Tonight in good news: we all love our libraries and indie bookstores, but my local Barnes & Noble is finally back after closing down 5 years ago and more are coming back across the country.
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Everyone who says "fuck b&n" yes yes you're very morally and intellectually pure. Guess what, it's not the 90s anymore. Some of us have to travel 4 towns away to find a book store and this is all we can get. So kindly F off.
When I was still litigating, and often (in the pre-internet days) traveling to Podunk towns for doc review, there were few things more welcome to my eyes as I rolled into town than a Holiday Inn with a Ruby Tuesday nearby. Yes, those small towns might have good food. Or maybe not. Same thing.
At this point even the chain bookstores are struggling and I mourn every time we lose ANY brick and mortar bookshop. Also I worked for years at Canada’s version of B+N so I will happily go to any location of anything I find that has books on the shelves.
I have complicated feelings about B&N as a bookstore, but they have one of the best selections of most types of physical media where I live, and I do like to drop in there and buy a couple of $7 Blu-rays to take home with me, rather than pay for streaming. It's nice to have that option.
Wait, what's wrong with them?
And the closest book anything other than a really small library is either the book section at Walmart (like ½ an aisle) or about an hour+ drive.
Growing up, it was the only thing nearby with the selection it had. I get it, support indie when you can, but like you said; it's all some people have and there are far worse options.
I don't have any indie bookstores in my immediate area, but there are two B&Ns I can get to easily. I've given them money for a couple books and a movie that were on my list with small chance of finding a good deal used.
Where I grew up there were no independent bookstores and the closest barnes and noble was 40 minutes away it was magic when I got to go and get books both because I lived far away and was poor. Still one of my favorite places on earth.
I used to love sitting in my local B&N and not buying anything
Nowadays I try to find used books online, you can find a lot of books for like three-dollah-fiddy, sometimes they have inscriptions and stuff written in them
I watched a documentary on B&N and it was fascinating. The new CEO is from Waterstones in London. They've given their local shops quite a bit of autonomy. I love that the people who work there seem genuinely enthusiastic about books and their jobs.
B&N took over one of my local Indy bookstores. At first, people were worried, but they kept the original staff and legitimately seem content to let them do their thing. Also, the Issaquah B&N was great when I still lived in Washington, so congrats on getting it back!
I stopped Amazon entirely as well as audible (owned by bezos) and now visit my local B&N which was always a delight anyway. Saving money on Amazon purchases I’m not making. Researching companies to shop with. And just reducing consumerism overall.
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And the closest book anything other than a really small library is either the book section at Walmart (like ½ an aisle) or about an hour+ drive.
Wait, that's their problem with it?
Nowadays I try to find used books online, you can find a lot of books for like three-dollah-fiddy, sometimes they have inscriptions and stuff written in them
https://www.salon.com/2025/01/28/bookshoporg-enters-the-e-book-arena-giving-indie-stores-a-new-way-to-compete-with/
And yeah that old corner of town with the bookstore + movie theater combo...🤌
We have fixed prices for new books here. A bookshop gets 99% of books in print within one day. I always order to an independent bookshop.
A bit funny when you order a cook book to the Karl Marx store 😁