1. JetBlackGT

    JetBlackGT Senior Member

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    Do you have an LBS (local book store)?

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by JetBlackGT, Jul 12, 2013.

    What is your local book store? Does your town have one? My ex- came to visit me (before she became my ex-girlfriend, obviously) and was astounded that there were ANY bookstores in town. There were several and she spent HOURS in each.

    There is a B&N very near work. I love it. I love being in it. I love the smell of it. There is a Starbucks in it also, so therefore, it is technically the most soulless place on the planet and I lose a bit of mine, to the soul vacuum, every time I go in there. But it's worth it!

    There used to be a Borders in my hometown, but it went under, obviously.

    Auntie's Bookstore and Uncle's Game Shop, in Spokane, WA are a wonderful place to visit (and there's a deli, which makes the most incredible sandwiches!!! Damn them!). Auntie's was a three story bookshop with 16-foot ceilings and carved bannisters, with creaky oak floors. If you were blindfolded, you would have known you were in a bookstore!

    It sounds weird but if you want to see the best looking people, all week, visit a Barnes and Noble's on a Friday night. The overstuffed chairs are full of scholastically attractive nerds, engrossed in books. It makes me think the world is not as full of web-idiots as it might truly be. Our local library is HUGE and fairly well used. I love to see kids and parents browsing the bookshelves. Sometimes in very esoteric sections of the stacks. When I see a mom, carrying a child who is running its hand along the bindings as mom walks slowly past, reading a book... I swear, I sigh a little.

    "That's right kid. Try a book. We'll give you the first ones free and then once you are hooked, we'll jack up the price. And you will keep right on feeding your addiction and making your brain bigger. You will buy and buy and never be satisfied!"

    MUHAHAHAHA!

    The woman who was the Nurse Practitioner at my old doctor's office, and I, loaned books back and forth. She taught me a great trick!!! You buy a book you are interested in, during a library book drive. When you are finished with it, put it in their drop box so they can sell it again. :) You can do that with any book, in your collection, if you realize you will never read it again. Slip in a note saying you are donating it and drop it in the local library's return bin.

    I never sign my name. Otherwise it wouldn't *really* be donating or completely altruistic. In fact, the fact that I have told you all about it sort of negates some of the purely 'goodness' of it all.

    Unless you do it too.
     
  2. chicagoliz

    chicagoliz Contributor Contributor

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    We do have one and we are very lucky. A few years ago there was a major shopping center being developed. There were all kinds of stores that were slated to go in there. One was a B&N. On the one hand, I was very excited at the prospect of a B&N being so close to me, but on the other, I was worried about the local bookstore that was in the area. It was in an older shopping center, and seemed to be holding it's own, but if a B&N were to go in, just a couple miles away, I didn't see how it would be able to compete.

    With the economy, there were all kinds of delays in the shopping center's completion. The local bookstore ended up moving into the new shopping center, and they were one of the earliest tenants. I assume that B&N had decided it was not an opportune time to open a new store. It's also possible that this bookstore helped close the possibility, since usually shopping center leases contain language that the landlord will not rent to another tenant that sells the exact same product. In any case, it turned out to be a very good move for the local bookstore. It moved to a space that is much nicer, twice as large, and in a growing shopping center, instead of an older, dying shopping center. It is thriving. I was just there this afternoon, and there were lines at the counter, and many people in the store.

    I've seen quite a few stories about new, independent bookstores opening up all over the country. I suspect (hope) we may have hit the bottom number or close to the bottom number of bookstores, and with Borders closing and many B&N locations closing, that is making some room for independents to fulfill the need for people to go to a physical bookstore. It seems to be imperative that the local bookstores work hard to be a part of the community, and have a lot of events and activities to draw people to the store.
     
  3. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I have none of these. :( We used to have Borders and then they closed shop. It was my only only local source for English language books. Everything else here is Spanish. :/

    When I lived in Melbourne, there was a great little used bookstore in the historic downtown. It was the best. The smell in there was indescribable. She had a section of vintage, first edition sci-fi paperbacks in plastic sleeves behind the sales counter. You had to ask to see them. I bought a few so she was always really cool with me and just let behind the desk. She was like a thousand years old, but let me tell you, Terri knew her sci-fi. We would have cups of coffee together and talk about books. Those are top shelf memories. :)
     
  4. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    I live across the street from a fairly large university. There is a B&N on the opposite side of the campus (about 3/4 of a mile from me). It was quite ambitious when it first opened, which was about 9 years ago (my son worked there for a few years), but in recent years it seems to offer less and less. Now, it's almost painful to go in there (I still do drop in now and then and buy something, just to support it).
     
  5. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Yep; our smallish town has one independent new-books bookstore and three used bookstores. I'm trying really really hard to eliminate ordering books online and order them through the local bookstore instead. They cost a little more and take three or four days instead of one, but as long as I can afford it, it's worth it to have a good local bookstore.
     
  6. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I live in a very large town in the Greater Glasgow area. The only bookstore is a John Menzies, which, of course, sells lots of other stuff too. While it's good to have them, they mostly sell 'bestsellers,' trade paperbacks and coffee-table books.

    I spend a lot of time in a small village in the far north of Scotland. Ullapool. It not only hosts an annual literary book festival of top-notch quality, but has TWO independent bookstores! Fantastic place. Of course I always buy books from both stores whenever I'm up.

    One of the two bookstores is attached to a fantastic small hotel, cafe-restaurant which is open to non-guests all day long, all year around, so you can buy your books then go sit in the restaurant area and read them over a cup of coffee and or/snacks or meals. You can sit there all day and nobody minds! Great, when it's raining. And it often is, in that part of the world. Heaven.
     
  7. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    There are two used book stores I like going to. The closest one is really small and has a fairly limited selection. I still go there from time to time because you can get paperbacks for $1. This place is run entirely by volunteers, which is incredible. The one I prefer is a bit farther away, but it's worth the drive because it has way more books to choose from.

    There's a B&N not far away, but I don't like it because it's overpriced. There's no way in hell I'm paying $15 for a book.
     
  8. JessWrite

    JessWrite Word Nerd & Proud! Contributor

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    My favorite bookstore I have where I am is Half Price Books, a used bookstore. You can even sell your own books to them (though not always for the price you'd like). I always love going in there and checking out the clearance section, especially when it's a slow day. Most of the books I've gotten there for $1, and even some hardbacks for 50 cents. The music they play is very artsy too and the people that work there are so down to earth.

    I haven't been for awhile, but now I want to go....:D
     
  9. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    no bookstore anywhere in the tiny town i'm now living in... but there is a nice little public library that has 50cent books and a free book exchange... i don't do the exchange, but i buy the 50-centers now and then and donate them back after they've been read, as a way to help support the freebie program...
     
  10. maskedhero

    maskedhero Active Member

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    About twenty bookstores in town, and I try to visit them once a month.
     
  11. thewordsmith

    thewordsmith Contributor Contributor

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    I live in a town very close to several larger cities so I have, pretty much, the pick of bookstores in any direction I might go. One in my town, two to the west, two to the east, three to the south. There are actually 3 within ten minutes from my office! Some are second hand bookstores and some are small cottage bookstores but any one of them is a delightful way to while away a few hours.


    Actually, since you are crediting the idea to someone else, you are not bragging on yourself. And, since the motivation behind exposing your own altruistic tendency is to inspire others to follow suit, that, in and of itself, furthers your own altruism.



    (Jetblack, if you had a raven named Quoth my son's cat, Schroedinger, would probably want to play with it!) :-]
     
  12. Mikewritesfic

    Mikewritesfic Active Member

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    In Princeton we've got Labyrinth Books on Nassau St. It's the university bookstore and they have an impressive range of titles. To be honest, though, I only get over there when I need to purchase course books or I am looking for something unique. There is a B&N 5 minutes away on Rt.1 and about four others within a 30 minute radius.
     
  13. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    We have a Barnes & Noble in town, as well as an independent bookstore. And with not too much of a drive, I can get to Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena, which is a great indie bookstore.
     
  14. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Have a Waterstones just 20 minutes away, and a number of smaller shops that also sell books a mere 5 minute bus drive away. Also, 20 minutes in the opposite direction from the Waterstones is Englands largest barter shop, the famous Barter Books shop in Alnwick, Northumberland. Some of you might have been there. You might have even seen the odd Lemex wondering around. ;)
     
  15. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    I live within a ten minute drive of two amazing used bookstores owned by the same family and
    since I'm a regular they always shave off the bill - :) They also have a discerning eye and have a
    lot of unique books.
    There are also a bunch of used clothing shops and occasionally I can find something good, dirt cheap. At a Value Village
    I was able to pick up a nifty little book of poems called Breathturn by Paul Celan for $1.50!
     
  16. chicagoliz

    chicagoliz Contributor Contributor

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    [MENTION=18415]EdFromNY[/MENTION] - I see that there are apparently two indy bookstores opening up in your neck of the woods -- a sci-fi/mystery shop called Enigma Bookstore, and another one called Astoria Books. I don't know Queens very well, so I've no idea whether these are convenient to you. But you might want to keep an eye out for them.
    [MENTION=16788]Mikewritesfic[/MENTION] - I know there's a mystery bookstore, also on Nassau Street in Princeton. It's pretty small, though.
     
  17. mg357

    mg357 Active Member

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    There is a Barnes and Noble bookstore near my home and I LOVE it.
     
  18. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    Astoria is in the Northwesternmost corner of Queens - a bit of a hike but might be worth it. Thanks for the tip.
     
  19. Mikewritesfic

    Mikewritesfic Active Member

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    [MENTION=38553]chicagoliz[/MENTION] Cloak and Dagger. I forgot about that little nook. Haven't been in there yet.
     

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