Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about bookstores… How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so? I am fortunate that there is a bookstore situated near my workplace, thus I always make sure to stop by at least once every week during my lunchbreak. However, this store is only a branch of a major bookstore chain (Kinokuniya) so I do not always get what I want from this store (but I can pre-order the books or give them a list I want and they are always happy to oblige). Another thing I should mention is, this chain also have a fantastic range of mangas and Chinese novels (as well as Japanese and stationery).
Another bookstore I love to visit is Borders. They always have the latest releases on shelves earlier and offer more varieties. I always can not resist their online coupons so I will try to make a trip there despite anything (which is a few bus stops away from my workplace).
Besides the brick and mortar, I also visit online bookstore like AcmaMall for the convenience and again, for variety. These three stores are my favourites thus far but then again, I would visit any bookstore that I have come across because I just simply love visiting it.
How about you? Do you have a favourite bookstore?
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I prefer B & N.
Musing
Kinokuniya has been my favorite stop in Singapore, KL, and Bangkok. For a chain, it's run very efficiently with great selection in humanities and literature. The one in KL I remember has a nice coffee shop overlooking the garden.
I think having a bookstore situated next to my bookstore would prove to be too much of a temptation to me. Haha! It's bad enough there is one just down the street from my house. :-)
That's one more thing I love about Kino! They have a great manga collection. It's not easy for me to find English manga in SG. They even have a decent collection of graphic novels.
I actually participated this week lol! I prefer used bookstores whenever I can find them. I love old books (even if I wish I could make them smell like new ones).
Unfortunately I don't think I have any little indie bookstores nearby (but I am on a mission to try to find some) but I do go to Borders often, with my coupons in hand. I also go to a used bookstore down the road, they only carry paperbacks. Most of the stuff there is junk, but once in awhile I will happen upon something exciting!
No nice little indies around here either, and Borders is the best of a poor choice.
I love a good indie. But for local shopping I'm stuck with a chain.
We have both Borders and Barnes & Noble...my favorite is Barnes & Noble though.
I also love our little book trader...I take a load in, they give me $$ and I either take the money with me or spend it on their available books...most of the time spending...LOL!
Glad you dropped by!☼
A bookstore next to work, I'd be in there every day.
I love our local Borders! And I still work there part-time, too, leading book discussions. :) It's less than ten minutes away from my full-time job, so I'm always misbehaving and running over there on my own lunch breaks -- in fact, I just got back from there! :)
Bluestocking - We don't have a B&N here, but I'd love to try shopping online.
Matt - I haven't been to KL yet but I'll make sure to stop by the bookstore if given the chance. ;)
Wendy - Indeed! That's why I limit my trip to the bookstore whenever I can! LOL.
Ariel - I agree finding English mangas can be challenging in some of our bookstores here, and they're so limited.
Jen - I love old books too, especially those out-of-print ones!
Sandy - I love visiting used bookstores, because you just can not expect what to find there!!
Caite - I find it hard to find some good independent stores here too!
Beth - I don't mind visiting any as long as I can find the books I want! ;)
Tammy - Yeah, that sounds like our local used bookstores. They also rent books besides selling so they'll pay us at a discounted rate when we return the books.
Zetor - I'd love to visit everyday, but it won't look good on my bank account, LOL.
Writemeg - I can't imagine working in a bookstore because I know I'll spend most of my salary in books, LOL. But it's a nice feeling being surrounded by books, isn't it? :)
Gotta love bookstores! I just walked out of MPH today and didn't buy any books. I'm so proud of myself for sticking to my book ban. (I almost checked out three books at the cashier...)
Alice - What? You didn't buy any books? I'm so disappointed... I was hoping you'd update us on the books you bought, LOL.
I love all bookstores but I have one close to my house that is quite big and therefore I love going there! but sometimes those small bookstore have some treasures in them!
You mentioned Kinokuniya, I love to go there and MPH when I'm in Malaysia :)
Desert Rose - I'm envious that that you're a big bookstore near your house! And you're right that we can sometimes find treasures in smaller bookstores too. ;)
I usually prefer B&N also, but a Borders was just built right on my way home from work and they keep sending me 40% off coupons. How can I resist that? I'll be there after work today. :P
Trish - We don't have any B&N or Amazon here, but I do shop their shops online once in a while. One thing I love about Borders because of their coupons! They're so hard to resist, aren't they?! ;P
I LOVE visiting bookstores no matter what kind of books they sell. But I'll soon leave any store that doesn't sell my kind of books. :)
My all-time favourites would be Borders, MPH and Popular. Kinokuniya's lovely too but I'm not in KL. :( It would be one of my frequent haunts if I lived near KLCC.
I find bookstores the most beautiful places in the world actually. :D