Thursday, August 04, 2011

Friday 55-Sigh

FRIDAY 55

Grocery shopping is an inescapable chore.
Christmas shopping is an annual grind.
Bathing suit shopping is the stuff of nightmares.
Shoe shopping,
clothes shopping, 
they hold no allure for me.
But turn me loose in a bookstore
and I'll be content until my wallet empties.
Sadly, it will be harder 
to indulge my addiction now.




In the many years I've lived in this area I've watched the rural loveliness be paved over and built up with strip malls.  Row upon row of chain stores went up over night as the trees came down.  Of all the numbers of there was only one I got completely excited about because we didn't have a decent local book store.  Yes, I can order books on-line but I am one of those people who adored going over the remainders tables and finding surprises there.  I've gotten some great books that way.  I also loved searching through the shelves just to see what was there.  Of course, there were times I'd go knowing exactly what book I wanted but more often than not I'd just go peruse and see what struck my fancy.  More often than not I'd be far away from the best-seller tables.  It was like digging for hidden treasure and I was rarely disappointed.  I'm a great lover of biographies and memoirs and that section alone in this Borders could keep me searching happily for a long time.  I'm very sad to see it go...though I think my bank account will be better off when the doors close the last time...

31 comments:

G-Man said...

It's so sad, for years this was my Friday Night Hang Out!
It made an excellent 55 from YOU.
Thanks for playing Trini
Loved your story, and have a Kick Ass Week-End

G-Man said...

I'll Have a Jenga!!

Alice Audrey said...

I know just how you feel. I love that digging for burred treasure feel, and to find bargains. It's not the same online.

Janna said...

I love bookstores too!
I'll miss Borders, even though the nearest one was so far away that I was rarely able to go. :(

Thanks for another Friday 55.
Mine's here. :)

Brian Miller said...

oh that is a sad day...i love bookstores...luckily we have a B&N but all the little ones are gone now...

moondustwriter said...

It's been a major hang out for young and. We would have local music on Friday night
I agree a loss!!

Sailor said...

Oh, I sooo agree! We don't have a single bookstore near my home, but there's a Borders less than 5 minutes from my office- I can't count the number of lunchtime visits, after-work strolls through the shelves, sometimes with a goal but usually just browsing...

I too, will miss them :(

hedgewitch said...

It's horrible to see a good bookstore go, and a dozen junk food places doing fine. We only have B&N around here--i just pray they can keep going with the e-books and online sales, so I'll be able to keep doing what you described so well, hunt through the bargain books, peruse the odd sections, and squander all my excess cash...such as it is. Great 55, sad occasion.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I find great solace in book stores also. Sad to see Borders go, also. Hopefully a good independent will move near you.

Cad said...

Guess Kindle rules...

MorningAJ said...

Being in a city with two universities and working practically next door to one of them means that I'm not short of book stores - fortunately. I've not see a Borders over here for years so I'm not sure when they left the UK. Waterstone's is still thriving, I think.

Commander Zaius said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Commander Zaius said...

All those jobs ending at Borders is what bothers me the most, its a gross understatment to say those workers will have a hardtime finding new employment.

I haven't bought one yet but yes, the Kindle is the new hot thing but for me it just doesn't "feel" right as compared to an old worn book. But I'm getting older and "progress" doesn't look so bright to me like it once did. I still miss my long dead locally owned book store.

Poetic Soul said...

This is sad... Amazing writing though, your 55 was great

Justjanesinsaneblog@blogspot.com said...

Borders, a great loss. The music alone was worth the stop. You could listen, shop, and drink coffee. You could just hang out.

Suldog said...

MY WIFE, too, is sad about the demise of Borders. She works in Downtown Boston and it was the closest place for her to shop for books, plus they had a coffee shop she liked. Sad whenever a book store goes out of business, really.

Unknown said...

I know: I'm mourning their loss as well.

brenda w said...

Give me books over clothes any day. Great write.

RNSANE said...

Perfect 55 and you totally reflected my sentiments. If I were homeless - and it could happen - since my job loss nearly three years ago now and the drop in my annual income of $100,000/year - Borders and Barnes and Noble would be the place I'd stay from opening till last call!


My 55 is at:

http://rnsane.blogspot.com/2011/08/friday-flash-55-vanished-in-venice.html#links

Hope your weekend is filled with bliss, whatever that is for you!

Anonymous said...

wel, you've bought enough there, why not open your own used book store???

silly rabbit said...

I'm just hoping my people that I gave Borders gift cards to last Christmas are spending them and are getting a good bang for their bucks out of it.

Mijayami said...

Great 55. I'm not sure how, but time seems to stand still when I'm in a bookstore. Our Borders closed not long ago, as well. At least we still have a B&N...

lecram said...

yeah, they're closing here too... and I've also heard that Barnes & noble might be looking to sell. Perhaps this will bring back the corner Mom & Pop bookstore... one can hope.

for a different kind of girl said...

Hmmm...if only there was a Barnes and Noble nearby...:)

(I think I'm contractually obligated to say this sort of thing)

Jannie Funster said...

Borders was special.

I think it's the coffee allure that draws us to buy all those books. At least it is for me! No book buying for me lately. My extra $10s and $20s I'm putting towards the recording studio.

xo

And a quick link to mine, should you have time...

here

Bijoux said...

What is even more disturbing to me is that these giant stores sit empty for years in strip malls.

Craig said...

Oh, I was a long-devoted afficionado of the bookstores, going back to my college days, when I used to burn a day in Chicago during spring break, chillin' at Kroch's & Brentano's. . .

We had a lovely little locally-owned bookstore that got driven out when B&N came to town, but in due time I managed to get past my grudge over that, and transfer my browsing habit to B&N. For the past several years, I've worked just down the road from a Borders, so I spent a fair amount of time there, as well.

Honestly, tho, several years ago, I started to notice that I rarely actually bought a book off the shelves. I usually buy a book after reading an interesting review, or on a friend's recommendation, and my tastes are, um, idiosyncratic enough that I would almost always end up special-ordering anyway. So when I discovered the online booksellers, it was like my own little special-order shop, that delivered right to my door. So I didn't hit the bookstores nearly as much. But a couple times a year, I'll still make time for a bookstore browsing session, when I can fit one in. . .

gautami tripathy said...

It is same all over the world. Bookstores are fast dwindling...


other shoe

Kat said...

I hear ya. We only have one small Waldenbooks (which was bought out by Borders) left in our city and now that is closing. Boo. Bookstores are so much fun. Tis sad. :(

Olivia said...

Aaaaw!
I too love shopping books.. :)
Biographies.. well, it couldn't get anymore similar!

Sundays Hugs xox

Hilary said...

It's disheartening to know that even a large chain bookstore is going out of business but I guess I contribute to that as well. I almost exclusively read libary books or books I pick up for 25 - 50 cents at yard sales.