Book Haven discussion

Today I was reading on a bench when it started to rain. What was there else to do than to search for shelter... in a bookstore... :D

I know I'm not the only one who has ever used a weird excuse to go in a bookstore, so have you used any?

Nope- people that know me understand that if I see a bookstore, I must enter it. Doesn't matter what it makes me late for. If I hear rumor of a bookstore, I must seek it out.

LOL. Yes. Coffee, snack, waiting for the train, any excuse.

Aside from the obvious reason to enter a bookstore.. to look for a book which only draws snickers from my family and friends.. I use the B&N entrance to the mall even though the store wea rea actually going to has it's own entrance at the opposite end. Then I just sloooooooowly make my way down the aisle to the mall entrance, taking a side trip to the New Romance section located against the wall furtherest from said mall entrance.

No one is onto me.

Uniquely Moi wrote: "Aside from the obvious reason to enter a bookstore.. to look for a book which only draws snickers from my family and friends.. I use the B&N entrance to the mall even though the store wea rea actua..."

LMAO! I do the same thing! I park on the bottom level where I have to pass by Borders. If I'm passing by I figure I might as well browse.

Jackie wrote: "LMAO! I do the same thing! I park on the bottom level where I have to pass by Borders. If I'm passing by I figure I might as well browse.
."

Well, yeah, might as well browse while you're there, I mean... what's it going to hurt...
*cough, cough*besides your pocketbook*cough, cough*

I do not need an excuse to enter a book store..I like being there and if they have food even better lol

Other people need an excuse?

Well I needed an excuse, because I promised myself I would not buy any books until November... And well... :P

Other people won't enter a bookstore with me, not even with the best of excuses...

Mawgojzeta wrote: "Nope- people that know me understand that if I see a bookstore, I must enter it. Doesn't matter what it makes me late for. If I hear rumor of a bookstore, I must seek it out. "
You and I are certainly on the same page on that score!!!!

I also use my grand-daughter as an excuse on a weekly basis (as I take care of her one day a week)to Encourage her to have a love of reading - which is partly true, but primarily.... well you know the answer to that!

Bev wrote: "I also use my grand-daughter as an excuse on a weekly basis (as I take care of her one day a week)to Encourage her to have a love of reading - which is partly true, but primarily.... well you know ..."

How old is she and which is her favorite Paranormal Romance series? LOL

LOL, favorite PNR! xD Start 'em young, eh?

I need an excuse when I drag people in with me! LOL. One time my brother and his wife wanted a snack, so I'm like, let's go to B&N, they have a great strawberry cheesecake (and they do)! xD

I don't think I usually need an excuse, but my best one would be the postal center inside my favorite UBS. I almost never have to wait in line and since it's at the back of the store right next to the romance section, how can I not take a little time to browse.:-)

My tried and true excuse is, "I had a bad day. I earned a trip to the bookstore."

Then there's the, "Well I can't read the book I have at home until I get the first book in the series," excuse.

Of course there's also the, "Well, I'm helping the economy by buying books" excuse.

Those are all great excuses, Danielle. I'll have to remember them.;-)

LOL, Julie. You're welcome to use them. :)

Well...the other day I used a strange excuse. I "needed something to drink, and there is a cafe in Border so... I went in" hehehe.
Otherwise, I don't need an excuse very often. My husband is a bookaholic so it doesn't take much to convince him to go in with me. :)

Those of you who don't need an excuses, I really envy you! I have only one friend who is also a bookaholic, so all the others look at me strangely when I ask them if we please could visit a bookstore (and if they do, they will never ever visit another bookstore with me :D).

And my parents are kind of against buying books, so no sympathy there either...

Sasja wrote: "Those of you who don't need an excuses, I really envy you! I have only one friend who is also a bookaholic, so all the others look at me strangely when I ask them if we please could visit a booksto..."

LOL I was like that with my best friend when I was in junior high. I didn't like reading, so when we went to the mall I used to block her view of bookstores. Ha! Then one day(thanks to her) I realized that I LOVE to read! After that we would spend hours browsing our local Waldenbooks each week. (sigh) I cried when they tore that Waldenbooks down to replace it with a Panda Express. :(

Joy: Nothing like browsing a bookstore with a friend, and jumping up and down if you find a little treasure ^^.

I am so jealous of all of you. I haven't been IN a bookstore in so long I forgot what they smell like! I go to the library at least once a week though. I'm crossing my fingers for Books-A-Million/B&N/Borders gift cards for X-mas this year!! They all know my addiction so hopefully they help me out! lol

Something just happens when I walk by a book store. I think it's an "unknown" force dragging me in the store...LOL

Same here, Southpaw. That happened to me last night. I just had to go to Barnes and Noble. :)

Teehee, nice to know I'm not alone as a book and bookstore junkie.

I'm gonna go with that whole excuse that great books call to the reader. The book store beckons me there...lol. It also helps that I get a coupon from Borders about every week emailed to me! It's like I just have to use this 40 percent off coupon before it expires!!! Ya know!!

I don't use any excuses because everyone who knows me knows im a real book freak and that I cannot pass a bookstore without going in and coming out with at least three books

Some women look at jewels, shoes, pocketbooks and clothes. Me, I go to bookstores whether I'm in New Jersey, New York, Europe or even the Mideast. I don't need any excuses for entering a bookstore. To me there are the treasures and jewels I love.

To be honest, though, now with my I PAD and easy access to books, I don't visit nearly as often as I used to but the library is almost a daily visit.

Don't need an excuse..

before - to check new english books
now - to check new english books, with an eye of someone who works in the bookstore lol, very sharp eye in search for stuff I want :D

too bad btw most of hot women who pop by english fantasy books are already, well, occupied :/ :D

Nancy wrote: "Some women look at jewels, shoes, pocketbooks and clothes. Me, I go to bookstores whether I'm in New Jersey, New York, Europe or even the Mideast. I don't need any excuses for entering a bookstor..."


Ah Nancy, I feel your pain. Reading this post made me think and I realized I have not actually been to a bookstore since Christmas. I've read a ton of books, but thanks to my Nook, I don't have to go to the bookstore. Working from home, I don't have the commute to drag me by. But I miss the smell of books.... I'm gonna have to find an excuse to go now! Thanks for some tips folks!

Heidi wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Some women look at jewels, shoes, pocketbooks and clothes. Me, I go to bookstores whether I'm in New Jersey, New York, Europe or even the Mideast. I don't need any excuses for enter...

Yes, the Nook, Kindle or any of the other e readers have certainly changed the reading land. There was a time I haunted the used stores but there are fewer or fewer of these. Ands to be honest I guess I am somewhat spoiled and see a book, download it. Needless to say my credit card reflets all of my amazon purchases.

If you want that smell you can always go to a library. We have a friend who never bought anything but new books. Never bought a used book or went to the library. As he put it, he didn't want anybody sharing his book. Wow - was he missing out.

Nancy wrote: "Heidi wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Some women look at jewels, shoes, pocketbooks and clothes. Me, I go to bookstores whether I'm in New Jersey, New York, Europe or even the Mideast. I don't need any exc..."

there is really not much need to go to used books stores anymore... with the massive spread of quality paperbacks, which are, with the right treatment, easy to maintain, and which arent very expensive, one can read a lot while not paying loads of money...

yes, I am a bit "extreme" when I say I paid almost 85 € to get whole Malazan book of the fallen saga... but then, it is 10 thick tomes, altogether almost 10000 pages of really dense story and such... which means one book cost me 8.50 € for 1000 pages in average... if I wanted to pick em one by one, one would cost me 8.50 € lets say, is that much for an almost month long read for me? I dont think so, and my wage is minimum wage...

most of paperbacks are around 7-12 euros, which, since I usually buy tomes haha, isnt much to throw in once or twice a month, and totally worth it :)

I love bookstores. I spend too much time in there, walking the rows and perusing through books. I read more paper books than ebooks.

I hope bookstores will remain. There is enough room for both!

Claude Dancourt

Claude, I agree. I hope they both stick around for a long time!

Nancy, my local library smells more like must. It doesn't have that new book smell. It is very sad :( Every time I go I get a migraine.

Razmatus, I don't have any used book stores in my area. I think used book stores have their place in the chain as well and wish we had one locally. Actually, what I would really love is to open my own new and used book store and coffee shop... perhaps one day!

On my days off I go to my local bookshops and see what's the most popular books out, then I will go around all the charity shops for weeks waiting to see if one is on the shelf,last week I got for €2.50 and when went to my local bookshop it was for €14.99 :) happy days, book shops are my second home :)

Walking past one used to be enough of an excuse.

Now I have Kindles and my bookstore is on the couch next to me.

I dont want kindle and I hope no one thinks of gifting one to me - the money for one kindle I would rather use to get actual books and haunt the bookstores more lol :)

You don't know what you're missing. Having 400 or so books at my immediate beck and call (many of them free or steeply discounted), makes up for the initial device cost.

I dont have to have that many at my disposal, since I dont read more than one at once... so when I need, I just grab the one I want from my little and growing library... I am gradually buying affordable paperbacks of stuff I want for later reading, usually much much quicker than I can read em... so really no need... kindle must be perfect for readers who read with voracious hunger for more and more stuff and are quick readers

but I dont really need that stuff... with the pace I read at, however might be quick at times, I can manage to buy a book or two in a month, which is quite enough (usually I buy thicker books so yea)... when at home, I have all of my books at my disposal... and when I am "on the road", I have my preciousssss book protecting box wherein I carry one book that is at my immediate disposal as well... I never travel outside long enough to consume more than one book hehe, so :)

I know, I saw the device, looks awesome, has many advantages, but I already have my ways that arent worse and work perfectly without any inconvenience... I can also treat my books very well, so they dont get damaged and such, which eliminates for me one of reasons why kindle :P

Heidi wrote: "Claude, I agree. I hope they both stick around for a long time!

Nancy, my local library smells more like must. It doesn't have that new book smell. It is very sad :( Every time I go I get a migrai..."

Heidi - I'm so sorry about the musty odor in your library. I find that if I have a really harried day, I enter the library and my stress disappears. At the age of 65, I feel I have a right to own as many books or e books I want. At this point I am sad to think that I won't ever be able to read as much as I have if I never downloaded or ordered another book.

Razmatus wrote: "I dont want kindle and I hope no one thinks of gifting one to me - the money for one kindle I would rather use to get actual books and haunt the bookstores more lol :)"

I was a purist and never thought I would want to own an e reader and I was a holdout for some time but let me tell you why I love it now.

1. I can carry more than one book when I travel. For argument sake, not every book sways me at the beginning so what do I do if I want to read something elses. Many of the places we travel to don't have many books in English which presents me with a problem.

2. When my husband is sleeping and must the have the lights out in our bedroom, I can read comfortably in bed beside him and he doesn't even k now I am reading.

3. Books I download also show up on my husband's I PAD which means he can read from my stash too.

4. Finally, I just like reading from my I PAD.

Now, I certainly don't want to see the end of bookstores although since B&N put most of the inide bookstores out of business, it may be poetic justice.

I can always find myself a place to read, with enough light... in my room I also have a neat lamp attached to the shelf :)

I found an awesome place where I can get books very cheap... that particular one can get me just about any book I want... yes, it may take a month or two in case of rarer stuff like fantasy books by not so well sold authors (not well sold in here I mean)... but they can get you any book, provided you can send them its ISBN or such details... for example, as I mentioned the malazan saga by Erikson - in here you can mostly get Deadhouse gates and Memories of Ice, with occasional Reaper's Gale and Crippled God... and I saw NO store with the complete saga

so I ordered it via this shop, waited like a month and a half (which werent wasted, since I ordered it when I was but starting ADWD by George R.R. Martin and then I read Art of love, then this arrived), and then carried a DAMN HEAVY bag home from Bratislava... each book only like 8.50 €, damn cheap for such tomes, cheaper than anywhere I looked, elsewhere each of those books would cost 2 or 3 € more... I always have some not yet read books handy to read in case I am making such an order

I can see the advantages, I am well aware of them, but I choose actual books nevertheless... as for travelling, yes, kindle is very convenient, but then, I developed certain "travel reading habits and techniques" =>

when travelling by train, no problem opening the book and reading... if travelling in the night or such, I always choose the part of train that has lights on :)

and I have that box of mine to protect my books... I actually have two - one for a B-format books, one for an A-format books, and since I dont read C-formats very often, I dont yet have a box for that, but will have :)

it is actually pretty easy to make one... they are easy to make from common materials, they protect the book from bending, scratching, getting dirty, breaking and whatever may happen when they are in your bag (barring liquids, which I dont carry near books anyway just in case)... my books look almost as new thanks to those

if you guys want, I can make a "photo-story" on facebook on how to make such box... it is not only good for protecting... also, it is almost only as big as the book itself, so it wont take more space in your bag than the book

one person who saw me opening it and taking the book out of it was staring with wide eyes on me like what kind of crazy person I am for treating a book this well haha... I think she also said sth like I wish I had something like that so my books wouldnt get so damaged in my bag :)

Nancy wrote: "Razmatus wrote: "I dont want kindle and I hope no one thinks of gifting one to me - the money for one kindle I would rather use to get actual books and haunt the bookstores more lol :)"

I was a pu..."

this is one invention I found out about only recently when a couple of those arrived into our bookstore:
http://www.flipbackbooks.com/

pretty damn handy if you ask me - and I just saw they got Brethren by Young which I intended to read at some point... and since these editions are quite cheap, I might just get it when we get it to our store :)

still pretty new and fresh thing, I dont expect it to be like massively spread very soon, but still nice seeing new fresh ideas when it comes to physical books :)

Here in Kuwait, the biggest bookstore was in a mall. It was huge & had two entries. So whenever I went to that mall, my excuse to enter it was that I wanted to reach a store which is located near the other entry. Of course, the moment I enter the bookstore, they will be lucky if they found me among the thousands of books there.

nada wrote: "Here in Kuwait, the biggest bookstore was in a mall. It was huge & had two entries. So whenever I went to that mall, my excuse to enter it was that I wanted to reach a store which is located near t..."

haha good one... got a warren opened to transport me there? you know, like those warrens they have in malazan book of the fallen LOL :D

I'll use any excuse just enter such a magical land. The excuse I use mostly is my schoolwork. My mother can't argue with that.

books are always a good investment into the future... I am building myself a humble library of good stuff, buying only books I have a good feeling about that I will be able to finish em... so far it is growing slowly but nicely and steadily... I am not reading everything that comes, I am always making a little research on books, reviews, descriptions, brief analyses, etc., to determine by my experience and tastes, worthy additions... and so far I havent missed a single time... thats why my shelves only have books I consider good and worth reading :P

Razmatus wrote: "nada wrote: "Here in Kuwait, the biggest bookstore was in a mall. It was huge & had two entries. So whenever I went to that mall, my excuse to enter it was that I wanted to reach a store which is l..."

I actually never read any of his books, so I don't get it.