How I Killed the Local Bookstore

A few months ago the world's best bookstore, The Happy Bookseller, an independent bookstore, closed. It died, and I'm the one who killed it.

This local bookstore, whose founder was president at least once of the American Booksellers Association (or whatever it's called), did so very much to promote regional and local authors. They generously hosted a big bash of a booksigning for an anthology of the best stories from the S.C. Fiction Project -- and I got to be there and sign copies of the book because I had a story in it. Heaven! That was before I killed the store.

They're at least 15 miles away from me and one of the most pleasant places in the world. The people who worked there were readers. The only thing it lacked was a store cat, but I forgive them for that.

I didn't mean to kill them and I did it slowly (Saintly Brother says he helped). I started ordering my books on Amazon. Like most crimes, I started small. A few things here and there that the local bookstore didn't have. Then it got easier and easier. And soon, I wasn't going to the bookstore at all. I had (and have) become an Amazon 'ho'.

But don't worry. I'm giving back to my community's literary institutions in another way. I just got a notice that I owe the public library $144.00 in fines and the cost of overdue books. Oops! (I can assure you that the overdue books will be quickly returned.)

Do you think they'll arrest me?

Maybe buying my books on Amazon is cheaper in the long run.

Comments

[groovyoldlady]

Our library has labeled January as "Amnesty Month"; You can return any and all books, no matter how overdue, and they waive the fees.

And Amazon? Well, I have the same problem in a different realm. We have a local Bible book store -lovely people, lovely store, retail prices. I find myself only buying off the clearance rack there. I get everything else from CBD online.

We are so selfish. And frugal!

[Steve B]

It's kind a vicious cycle, though. As fewer and fewer small bookstores remain, they become harder and harder to find. Thus, for convenience's sake, you just hit the super-mega-store because it's closer, or hit Amazon because it's easier.

I like the smaller stores because I love books. Many times I prefer used books, because the feel like they have a "history." Cover a little worn, even tattered. Maybe a tea or coffee smudge on a page or two. It tells me that another book lover curled up with this book somewhere and ate it like a cookie, with little crumbs all down the front of them.

Plus, in used book stores you can find some really distinctive and unique volumes for cheap, whereas you wouldn't find them at all, or at "vintage book" prices in a bigger store.