I love books, and being able to hold them in my hands. I’ve owned a Kindle for several years. At first I said no thanks, but have grown to enjoy and appreciate it, especially when traveling. Several times while away from home on an extended trip, I’d wanted one of my favorite books, and have been able to order and have it downloaded to my Kindle. I do however miss being able to flip back and forth through pages and underline specific passages I want to reread later. I know you can do this on Kindle, but it just isn’t as convenient. I also miss being able to wander into a bookstore and peruse the shelves. I remember spending many enjoyable hours In a local bookstore with a cup of coffee and perhaps a sweet treat. As many of you know, one by one those bookstores slowly disappeared.
This morning while looking for the sudoku puzzle in the LA Times, I spotted an article in the business section, Is Amazon poised to open hundreds of book stores? I was very excited and quickly read the article. Amazon has opened one bookstore in Seattle, but is not willing to discuss their plans to open more, or so it said. Amazon Books in Seattle is set up differently than we were accustomed to. Apparently all of the books sit with their covers facing outwards, and customers have to scan the books to see prices.The store is much smaller because of this new design. There was no mention of coffee or places to sit, read and relax. I found myself remembering those enjoyable visits to Borders Books. It will be interesting to watch and see what happens. I ‘m thrilled at the thought of a bricks-and-mortar bookstore as they call it in the article, but I’m hoping for something a little more cozy and welcoming. How about you?
I read the article, too. But since it is Amazon, I wonder about the bookstore they will open. They have lots of arguments with publishers and authors about the sharing of payments. Those arguments are what Amazon uses to lure customers to Kindle. Would their stores provide a wide assortment of authors and publishers? Or, would their books be limited to those in which the authors and publishers agree to cheapskate payments? Barnes & Noble already has brick and mortar stores as well as its NOOK e-book readers ( which I have and am on my second such device ). I buy some things at Amazon, but I look at it as a greedy business behemoth.
Interesting comment,and as I read it and realize that what I miss is the atmosphere of the bookstore, I think perhaps I should simply spend more time at our local library. No coffee, but I think I will survive.