tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post4657149723338197112..comments2023-10-14T05:08:04.673-07:00Comments on Barrie Summy: Goodbye to The Book RoomBarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04678698296265168217noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-50782367075005527112008-02-10T19:34:00.000-08:002008-02-10T19:34:00.000-08:00Did you know that The Book Room and its owner was ...Did you know that The Book Room and its owner was mentioned in one of John Irving's books? I guess they owner helped him with some research, so he wrote the store into the book.<BR/><BR/>So sad that it's gone.Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-56507087928414280282008-02-05T14:29:00.000-08:002008-02-05T14:29:00.000-08:00Great post! I recently realised I’d fallen into th...Great post! I recently realised I’d fallen into the habit of only buying books online or cut-price at my local supermarket. I couldn’t remember when I’d last bought from an independent (for some indies it’s cheaper to buy stock from such supermarkets, where the retail price is less than they pay wholesale –- crazy). A couple of weeks ago, I changed this habit and ordered a title from my local independent.<BR/><BR/>I like your idea of buying one in every so many books from an independent. They are more expensive, but if we don’t all do something to support them, these wonderful bookstores will be gone.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10442346154131507824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-77741123632806231012008-02-05T04:59:00.000-08:002008-02-05T04:59:00.000-08:00you know, this is a very interesting post. (and th...you know, this is a very interesting post. (and the closing of the book room is very very sad.)<BR/><BR/>there's a great independent bookstore about three miles from our house. there's a borders about three miles in a different direction. and there's amazon, which is right in front of us all the time wherever we go.<BR/><BR/>so how do we shop?<BR/><BR/>we divide it up. i can't even really explain what motivates us. but if we're looking for one specific book, we'll often hop on amazon and order it. i buy a lot of used books that way--books that are harder to find in stores.<BR/><BR/>if we feel like browsing, we go to the independent place. it's a great, neighborly store, and they have eclectic things, and a crooked wooden floor, and one easy chair by the window, and it's very pleasant and calm.<BR/><BR/>and borders is more spur-of-the-moment. we're driving past, we stop.<BR/><BR/>i guess you can tell from this post that we buy a LOT of books. but we do try to spread our book buying money around.lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18055442432266567561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-14373143836359487652008-02-05T01:09:00.000-08:002008-02-05T01:09:00.000-08:00Thanks for visiting me! I am all for the indie sho...Thanks for visiting me! I am all for the indie shops! On line shopping is affecting everything. I like to browse before I buy!Maggie Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06183886005936250976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-55220311944346520442008-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:002008-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:00One would think that since I owned a wee little bo...One would think that since I owned a wee little book business that I'd be a die hard indie. The truth is, unless I drive to Portland, we have a definate lack of quaint bookstores. I've given up on Borders, they are hopeless! <BR/><BR/>I sadly admit that I buy from B&N, Powells, or Amazon.Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14830175253251435851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-67079588773142786012008-02-04T18:31:00.000-08:002008-02-04T18:31:00.000-08:00It's "Catch-22." Well-run indie stores are great ...It's "Catch-22." Well-run indie stores are great but most of their stock is low and the prices high. So who do you support? Authors, by buying more books at discount, or the stores? I choose the authors.Larramiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14788910637361812265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-64014846200281477282008-02-04T16:42:00.000-08:002008-02-04T16:42:00.000-08:00This is something that we should all pay attention...This is something that we should all pay attention to... or else we all get sucked into the ease of online ordering without thinking about the long term consequences.<BR/><BR/>(and, yes, I am still seriously pissed-- our books cost so much more than they should, considering the state of the Canadian dollar! A lot of people just order online from the US to save cash these days)Princess Pointfulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10911296163218358167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-66936101394783922662008-02-04T15:18:00.000-08:002008-02-04T15:18:00.000-08:00I am guilty as sin. I order my books online. Think...I am guilty as sin. I order my books online. Think Amazon.com. :( <BR/><BR/>We do have a Waldenbooks and a Bookworm store here. I walk over to the Bookworm once in a while to see if I find anything. But the click, click is so convenient. :(Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-30053996758917573352008-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:002008-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:00I'm guilty of making most of my purchases at Barne...I'm guilty of making most of my purchases at Barnes & Noble and Borders. It isn't so much the financial aspect as the convenience. All the indie bookstores in Ann Arbor tend to be in places I don't usually visit and involve awkward parking situations.Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04651755306664865579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-7921026136285534602008-02-04T10:33:00.000-08:002008-02-04T10:33:00.000-08:00We buy on-line...from the local "Used Book Store" ...We buy on-line...from the local "Used Book Store" before it went under...and from the "Super Book Stores". For us, it's a combination of convenience and the almightly dollar that drives our purchases.<BR/><BR/>Technology might soon be a factor as well. Our oldest son - Ross - reads four or more books at a time...lugging them all around with him. There's a new device called a "Kindle" sold through Amazon that we're thinking about getting him. He can download and store up to 250 books and can subscribe to weekly and monthly periodicals. Text and images are delivered via a wireless cell-phone connection in the device so he could buy books from anywhere in the world at anytime. It was created by one of the founders of Amazon.com who also reads multiple books at the same time but got tired of hauling them all around.<BR/><BR/>The world is changing...like it or not.Johnie B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16378109691092366389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-82350847715898895452008-02-04T08:46:00.000-08:002008-02-04T08:46:00.000-08:00I never indie. Honestly, I don't know of any indie...I never indie. Honestly, I don't know of any indies close to where I am, so I either buy online or at Barnes and Noble. <BR/><BR/>teri, slinking away in guilt.TJ Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06140694185848604747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-75924217557871162042008-02-04T08:40:00.000-08:002008-02-04T08:40:00.000-08:00Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love getting vi...Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love getting visitors.<BR/><BR/>I tend to buy my boks mostly from big box stores, because Minot ND doesn't really have a lot of independant stores. Actually, we just got our first big box store. I order all of my text books second hand online. Maybe if we got a store that sold what I needed would be loyal to them, but haven't found one yet.Military Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08089960940466985808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-58572741137266237062008-02-04T04:51:00.000-08:002008-02-04T04:51:00.000-08:00The problem I find is that the books I want are ne...The problem I find is that the books I want are never available from the bookstore -- not even the big chains. I think I need to make more of an effort to have the bookstore order them.<BR/><BR/>EmilyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-42741572172153156422008-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:002008-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:00This makes me sad.We have a similar situation here...This makes me sad.<BR/>We have a similar situation here.<BR/>Women and Children First, a very old feminist book store here in Chicago is going to have shut down, and for the same reasons. I personally have made a very intentional to buy all the new books I get from independent book stores. They will often order them for me, if they are not in stock.bellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04165771647378109845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-1323489813895739562008-02-03T20:23:00.000-08:002008-02-03T20:23:00.000-08:00I do prefer independent bookstores to the big chai...I do prefer independent bookstores to the big chains, but it's just so much easier to buy books online - I don't have to feel the fabric of a piece of clothing or try it on to make sure it fits. Lately, even the big chains don't carry some of the authors I like to read, so buying online, at times, is the only way to go.Sandy Levinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01576630789017668901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-34406539065493460372008-02-03T18:58:00.000-08:002008-02-03T18:58:00.000-08:00I think it is so sad to see all these little book ...I think it is so sad to see all these little book stores go out of business - it is just sad. I am guilty of buying all of our books either on-line or at Borders or Barnes & Nobel - I guess it was inevitable. It will happen to other business too - it is just the trend. It is a shame. <BR/><BR/>Hope you had a great weekend - see you soon. KellanKellanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07882991320065439298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-9450692963859053872008-02-03T17:30:00.000-08:002008-02-03T17:30:00.000-08:00I would love to support independent bookstores -- ...I would love to support independent bookstores -- but where are they? They're going the way small markets went in the 60s when supermarket chains took over. This seems to be the way of everything -- bigger chains swallowing the smaller fish. Can we as individuals really change the tide? Only if we stay out of the big chains -- and is that going to happen? En masse? Probably not. This is what they call "progress" and as always with progress there is loss and it comes at a cost. Sad.Sherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08271529958269038071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-74389719836289222062008-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:002008-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00I prefer to buy in store. Unfortunately there is n...I prefer to buy in store. Unfortunately there is no little bookstores where I live. All big box.<BR/><BR/>:( That's really sad.Amy Ruttanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02212879406999128140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-83929809245709613562008-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:002008-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:00Wow - it's so sad to lose an institution like that...Wow - it's so sad to lose an institution like that. I guess I am guilty as I buy a lot of books on-line - mostly for the convenience. Truthfully I never thought about the impact on booksellers until now...Don Mills Divahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03733674458423525738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-64902944210738180022008-02-03T11:28:00.000-08:002008-02-03T11:28:00.000-08:00I usually can only afford to buy books if they are...I usually can only afford to buy books if they are on sale, but this has me rethinking thatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-71645381505771920182008-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:002008-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:00I do about 50/50 too. I support my local indies, ...I do about 50/50 too. I support my local indies, but as someone whose book is about to be sold in Target, I can't point too many fingers.Carleen Bricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01433203126527081458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-84781500428588475532008-02-03T08:51:00.000-08:002008-02-03T08:51:00.000-08:00I get books lots of places: amazon, bn, our local ...I get books lots of places: amazon, bn, our local indie, the library, friends and family, used book stores.<BR/><BR/>I'll probably go to hell for this, but I don't really like our indie store.Sarah Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00753180768919416208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-23025678657385454732008-02-03T06:41:00.000-08:002008-02-03T06:41:00.000-08:00What's really sad is that there aren't any indepen...What's really sad is that there aren't any independent bookstores near me. The closest one is a two hour drive!<BR/><BR/>BTW, thank you so much for dropping by my blog. Your site is very well-done. I look forward to reading your work.Rebecca Hickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04564610692580203203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-35498756612633257532008-02-03T05:26:00.000-08:002008-02-03T05:26:00.000-08:00I do buy some books online but my very favourite i...I do buy some books online but my very favourite independent book store sells both used and new books (at a discounted price). Makes me feel a tad less guilty about buying online.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14110235078325434919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7461076427066534397.post-83809167670171076432008-02-02T21:39:00.000-08:002008-02-02T21:39:00.000-08:00I'm sorry to hear this. I end up buying a fair am...I'm sorry to hear this. I end up buying a fair amount online simply because there aren't any used bookstores near me. The one that I used to go to has moved. but there's nothing for me like going in an actual bookstore.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for visiting my blog, btw.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.com