Barnes & Noble

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Behemoth be damned: Like it or not, superstore Barnes & Noble has conquered Manhattan and the outer boroughs, with prices on current bestsellers�30 percent off retail, plus an additional 10 percent off for club members�that are really hard to beat. Fiction's the chain's main strength. Other areas, like science and art, aim for breadth, but the inventory can be patchy depending on the location. B&N is also a decent place for reasonably-priced gifts; in addition to journals, board games and java-related paraphernalia, sale and remainder aisles display hundreds of coffee table books at drastic discounts. (Good deals are harder to find in the CD and DVD section.) The in-house cafés, basically Starbucks satellites, suggest serious hanging out�though you'll be competing with students, freelancers, bookworms, nannies, and the odd homeless person for a seat. Laptop users can avail themselves of Wi-Fi access at a nominal hourly rate. Most branches feature readings by well-noted authors as well as events for kids. — Geeta Dayal

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