Where are all the bookshops’ going…

Whenever I arrive at a new place, one of the first things I do is check out where the bookshops are. Sometimes a town only has a Borders or Barnes and Noble, which is fine, cause I’m a great fan of these stores, especially if they have a café attached. But what I’ve really looking for is the quaint little independent bookshop that makes you feel like you’re at home.

But if a recent article, ‘Bookshops’ latest sad plot twist’, in the Los Angeles Times is anything to go on, chain bookshops might soon be all you can find. One by one, it seems, independent bookshops are closing their doors.

People are still buying books, but their choice of where to buy has increased tremendously with the growth of the chain bookstores and the internet. Those looking for the out-of -print books no longer rely on their local bookshop to trace and order - they do their own internet search and get the books within days. And most independent bookshops cannot compete with the discounted prices that Amazon.com and warehouse bookshops can offer.

But some people, thankfully, think that independent bookshops can survive. I guess time will tell…

Meanwhile, here’s a few travel articles that might inspire you to add a independent bookshop or two to your travels…

Independent Bookstores: Cozy, Friendly, Full of Surprises

Busy Paris bookstore remains an open book to guests

World finds way to bookshop near Benson

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