teri-I've bought from Thriftbooks a lot, and the very few times there's been a problem (wrong book, etc.), they are very responsive to fixing it and/or partial refunds. You might write to them.

PS, there are a lot more used sellers signing on for the buy-at-this-price and get free Super Saver Shipping. They aren't all $3.99 either. When you click on buying options you can see if any sellers are participating and what they are charging. I use these from my wish list if I need to pad an order up to $25 for SS shipping. Another bonus - these come first class with tracking and not media mail.

Ugh. This year I've got my act together and by now have my box, my wrapping, my 'goodies', and all but one of my books for my giftee assembled--I vowed not to repeat my delayed performance of last year. I am waiting for this one book from an AZN seller.....grrrrrrrrrrr. Torture!

Colleen --- I continue to wait on one more book as well --- so you are not alone --- and I just read in another thread that Christa has just ordered her books this weekend --- we we might actually be considered "early birds"!!!!!