Tonight we went to Borders, because if you haven’t heard yet… they are closing. First things first- you want to see the goods, right?
My favorite things about Borders were always the crossword book selection, the Paperchase stuff, and browsing around new books looking for things to get from the library. But I have Barnes and Noble and Amazon for that, still… so I guess I’ve already moved on. Sorry Borders.
Other bookstores, however, are harder to “get over,” should they close down. Small, quaint used bookstores; unique specialty bookstores, and boutique gift stores. I love them all! Despite my book-owning phobia, I sure do love a good bookstore. So what better way to rave about them than to
1. List a few of my favorites from all around
2. Ask you guys to share your favorites with me for my next travels! (and for other readers!)
Twin Cities:
Birchbark, Booksmart, Amazon (did they close???), Micawber books, Magers and Quinn, Half-Price books, Patina (yes, for books too!), Once Upon a Crime (mystery), The Red Balloon Bookshop, Walker Art Museum store, Minneapolis Institute of Arts store, Cummings Books, Goodwill
Nisswa, MN
Rainy Day books (flashbacks anyone?)
San Francisco:
Adobe books, Forest books (both in the Mission)
Scottsdale, AZ
Sooo… obviously there are hundreds and hundreds of great bookstores out there- from the big huge chains to the itty bitty indies! Let me know your favorites and I’ll do my best to visit them!
AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, IF YOU HAVEN’T ENTERED MY GIVEAWAY YET YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE!! ENDS TOMORROW!
hehe.
Goodnight bookworms!
Meri
I’m not sure if you are old enough to remember the Treehouse book store that we used to go to when you kids were little. It was always fun to talk to the owner about the latest in kid’s lit. It was very personal and you kids LOVED it! We always picked out our Christmas book there too. They went out of business when the owner retired I think. Another cool spot was the used book store in Paris that Dad and I hunted down for your sister to buy her an antique copy of a Dickens classic. I’ll have to ask her the name of the store and book because my memory fails me. Books Revisited in St. Cloud is pretty cool too. Good night dear. MGR
hmmmm. strangely enough, the name is very very familiar, and I remember maybe looking at Shel Silverstein books there? Was it near where Bakers Square and Godfather’s Pizza are? Or in the mall? Or by Chuck-E-Cheese? Help me out here!
Oh yes The Treehouse bookstore! I seriously loved that place. I remember being devastated when in closed. The owner was so nice and I remember him helping mom to pick out books for us all the time. He always picked good ones. I remembered that we got our Christmas books from there. Great job Mom and Dad on getting us all to love books so much!
When did it close? And do you guys remember rainy day books in Nisswa too or was that something only I was obsessed with? I remember liking equally the books and the TOYS! like those little magnet toys I was obsessed with…
I remember Rainy Days Books. Loved it as well. I loved those rainy day shopping trips to Nisswa. Baby awake
…and remember Zaisers? I know katie would…you might have known better by then 🙂
I think I just cried a little thinking about the Treehouse book store. Oh boy!
Do you have a special bookstore you are going to take Sylv to? Or am I going to get her to be a library-monger like her Auntie?
Nothing special yet! I thought I would take her to The Red Balloon or something. I always felt so sick when we left the library as kids. Don’t laugh but I think it is because of my super sensitive sense of smell. I get super sick to my stomach from overwhelming smells like from the Library, gas station, zoo, sweaty people, bad breath, oh the list goes on. Ask Eric. I am a total freak ;0
iiiiinteresting. So Katie loved the smell of the gas station, you hated it, and I was busy inside begging for treats? where would jenny be? Hmmm, probably rolling her eyes, embarrassed to be… 13 years old. Like all preteens 🙂
Sorry, just had a little tangent there making up this story 🙂
red letter books in boulder is my place.
I’ll add it to my list- thanks!
wait… is there really a sale there? because i went to borders.com and they only offer up to 40% off.
somethings were marked down a lot more than others- for books it mostly wasn’t that good of a deal, but for things I can’t get other places I thought it was worth it to get 20-40% off of things. The magazines are always a pretty good deal when they close, 40% off.
seriously, we don’t have any of those little book shops..other than specialty ones like “christian” book stores or specific to a language, like japanese book shops. there are a couple used book shops…i’ll have to research and see if they are still around…but no little quaint shops with new books. oh, we do have a barnes & noble left, but it’s not close by me 🙂
I think I have an extra soft spot for the ones that have cute kid sections too- I feel like those places really “get” it for some reason… plus, they remind me of going to bookshops when I was little!
I still love reading real books! It’s sad that all these stores are closing 🙁
I know- even though I don’t usually buy them, I just get ideas for what to get from the library, I still mourn the movement towards e-books and away from paper. Plus, I like to sit there and read magazines 🙂
We don’t have a Borders, but they own Walden Books so that’s closing down too…I went there yesterday and got a LOT of books and a journal.
My favorite bookstore will always be half-price books though. I just love the prices (obvi) but I also love that they have affordable records, and I really like it when I get a book that has notes or an inscription in it.
There’s something cool about seeing what other people mark in books, I think… it can make you read something an entirely different way. Or messages when books are gifts are fun to read too!
You hit it on the head the first time. It was in the corner where Godfathers is (was?) At least I think that my memory is right on that. Maybe where Star of India is now or just left.
It was driving me crazy that the name sounded so familiar, and now the more I think about it the more I can remember it, and the section I used to hole up in! It was mostly rectangular, right? With the kids section kind of in the back to the left?
I’m so sad that borders is closing.. 🙁
Its been weird since they have been slowly closing all over town the last few years- but its weird to know there won’t just be “another” one I can go to instead!
I used to work at Borders in the cafe so this hurts a little bit to know they’re done. I have a lot of fond memories of working there and I always enjoyed stopping in after I stopped working there. It’s definitely sad.
I felt weird at first for being sad about a “big bad chain store” closing down, but I can really get attached to any place I spend a lot of time in. I think it hit me harder when the one I used to go to all of the time closed, about six months ago. My secondary store and the others are closing now, but they weren’t the ones I had memories of, so I’m sort of “through” the grieving process haha!
Thanks for leaving me a comment! I have Borders and Barnes and Nobles here in Florida!
But because amazon and kindle they gonna be a Vintage book store! It’s a shame . I like the vibe to sit and have some coffe reading a book!
htt://www.cougarvintage.blogspot.com
It sucks that they’re closing, but as one news show said- they never got on the bandwagon when e-readers started popping up. They’ve tried to do so in recent years, but BN’s Nook and Amazon’s Kindle have flooded the markets. So… sad they’re closing, but it would’ve made good business sense to at least offer an e-reader, discounted e-books or partnered with a company that does. :-/
I still like hanging at Barnes & Nobel though on occasion. I love their stationary section!
me too- discounted paperchase stuff was the main reason I hit up borders yesterday! Do you have an e-reader?
I’m bummed Borders is gone for good–I was a fan. I need to go to the local one–but I know I’ll spend way too much on cheap books 🙂 I have no book-owning phobia, someday my room will drown in books (at least it would if it weren’t for those amazing used book stores that let you trade in…)
yes- and that totally follows my equation of “one thing out before one thing new” of house organization/ control 🙂
Good rule to have! Wish I could always follow it, life might be a little less cluttered (maybe…)
haha, well even if I DID follow it all of the time (which I don’t) I’d have to get the boyfriend to follow it too 🙂 one day at a time!
I love that case you got for your camera, so cute!! 😀 And its so sad that Borders is closing 🙁
http://www.closet-fashionista.com
Isn’t it cute? I’m going to have to find another place to buy all of that paperchase stuff- well, I bet they have an online store or at least on Amazon. I haven’t seen it elsewhere though!
hmmm i like the library b/c the books are free. i remember in paris, there was a shakespeare bookstore that i thought was absolutely adorable. and also, my fav botanical garden is in ann arbor, michigan! 😀
Hmmm, was it shakespeare and co? I feel like I read about that place when reading expat literature in college 🙂 I bet my sister has been there too when she visited Paris. Next time I’m in Michigan I’ll look up their botanical garden! I have some family in Birmingham, MI.
there was this little random book store at an outlet mall near my work that I used to love to go visit frequently.
sadly I don’t even remember the name.
it had little gifts there too and I was always there “for a gift” but used it as an excuse to look at the books.
and because they were “rejects” I guess, they were cheap.
no guilt for me.
sigh
I miss that little random nameless book and gift store.
🙂
It’s funny how we can get used to visiting certain places, and not necessarily even notice that we like them until they are gone or we stop going… then we miss them! I always feel then like I didn’t appreciate it or something!
I love paperchase stuff so much! Last week I was given a fold out shopping bag with the same pattern as your media case- such cute stuff! It is always sad when shops close, but I suppose amazon and play and other places offer things for so much cheaper that it is hard for them to keep up.
I love the pig-pen style faces all over that pattern! It charmed me right away!
So true on independent bookstores. Nothing more charming.
GTBB,
http://badjoan.com
http://badjoan.blogspot.com
I like to look around them even if I have no intention of buying anything. Mostly I like to meet the people who own them because they tend to be full of interesting knowledge and stories!
I’m kinda sad Borders is closing. Mostly because I used to get the 40% off coupons in the mail. Sigh. Love your finds! 🙂
I agree, cozy little mom and pop bookstores are definitely worth treasuring. It looks like you know some good ones. Here in KC, there is an adorable little bookshop called “I love a Mystery” and it is like something out of a movie! It has a very cozy yet haunting feel to it since the little shop is so old. Plus, there is a big fat tabby that likes to run around, giving it a magical feel. 🙂
haha- perhaps the cat is an Animagus? If you don’t read Harry Potter, ignore that previous statement… but that store sounds cool! I always got the 40% off coupons too, and had only recently been able to use them straight from my smart phone too which I really liked! Oh well, I guess I’ll have to go elsewhere 🙁
i haven’t been to borders in a while but still am in shock that they’re closing!
I’m hoping at least one other big emporium stays open for when I want to really get lost with a cup of coffee and a book I don’t intend to buy, not feeling bad that I”m not supporting a small business but just reading and people watching!
Gah, there was a Borders just down the street from the restaurant I work at and it was my go-to spot for my breaks between shifts. I’m going to miss it!! Luckily I live in an area with lots of local bookstores as well, though none as conveniently located.
Allie @ my WOREdrobe
I’ve sort of been wondering how the little places will do in this economy. I sure hope they can make it and I hope Barnes and Noble survives as well!
I just made a killing at the Borders closing downtown near the courthouse. Love books!
Score! Nice job!