I’ve had a lot to say here about the Brave New World of e-publishing, but there’s so much about good old-fashioned bookstores to love.
This story from the Wall Street Journal nailed something I couldn’t put my finger on. It’s not just the joy of wandering through a great store, it’s the memories from somewhere unexpected. Somewhere other than your local B&N.
A lot of my recent favorites seem to have come from Seattle. Much of my education in the puny little slice of engineering that I’m qualified for came from Boeing, which meant a lot of time spent in the great Northwest. Weeks at a time away from home meant a lot of time roaming the local bookstores (and there’s a lot of those cool funky independent-sellers out there). When I was finally able to bring my wife with me a couple of years ago, what do you think happened? Sure enough, I found a couple of gems in a little place on Bainbridge island.
As much as the e-book world has opened up exciting new opportunities, I’m going to miss that. I fear it’s going the way of the Dodo.
P.S. Props to my favorite local “funky independent”, The Book Loft. We used to go there all the time, before kids happened.
(Hat Tip: The Passive Voice)
The Chiles Files 