None
of this is possible with Kindles or whatever. Not on the internet or on a
phone.
- Browsing
If
you try browsing on the internet, no matter which site you're on, the
experience is nowhere even close to browsing in a real bookstore:
Pick
up the book and it feels right.
Riffle
the pages, looking for illustrations or notes from previous owners.
Quickly
get a feel for how dense the text is, how much is devoted to appendices, index,
fluff.
So
many books are so incredibly beautiful, all by themselves.
Rummaging
in the new arrivals, which often leads to...
- Surprise!
Finding
something great you didn't know was great and didn't know you wanted to read.
Discovering
a book by an author you forgot was one of your favorites in a field the author
was not known for.
Aren't
children's books amazing? Art books? Natural history?
- Community
Overhearing
conversations about books, authors, other bookstores, writing, anything…
Seeing
somebody ahead of you at the checkout buying something you now must find.
Having
a bookseller who knows you well enough to know what you need before you know.
Bookstore
cats.
Bookstore
kids.
What are your favorite things about bookstores?
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