In a World Without Bookstores
Recent articles have indicated that Borders bookstores may be in trouble. They reported financial losses and are looking into selling off some of their property. Luckily for us Americans, the properties they are considering disposing of are foreign stores. While Barnes & Noble is not doing quite as badly, it's believed they would not likely consider buying Borders.
But reading about the situation with Borders got me thinking. Generally, I get my books from one of three places: Borders, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. I would be sad if one of those choices was to disappear. My vivid imagination went running, though, and I started thinking - what would I do if there were no more bookstores?
Here is my top ten list of things I would do if there were no more bookstores:
10. FINALLY catch up on my TBR pile.
9. Reread all my favorites, at least once.
8. Do all those chores around the house I have been putting off so I could read my books.
7. Spend time with family and friends - you know, those people I have neglected so I could "just finish this one last chapter!"
6. Fine tune all those other hobbies I have that I often don't do because I could be curled up on the couch, reading.
5. Go stark raving nuts because I want MORE BOOKS!
4. Take a long drive around the country, seeing the sights, visiting friends and trying to accept the fact that I can't drive and read a book at the same time anyway so the lack of new books wouldn't be that big a deal.
3. Sky dive, at last!
2. Break down into tears because I need more books, so...
1. ... Start my own bookstore!
What would you do if there were no more bookstores?
Nicole
But reading about the situation with Borders got me thinking. Generally, I get my books from one of three places: Borders, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com. I would be sad if one of those choices was to disappear. My vivid imagination went running, though, and I started thinking - what would I do if there were no more bookstores?
Here is my top ten list of things I would do if there were no more bookstores:
10. FINALLY catch up on my TBR pile.
9. Reread all my favorites, at least once.
8. Do all those chores around the house I have been putting off so I could read my books.
7. Spend time with family and friends - you know, those people I have neglected so I could "just finish this one last chapter!"
6. Fine tune all those other hobbies I have that I often don't do because I could be curled up on the couch, reading.
5. Go stark raving nuts because I want MORE BOOKS!
4. Take a long drive around the country, seeing the sights, visiting friends and trying to accept the fact that I can't drive and read a book at the same time anyway so the lack of new books wouldn't be that big a deal.
3. Sky dive, at last!
2. Break down into tears because I need more books, so...
1. ... Start my own bookstore!
What would you do if there were no more bookstores?
Nicole
posted at 2:05 PM
4 Comments:
Call me crazy, but you might want to consider the public library as an option - if you live near a big one with a Fiction Librarian who loves romance, like, oh, say, ME! ;-)
Also check to see if your local library participates in the nationwide interlibrary loan program. The library can search for a book in another library and ask to borrow it for you. I wouldn't suggest it for current bestsellers as many libraries won't lend them out. But for those a teensy bit older it could do the trick!
ahhh...but the feel and smell and pleasure of a book read by no one before you...that is a tactile pleasure we can not guarantee.
"Stat my own book store!" Exactly what I did in 1993! Only ours is a used paperback fiction bookstore. I love it! I get to read all the good books that my customers bring in. Guess who suggests new authors? :-)
I love the idea of the library, but for me, I just prefer to buy my books. I like to BE the library. I tend to reread my books and refer back to them and recommend them to others, and that's sooooo much easier when you own the books yourself.
Hello,
As the owner of a small independent bookstore, I don't see the demise of Borders as a big problem! Yeah! Save a couple of gallons of gas, and buy local! For every 100$ you spend at a local bookstore, we typically give 68$ back to our local community! Guess what,Amazon doesn't pay any sales tax, or local taxes to help support programs in your community!
There are lots of small independent bookstore like mine that struggle everyday to meet the needs of our customers, and we do it in spite of Amazon, Borders, Walmart, target, etc. What we bring to the community is a sense of place,and an environment where talking about the great book you read last night (or are reading today, or cant wait to read tomarrow!) is often more important than selling you something.
My store is a "no snearing at the romance readers store!" We love romance readers here because we all ARE romance readers here!
sorry, thats my free rant on the chain bookstores, for what its worth!
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