Bookstores, Bookstores, Bookstores

Copied from Boston Bibliophile.

What’s your favorite bookstore?

I love Amazon.com. I know as a book lover I’m supposed to be all pro-Indie and whatnot, but Amazon does a hell of a job. Locally, I love Elliott Bay Book Company for their author readings, but the University of Washington Bookstore has the best speculative fiction section and the Seattle Mystery Bookshop kicks everyone’s ass on crime fiction. In other words, I can’t really decide.

Have you ever traveled out of state or out of the country, just to visit a particular bookstore?

Anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest and hasn’t made a point to go to Powell’s Books in Portland can’t legitimately call themselves a bibliophile. That doesn’t have to be a trip solely for the City of Books, but you gotta stop in. I have on more than one occasion driven to Portland just for Powell’s.

Have you ever gone on a date to a bookstore? Would you consider a bookstore to be a romantic place?

Duh.

What’s the latest you’ve stayed out at night at a bookstore?

I’ve closed down the downtown Seattle Barnes and Noble more than once. Of course, I was working there at the time.

Do you like to go with friends or by yourself?

Yes.

What would your dream bookstore be like?

It would have every science fiction book in print. And sell the out of print books used.

What’s your favorite specialty bookstore and what does it specialize in?

Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Have you ever worked at a bookstore or wanted to? Do people ever mistake you for a bookstore employee and ask you questions as you browse?

After I quit my high stress software job in 2006, I took a pay cut and worked for 9¢ above minimum wage to shelve books at Barnes and Noble. I had the most fun I’d had in years.

Do you like bookstore cafes? Would you consider a bookstore a social destination as opposed to strictly a retail destination?

If done well. The ones in the chains are crap and uncomfortable. But places like Village Books in Bellingham do it well. I haven’t tried Elliott Bay Book Company’s since their remodel, but I assume it’s pretty solid. Thing is, with such awesome coffee shops in Seattle I generally don’t go out of my way to hit the bookstore versions. I would if they were closer though. When I worked in Pioneer Square I had lunch at Elliott Bay many a time.

What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done in a bookstore? Ever been kicked out of one?

I’m lame and boring. All I ever do is buy more books than I should.

Picture Elliott Bay Books – Pioneer Square by Urban Review STL used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commerical Share Alike 2.0 license.