Books and Bookstores

[Oexmelin]

Mostly useless poll to assuage my curiosity after reading about the B&N plan.

Whenever I am in Quebec or in France, I buy mostly from independent book stores, because they are easy to find. In the US, I unfortunately have to buy from Amazon, because campus bookstores have been transformed into B&N outlets, and are therefore useless as bookstores, operating mostly to sell college merchandise.

[Oexmelin]

Also, do you miss it - or you just don't see the appeal?

[Admiral Yi]

What's the B&N plan?  I've got some gift cards.

[Sheilbh]

2 with a bit of 1 and 5.

I buy at Waterstones and also Foyles which is a mini chain in London. Though I only use the main Foyles store, which used to be famous for how labyrinthine it was and entirely staffed by subject-area experts who were affronted at anyone with less than impeccable knowledge - it's now moved into a gleaming new location down the road and the staff are still incredible, but now (mainly) polite.

Waterstones have had a very successful change in strategy by the former head of Daunt Books, it basically put local managers and staff very much in charge. The theory was that if they centrally allocated books like Borders, they would eventually go the way of Borders. So as local staff should know what local people want, they're in charge of ordering and displays and limited promotions etc. It seems to have worked really well in the Waterstones I visit and I think they're doing well as a company which is nice.

I also go to a few local/independent bookstores like Gay's the Word and the European Bookstore.

And at my local Saturday farmer's market there's a couple of niche publishers who I also frequent - they specialise in translations of new European literary fiction. It paid off for them in a big way when Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel prize as, I think, they were her UK translater

But they often have interesting stuff I wouldn't see otherwise - also there's a couple of small poetry publishers I buy direct from.

[garbon]

Foyles is owned by Waterstones.

[The Brain]

Mostly Amazon for regular books, and a Swedish big online store for Swedish books. I buy some (but not all) niche books (roleplaying games and similar) at a local brick and mortar nerd store.

[mongers]

One model of bookshop I'd like in the UK was what I recently saw on the Japanese news channel, an item about Madrid and they walked through a 2nd hand bookshop that charge for books by their total weight.

[The Larch]

I've mostly stopped buying any new books in the last few years because I eventually would be at risk of suffocation if one of the piles of them I have around the house collapsed on me.

[Oexmelin]

What's the B&N plan?  I've got some gift cards.

a very successful change in strategy by the former head of Daunt Books, it basically put local managers and staff very much in charge. The theory was that if they centrally allocated books like Borders, they would eventually go the way of Borders. So as local staff should know what local people want, they're in charge of ordering and displays and limited promotions etc. It seems to have worked really well in the Waterstones I visit and I think they're doing well as a company which is nice.

Former head of Daunt Books, now former head of Waterstones, is now current head of B&N.

[Admiral Yi]

Great.  Now I can choose from 6,000 titles on University of Iowa football and wrestling.

[Oexmelin]

Though I only use the main Foyles store, which used to be famous for how labyrinthine it was and entirely staffed by subject-area experts who were affronted at anyone with less than impeccable knowledge - it's now moved into a gleaming new location down the road and the staff are still incredible, but now (mainly) polite.

Yes, I kind of miss the old store. I still have the "Bugger Borders" pin they used to sell then. You can go at the café upstairs if you want to reminisce about rude staff. 

[Oexmelin]

Great.  Now I can choose from 6,000 titles on University of Iowa football and wrestling.

I suppose you'll have to get your scented candles, party games and lego toys elsewhere. 

[Josquius]

I visited Whitby lately.
A wonderful town that holds many lovely childhood memories. A big part of these memories was its great collection of second hand book shops.
They... Are all gone.
The town in general has sold out a lot but this part was particularly sad.

Elsewhere it's the same. Everywhere I remember there being a second hand book shop they're gone.

The only nice experience I've had in this regard was Robin Hood's Bay where one remains.

I love exploring such shops but they're a dying breed. My book buying is largely on amazon these days.

[Admiral Yi]

I suppose you'll have to get your scented candles, party games and lego toys elsewhere. 

Punked!

[Oexmelin]

Punked!