Thanks for the heads up--I called and according to Cust Serv my books are in shipping now...I like having the backup plan you suggested in case they don't get to me in time, tho. I wonder if they had so many pre-orders they ran out and it's taking them a week to restock to send out current orders...
OK clearly I gave BN too much credit. Over the past two days have gotten emails saying they're shipped AND they're
not shipped. Calls to Cust Serv say yes will cancel, followed by email saying cannot cancel. The best story yet was being told that the order was being held for the OTHER item of the two I ordered. You should have heard the duh duh duh noises after I pointed out to her that BOTH items were two copies of the same book!
Bottom lines are 1) they said books can be returned w/in 14 days (and to where I will go with that I will not say) and 2) I will NEVER EVER EVER NEVER order a book from BN.com again.
This is ONE BOOKSTORE (online version, anyway) that DESERVES to be driven out of business based on their terrible, unreliable and illegitimate business practices. I feel SORRY for the physical bookstore owners that will be driven out of business by the horrific management of the larger company.