I was in a discussion the other day with my friends about a new brick and mortar Amazon bookstore that’s coming to town. Needless to say, it got us all to wondering…um, why? This is a company that’s pretty much synonymous with making actual book stores a thing of the past, yet now they’re opening up right next door to what used to be a Barnes & Noble that went out of business. Basically the definition of irony.
However, while my friends and I contemplated the reasoning behind Amazon opening a physical location, it also got us to talking about our former bookstore loving glory. When I was little, going to the local bookstore was my favorite pastime. I would spend hours roaming the shelves, looking in the bargain bins, and discovering new titles that would whisk me away from small town Ohio.
While I do still enjoy browsing through bookstores, I’m sad to admit that the joy isn’t exactly the same as it used to be. Nowadays I often find myself overwhelmed by such a wide array of books, constantly asking myself if the book I’m holding is actually a later book in a series and I just don’t know it, or what the user review rating might be. 9 times out of 10, I find myself pulling out my phone, and checking Goodreads or Amazon when I’m in an actual bookstore. I know…it’s positively shameful.
That being said, I will say there is one bookstore that, to this day, remains my ultimate favorite. It helps me hearken back to a time when I was like a kid in a candy store, only I’m surrounded by the written word. I can still spend hours upon hours browsing through this particular bookstore whenever I have the great opportunity to be in the city where it’s located, and that would be Librairie Avant-Garde in Nanjing, China.
Hands down, this is my favorite bookstore I’ve ever been to in my entire life. It’s actually a converted parking garage, which is cool enough in and of itself. But it also has thousands of volumes, from Western and Chinese classics that you can find in both English and Mandarin, to art books, law, history, economics, pretty much anything your heart could desire.
I first discovered it when I was studying in Nanjing for graduate school, and whenever I get back to China I always try and revisit one of my favorite places on Earth. It’s quietly serene and 100% unique. The entrance is hard to miss, again, seeing as the darn thing is basically underground. However, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you pop in for a visit.
So that got me to thinking, what are some of your favorite bookstores? Maybe it’s one you’ve been going to since you were little. Maybe it’s a new beauty that you’ve recently discovered. Or maybe it’s a place that’s on your bucket list to one day explore. Feel free to share in the comment section below!
Okay, so maybe this one bookstore will be what changes my mind on wanting to go to China one day. OMG, I would be lost in there, happily, for HOURS if not days.
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It’s so beautiful!
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Wow. What an exotic locale. I could happily get lost in there.
The Strand in NYC is a happy place for me.
It’s so frustrating to me that most independent bookstores don’t accept genre romance on the grounds it’s not literary fiction. But then it’s not surprising to me when these bookstores close. . .
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You know I still have never been to the Strand?! A travesty I know. Next NYC visit it’s a requirement
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Not exactly my “discovery” because everyone who’s ever been to Portland, Oregon has heard of it and almost all have been theret. Powell’s. It’s huge – it fills a whole city block – but somehow it retains a small bookstore feel with cozy nooks and a coffee shop where you’re welcome to sit for hours to talk or read. New and used books are mixed together. The best place in the world to do research with such a good chance of finding some rare, obscure little gem. As bookstores close everywhere, i keep praying for Powell’s to still be there forever.
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That sounds AMAZING!! I actually get to Portland quite often for work. I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m in town.
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Great question! I am a huge proponent for local mom and pops and I love Haslams in St Petersburg FL. In a pinch I will go to B & N because it’s close. If I choose and online buyer my go to is thiftbooks.com
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I’m starting to realize this is turning into my “where to go” list for upcoming work travel!! Haslams, noted!
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Mine used to be the Barnes & Noble in Naples, Florida (which is where I used to live). I loved the layout and the feel of it. We used to take our kids there when they were young and let them pick out a book. There was no Starbucks for miles, so the attached café was a treat. I loved browsing the bargain book section, the journals and cards. Everything, really. We spent a lot of $$ there over the years. But then…they felt the economic crunch and a lot of the book space was given up to music/CDs. Then another chunk gave way to the Nook store. The atmosphere changed. There were fewer “books.” It wasn’t cozy and comfortable any more. How I long for the olden days. 🙂
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I hear ya! The journal section is still my favorite for any bookstore. I really have an addiction to journals and writing implements
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