I hope this never ever happens. Book shops may be outdated but they're just so nice to wander round

>>5036
I agree, but on the other hand I can kind of see the point. I love book shops mainly for the reason that, given a good hour, I can come across a pile of books I probably never would have heard of otherwise.

However, they're usually so much more expensive than they are online, that I just end up making a note of them and purchasing them on the internet when I get home.

They can be a bit cheaper when buying second hand books as there's no postage. It's good when you can see the quality of the book yourself before buying. Recently I bought a book off Amazon and was sent not only the wrong edition but a scanlation edition that was completely unreadable. I got my money back, but that's hardly the point.

They're ideal places to hold literature-related events and even meet other people. I'd use them more often if I were more able to get to them.

>>5035

>not that insane

It sounds like she thinks it's at least somewhat insane. I'd never set foot in one again.

>>5035
>What do they offer that Amazon et al don't?
...browsing.

>>5040

>>5040

Amazon offer a lot of browsing. Nearly all new stock has a substantial preview available on the website and most Kindle books can be previewed on the device.

Advocates for bookshops always argue that it's a personal experience, where real human beings can recommend stuff that you'll really like, but I've never experienced that. I have fairly esoteric interests, so the sorts of books I'm looking for are hardly ever in stock, even at a massive superstore. Requests for books never resulted in an exciting conversation, but a blank stare and "You're going to have to spell that for me.". In the days before Amazon, nearly all of the books I bought were ordered from the distributor, so I had to take two trips into town, wait at least a week and pay full list price. Amazon meant that I could afford to buy twice as many books, get them faster and often have the opportunity to preview the contents.

I just don't know what kind of book buyer gets value out of a traditional bookshop. Readers of mass-market fiction are extremely well served by Kindle. Students buying textbooks can save hundreds of pounds a year online. Serious bibliophiles are unlikely to find much of interest on the high street - the big chains have quite bland stock and the small independents just don't have enough stock.

Frankly, I think the days of printed books are numbered and I only ever buy a hard copy if it's either unavailable as an eBook or I can get a second-hand paper copy for much less than an eBook. Most libraries are now lending eBooks and substantially reducing their book stock in favour of more computers and 'information services'. I don't see how book retailers can expect to avoid the same fate as HMV. We just have better ways of distributing textual content.

My local small bookshop tells me between now and the 15th, it's scheduled:
4 Poetry reading nights
2 Reading group nights
1 Group discussion lead by a psychotherapist (?)
They very often have book signing with local and/or not so well known authors. They seem to have game-nights where people are invited to come and play boardgames whenever nothing else is on, and they serve cake, coffee or your choice of 50 different teas (£1.00 each).

>>5038
The majority of books I buy are for my children, so if they're not from somewhere like The Works then they're from a second hand shop. Managed to pick up The Twits, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me, The Magic Finger and The Enormous Crocodile for £2 the other week.

if they did make it pay-on-entrance and set up a coffee bars in there then they would become places for all kind of Book Clubs and little Hipster and Student gatherings.
Like if you put a bookshelf in Starbucks.

>>5035
For bookshops I love bookbarn, loads of second hand books for ~£1 or so. Can easily come out with 10+ books at a time. Can be hit and miss at times though.
The one near me has a cafe and all.
I prefer browsing a long bookshelf for random stuff but if I want something specific amazon is much better.

It seems to me that for bookshops to survive, the selling-books bit should be tied to other services. New bookstores should probably function something more like arts centres or libraries.

I have no idea whether this is commercially viable, but my ideal bookstore would look something like... a study room with a few laptop chargers, with both a quiet area that has individual desks and a communal area with comfy chairs and sofas and such. It'd be friendly to people who want to come in and read their own paperbacks or kindles and would have a generous selection of general reference books (i.e. dictionaries, history, encyclopedias).

It would make its money from selling a) pretty, collectors or otherwise unique editions of books, b) the latest editions of student textbooks, c) hiring out the space for discussions and groups, d) food and drink for the people who stay there. If it were really focused, you could have informal classes held there, especially for stuff like foreign languages.

Just a thought.

>>5078
I wonder how esoteric your tastes actually are?

Admittedly I've only ever visited one good Waterstone's (on Deansgate in Manchester), but the selection on its upper floor was impressively varied and interesting. Maybe a city centre branch would cater to your tastes?

The cover price of books on the high street may be high, but it is possible to recoup a fair proportion of it that it becomes more attractive. The points you can earn on a waterstones loyalty card for example can be quite generous, and through last year they were also running a scheme where you get a card stamped for every £10 you spend, and you get a £10 voucher after ten stamps. It essentially works out as a 10% discount.


>>5035

Luckily HarperCollins doesn't own bookshops.

The Waterstones in my neck of the woods has a Costa inside it. I can't speak for everyone, but I'll often go in there for a coffee and come out with forty quids worth of books. I see people all the time sat there reading, I can only assume it amounts to sales.

Last time I went to my local indie-bookshop I bought three books and the proprietor gave me a free teapots worth of tea to drink.

>>5217

I went in to mine yesterday. The lass gave me free tes and cake. Wasn't even looking for a book. We had a lovely natter for an hour, and then I discovered there's a board game night tomorrow. A small fee, but definitely worth the free cake for them.

>>5218
>board game night

Yeeeessssss. I don't even know of any indie bookshops in my city but if one existed and it had one of these I'd tramp over hill and dale to attend.

>>5219

3 quid, with free tea and cake. What more could you ask for on a Friday?

Also, lots of girls. I think my local must start seeing less of me...

>>5220
You're going to have to carry on stoking my jealousy by telling me which board games will be played; if it's Monopoly I won't feel too bad, but if you say Game Of Life I'm going to be positively green.

>>5219
I would quite honestly love to throw a party where all we'd do is drink tea and play board games. My friends would sadly think me a bit of a nutjob if I suggested it. Sometimes I fear I really am a boring man.

>>5221

I will happpily do so lad. I did have a quick gander at the massive stack of games there, and while (I hate to admit) there was a Monopoly variation, I did not recognise any of the other thirty or so. Which bodes well.

>>5222

I will be getting raucously pissed, and their will be pussy. Lots of very fine pussy from the looks of the photos online - taken by a lass for har Fakkybuk group. I will let you know how it goes.

Oh, and its run by a witch. THE DREAM!

(A good day to you Sir!)