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vegprincess's review
4.0
At first I was racing through this book but then realized it was much better to read it slowly because that way the individual authors and bookstores stood out more. Like everyone on GR (I'm sure) I love bookstores and so reading about bookstores all over the country was a decent substitute for being able to visit each of them, although I'd love to do just that. It was nice that there was a sketch of each of the bookstores at the beginning of each essay. There are two independent bookstores featured in the book that are located in Illinois that I plan on visiting.
elisabeth_reads's review
1.0
After the first few essays, it was the same thing over and over. Got through the first dozen essays and gave up.
saundersmo's review
4.0
If you love bookstores, as I do, then this collection of essays is something you will definitely want to check out. More than essays, the authors who contributed to this book wrote love letters to their favorite places, their favorite booksellers and to the written word. In a world where small town life is often threatened it is good to know there are pockets of it living on in bookstores around the country.
bev1958's review
5.0
As a branch manager for a library in a small town, I totally get that books stores are the center of a community. I wish to work for a book store that is as well loved as the ones in this book. I am also a lover of fabric and the sentiment in this book I find familiar with the uncertainty of fabric stores, I feel the same love for both books and fabric. As this book was written in 2012, I will be going on line to see how many of the stores mentioned are still open. I highly recommend this book.
leonore_book's review
3.0
This was a fun and insightful read. Authors tell about their favorite bookstores and all the reasons why.
jorl79's review
5.0
I picked this up and was so at home. It is filled with people all around the country who care about books like I do. I may be sappy enough that I cried once or twice, but am unwilling to admit this. I've turned this into a travel list and recently found my way to my first store two states away. I had an employee sign the chapter for her bookstore. What made me happier was I wasn't the first person to do that.
shelfimprovement's review
3.0
This might make for a great guide if you're interested in a bookstore tour of the U.S. It's a nice little love letter to the indie bookstores, but the stories are all kind of the same; the only stories that resonated with me were about the bookstores I already know and love (what up, Columbus Book Loft? How you doin' Chester County Books and Music? Nice to see you, D.C. Politics and Prose!)
shannanhicks's review
3.0
I liked this book. I give it three stars only because it is not a book that you can or should read straight through. It is definitely one that you pick up, read a couple of chapters, then put it down for later reading. It is a love letter to independent bookstores. Anyone who loves books or bookstores will appreciate the authors' gushing over the often shared details of these establishments. A bonus is that it introduced me to some writers that I need to have on my list (Rick Braggs), and allowed me to enjoy the insights of some of my favorites (Fannie Flagg, John Grisham). Definitely a book to be savored.
brinnet's review
3.0
I'm going to call this book finished, although I really only got to page 269 before I could no longer go on.
This is a book of love letters to bookstores.
If you're an intense lover of bookstores -- and I do mean intense -- then you may make it through this entire collection of stories.
If you enjoy bookstores on a more casual level, then you may want to read a handful of these stories and move on.
At the beginning of this collection, I found it delightful. The trouble becomes that you soon realize that there are only so many reasons to love a bookstore: they gave you your start (all of the story writers are authors), they host incredible author readings, they have adorable cats, they don't have cats, they are in a nondescript strip mall, they are in a charming neighborhood...and others. But you hear those things over and over. Similar love stories. Again and again.
And not all of the writers are producing their best work in writing these love letters, either.
I'm glad so many authors love their bookstores. I am happy to hear some of the behind-the-scene details (though I suspect that authors have a different experience of a bookstore than most customers do). I think I wish this were written as a Michelinesque guide to bookstores.
This book did make me want to travel to see some new exciting bookstores. And it did make me want to visit my local independent bookstore. (In fact, I did, only to discover it was highly uninspiring. Bummer.)
Bottom line: If you love name dropping, bookstores, or tales of fearless entrepreneurs in a struggling industry, you will likely enjoy a number of these stories. But I suspect most readers won't make it through all the tales.
This is a book of love letters to bookstores.
If you're an intense lover of bookstores -- and I do mean intense -- then you may make it through this entire collection of stories.
If you enjoy bookstores on a more casual level, then you may want to read a handful of these stories and move on.
At the beginning of this collection, I found it delightful. The trouble becomes that you soon realize that there are only so many reasons to love a bookstore: they gave you your start (all of the story writers are authors), they host incredible author readings, they have adorable cats, they don't have cats, they are in a nondescript strip mall, they are in a charming neighborhood...and others. But you hear those things over and over. Similar love stories. Again and again.
And not all of the writers are producing their best work in writing these love letters, either.
I'm glad so many authors love their bookstores. I am happy to hear some of the behind-the-scene details (though I suspect that authors have a different experience of a bookstore than most customers do). I think I wish this were written as a Michelinesque guide to bookstores.
This book did make me want to travel to see some new exciting bookstores. And it did make me want to visit my local independent bookstore. (In fact, I did, only to discover it was highly uninspiring. Bummer.)
Bottom line: If you love name dropping, bookstores, or tales of fearless entrepreneurs in a struggling industry, you will likely enjoy a number of these stories. But I suspect most readers won't make it through all the tales.