Master Index of Archived Threads


I! Love! Books!

cooby Jun 23 2016 11:28 PM

Tomorrow before I meet my husband where he works in State College, and we leave for Pittsburgh, I am going to visit the Barnes&noble across the street from where he works (and I worked there five years and miss it!) i am almost as excited about that as i am about the trip. I have two gift cards to use! I feel like a little kid with five bucks!

themetfairy Jun 24 2016 01:55 AM Re: I! Love! Books!

See whether they have the new edition of Mets By The Numbers! (I know that you already have Amazin' Again ).

cooby Jun 24 2016 01:32 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

Yes I do, and I love it!

Vic Sage Jun 24 2016 02:11 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

It's hard to explain to my kids the appeal of a bookstore, particularly an indie store with a quirky selection, used books at a discount, knowledgeable and garrulous owners and staff. Its like a foreign country to them because (1) books? what are those?, and (2) stores? what are those? One of my fondest vacation memories was back in my single 20s, i went to visit a buddy going to grad school at Berkeley. He was at school during the day, so i would sojourn out on my own into San Francisco, walking around and exploring. One day, I found The City Lights bookstore, a famous place founded by the Beat poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti back in the 50s. I spent hours browsing and shmoozing; i picked up a paperback (it was one of Roger Zelazny's "Amber" series), took it to a cozy, empty little bar right across the street, where the afternoon sun streams thru the windows onto the sawdust floors, and sat in a Sydney Greenstreet-type fan-back chair, drank Anchor Steams and read for hours and hours. For whatever reason, it remains one of my fondest memories. If Heaven is reliving your best days over and over, that day would be in the rotation (up there with the Buckner game, even). [on edit: oh, and meeting my wife! yeah, that's it! Oh, and the birth of my kids! I'm supposed to say that, right?] Whenever i took my kids on family vacations, i'd always want to wander into a bookstore wherever we were, and the kids would put up with it for a while, but the feeling isn't transferable. People either get off on books -- the actual, physical objects, not just the content, which is viewable on a Kindle -- or they don't. If you do, then bookstores (not B&N mini-malls, but actual bookstores) are like a church of sorts. They become kind of a sacred space. So, i guess that's a long way of saying "have fun at the store, Coobs, and light a candle for me!"

Benjamin Grimm Jun 24 2016 02:23 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

I like books too. I like how each one has its own size and weight and color and font. Reading a book on an eReader would seem much more sterile. (Although I have to admit I haven't done it yet and have no plans to do so any time soon, if ever.) I can definitely enjoy browsing through a Barnes and Noble, but independent book stores are better, and used book stores are best, because you can make some pretty unique discoveries. I also enjoy visiting new book stores when I travel. At least, when I'm in a place where the local language is English.)

cooby Jun 24 2016 02:34 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

Oh excellent story, Vic! When we have the money and my husband has enough vacation days, we go to Ocean City MD for a week. Years ago, we found, in Fenwick, DE, just north of OCMD, a little bookstore that sold used books at a price barely over retail, lol. Even so, it was a destination for us, maybe twice in the week, because we'd read the first one on the beach, ya know! One year when my daughter was still in college, and my son in Jr Hi, Son announced about two days before we were to leave (on Saturday) that he was in a Airsoft Tournament that weekend. Uh, Tony? Vacation? The beach? Well, as it turned out, hubby stayed home an extra day and Hubby and Son came down a day or so late. (very upset Hubby, I might add) Meanwhile, Daughter and I hit that bookstore and had a blast! Spent a couple of hours just looking at everything. Stocked up for the whole week, and beyond. Fast forward to last year. Hubby and I went to bookstore to find it GONE, replaced with a coffeeshop with a couple shelves of new books and a very surly staff. Sigh.

sharpie Jun 24 2016 09:18 PM Re: I! Love! Booand bks!

I've been in the book publishing business for 30 years and have access to and own more free books than I could ever read. Every time I'm in a new city, however, I will always go to a book store and usually buy something. I spent four days in Cambridge this week and bought something at the excellent Harvard Book Store. I could probably do without other media so long as I had books (although it would be hard to give up recorded music). I have a kindle and used it for a little while but it gathers dust these days. I have a few books on my phone which I kind of hate reading on but do sometimes. Neither of my kids have the affinity to books as much as I do (or mrs. sharpie who is every bit my equal) but the erstwhile poster Lenny Harris does read a fair amount. My daughter, not so much. Going places, sitting outside and reading a book is maybe my favorite thing to do. When I was in Paris a couple of years ago, I had one day to myself. After going to the tour of the sewers I spent the rest of the day walking around from one beautiful spot to another, finding a bench and reading for a while. One of the best days of my life.

cooby Jun 24 2016 11:19 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

Sounds wonderful! Every time we go to Longwood Gardens I want to sit on one of the benches and read in some beautiful spot but it never happens

Vic Sage Jun 27 2016 05:56 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

I just remembered the name of the bar i hung out in, reading all day, after visiting City Lights bookstore in SF. It was Vesuvio's, and it's also a historic Beat hangout, but i guess there are probably alot of those sorts of places in North Beach. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesuvio_Cafe

sharpie Jun 27 2016 08:17 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

Of course it was Vesuvio's, right next door to City Lights. Have fond memories there, myself. Funny you should mention Longwood Gardens, Cooby. My brother has lived a mile or two away from there for 25 years and for 25 years I've gone down there to visit and had never gone to Longwood. I was down there about three weeks ago for my niece's wedding, getting there the day before. With nothing to do, we went to Longwood Gardens. It is quite lovely and the benches are very nice and yes it would be a nice thing to bring a book.

cooby Jun 27 2016 10:20 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

Fell in love with Longwood when we went there fore the first time about five years ago. I'll bet we've gone back seven or eight times since! My two favorite reading dream spots are the pergola at the wisteria vines and up by the waterfall. Some day I plan to do just that!

Lefty Specialist Jun 28 2016 12:40 PM Re: I! Love! Booand bks! Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 28 2016 12:47 PM

sharpie wrote: I've been in the book publishing business for 30 years and have access to and own more free books than I could ever read. Every time I'm in a new city, however, I will always go to a book store and usually buy something. I spent four days in Cambridge this week and bought something at the excellent Harvard Book Store. I could probably do without other media so long as I had books (although it would be hard to give up recorded music). I have a kindle and used it for a little while but it gathers dust these days. I have a few books on my phone which I kind of hate reading on but do sometimes. Neither of my kids have the affinity to books as much as I do (or mrs. sharpie who is every bit my equal) but the erstwhile poster Lenny Harris does read a fair amount. My daughter, not so much. Going places, sitting outside and reading a book is maybe my favorite thing to do. When I was in Paris a couple of years ago, I had one day to myself. After going to the tour of the sewers I spent the rest of the day walking around from one beautiful spot to another, finding a bench and reading for a while. One of the best days of my life. I do everything I can to support book stores, being in the publishing business myself (Two words: Harry Potter). Kindles are banned in our house. I know they're convenient, but I like nothing better than curling up with a good book. Fortunately, we raised a son with a love of reading (unusual in boys) and a love of history, and he's blasting through a series of William Manchester books right now.

Ceetar Jun 28 2016 02:39 PM Re: I! Love! Books!

I can't remember the last physical book I purchased.