From Book Notes in the current edition of Carousel:
Many of you will have a favourite local bookshop, whether independent or part of a chain. But the whole trade is facing extraordinary challenges. Customers have got used to quite ridiculous price cuts where the latest best-selling title is sold for half the price printed on the jacket and whilst, in the short term, this leads to good sales for the few the effect on the whole trade is the very opposite...The Booksellers Association state that two independent bookshops closed per week during 2009. We would love to know about your own neighbourhood bookshop. Record shops have almost completely vanished and it would be appalling if bookshops followed suit. There are some excellent shops out there, so let's pass the word round. Please click on the comment button and let us know your favourite shop, and why. Thanks.
5 comments:
Not a local bookshop because I don't have one near me that is worthy of the name; so my choice would be Daunt Books in South End Green, London NW3. It's neither too big nor too small; just about the right size for easy browsing. Lots of shelf-space, interestingly arranged, a large proportion of it geographically, under continents and countries, which allows for a pleasing mix of fiction and non-fiction and some eye-opening juxtapositions. Excellent table displays of books chosen by the staff. And overall pleasant environment. Daunt Books is a small, London-based chain.
Aldeburgh Bookshop in Suffolk has a wide range of books, always something interesting, and a small but well chosen children's section.
Browsers Children's Bookshop in Woodbridge, Suffolk has a well stocked and often with inventive window displays (why are most bookshop windows so unimaginative?). The adult shop has excellent cakes as well as books!
Waterstones, Sheffield actually has at least one member of staff happy to talk about books and a well chosen and displayed selection of books for children.
Extraordinary depth of stock at both the Children's Bookshop, Lindley, Huddersfield and the Norfolk Children's Bookshop (follows the signs off the main road to Cromer).
'Rhyme and Reason' at Hunter's Bar in Sheffield - a tiny, Aladdin's cave of children's books, which has survived for years, despite the massive Waterstones, which is far more centrally located and much higher profile. Long live the little bookshops!
The Bookshop at Kibworth Beauchamp in Leicestershire. This is a new shop, opened by Debbie James seven months ago. She's passionate about books, and it shows. She'll go to any lengths to get books, the shop looks enticing and she changes the displays regularly. The children's area is a delight. Debbie is supporting local authors, has four reading groups running, and deserves the success she's having. http://thevirtualbookshop.co.uk/
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