Growing up, I didn't have the luxury of going to a bookstore whenever I wanted. The closest thing I had was a small, independent bookstore at the mall in a town 40 miles away. There wasn't a coffee shop included and let's just say the history section was pitifully small.
I had never been inside a Barnes & Noble until my husband and I took a trip to Cheyenne, WY (we used to live only an hour and a half away). When we went inside, I nearly fainted. I'd never seen so many books in my life or such a great selection. I felt simultaneously overwhelmed and overjoyed.
I immediately fell in love. And I've continued that love affair.
I'm sure there are plenty of pro's and con's to the big chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble, but I love them. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with them in my backyard. That being said, there is a great little used bookstore here in town that I love to haunt, and I've found numerous treasures there, as well.
I went to Barnes & Noble yesterday and today to work on my edits. I love the atmosphere of that store. Even more, I love the fact that there are lots of people who love books milling around the aisles. And, of course, I found two more Christmas presents yesterday. :-)
On Christmas Shopping...
With the exception of the two presents I found at B&N yesterday, I have done all my shopping online. I love it. And now, I've only got a few more presents left to buy.
On Writer's Digest
Some great stuff in the latest issue of Writer's Digest. They've really improved their format, and I'm discovering that it's not just for beginning writers anymore. There's tons of info packed into the magazine and I'm thinking I probably need to get a subscription at some point.
On Beta Blogger...
To all of you who have upgraded to the Beta, I can't comment on your blogs - not even anonymously. I'm not ignoring you and it's frustrating me to no end! Please know that I'm still reading your entries every day and keeping up with your lives.
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I'm sorry about the Beta trouble. I've heard that from several people. But I have to say that I absolutely love Blogger Beta. I was considering switching to LJ exclusively until Beta came out. It's very, very easy to work.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love B&N. When I was growing up, I lived in a little town of 860 people, so, of course, there was no bookstore. Our big shopping trips were an hour away at Crossroads Mall in Omaha --also no bookstore. They did have a clothing store which had a tiny three-shelf section of books (mostly Dickens), so I always made a beeline for that, but there wasn't much to choose from. So, yes, Barnes & Noble is heaven to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm no fan of big box bookstores - they've only been around here in Canada for about 10 years or so. But a lot of that has to do with the fact they don't seem to sell many books anymore - it's all dvds, gifts and yoga mats etc. And they've driven many indies out of business.
ReplyDeleteBut I realize that for many people, places like B&N are the only ones available. I'm just glad we have two good indies within fifteen minute drives!
I can't comment on Beta-blogger with my regular blogger account anymore either. I have to sign in with my Google one - which is annoying.
I agree with Tess, sometimes the box stores are all that's available, but I prefer the independents, too. (Of course, this might be because I've worked for them for a total of about eight years.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, my town has a rare bird perched in a downtown nest: an 'independent superstore'. I think we're the best of both worlds. Better, in fact. We stock a few copies of many titles. The box stores stock many copies of a few titles.
And adding to what Tess said, I've heard wild rumours that the major big box chain Canada is going 90% giftware and 10% books in the near future.
Cate