Target makes mark as a bookseller. No, really.

So you think only word-of-mouth from independent bookstores shapes what sells? Think again. The New York Times reports that Target has proved to be a mover and a shaker when it comes to book sales, through its book club and its Bookmarked Breakout program.

Target, the story says, carries only around 1,700 titles, most of them in paperback, shelved face out to draw attention to covers.

"By assembling a collection of books by unheralded authors, Target behaves more like an independent bookstore than like a mere retailer of mainstream must-haves (although, of course, Target sells its share of best-seller list regulars, like James Patterson and Janet Evanovich," writes the Times.

Read the whole story here.