books — Page 196

Throwing Caution to the Winds: A Quick Trip to Manhattan

November 14, 2012 at 9:55 am by Claudia

Yesterday’s post about the disturbing trend of bookstores stocking less and less books sparked a lot of wonderful comments. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I love the discussion that happens here!

You remember that I mentioned the Strand bookstore in my post? My favorite bookstore in Manhattan? I’ve written about it before on this blog. In that post, I used some photos of a previous trip to the Strand, whose long red awning is emblazoned with the words “Strand Bookstore. Old. Rare. New. 18 Miles of Books.” About the time I was ready to hit Publish, Don came downstairs, bleary-eyed, and chatted with me for a while. He had to go into Manhattan for an audition. I sighed and spoke of the Strand. I’ve been missing Manhattan. I really only go there for work or the rare special occasion. I can’t justify the price of bus fare otherwise.

Don said: Why don’t you come with me?

I said: Oh no – too much money, it’s rainy outside, what about Scout’s dinner at 4:00 and, no, we can’t spend the money.

Then I thought about it. My nickname as a child was Cautious Claudia. I always hesitate. Don is much more spontaneous. It makes for a good balance in a marriage. I ended up deciding not to go. It would be better on another day. We’ve had and have a lot of worries and stress here at the cottage. I didn’t want to spend the money, yes, but oh lord, did I need a day away from everything.

Don: Oh come on. Just do it.

And I did. In a quick 30 minutes, I showered, fed Scout, and we were out of here.

For both of us, who usually travel solo into Manhattan, it was so nice to travel together. It was sort of a date. Don went to his appointments, I immediately headed down to Union Square and walked the two blocks to the Strand. I ran into an old friend on the walk – an actress who I adore and have worked with more than a few times. The perfect, unexpected pleasure. It’s all in the timing, my friends. And who you know, of course.

After hugs and catching up, I proceeded on to the bookstore and immediately got lost in books, books and more books. Oh my goodness, there are so many books that one gets overwhelmed quickly. The building is old and wonderful with wooden floors and radiators that produce so much heat that I always have to take off my coat. I spent a couple of hours there. Don eventually came down and met me. Then some quick food to go from Pret a Manger and off to the Port Authority Bus Terminal for the ride home.

Isn’t he a cutie?

I nearly left the bookstore without any books – it can be that overwhelming. But I remembered two books I had seen about American Popular Song and I ran back to get them. One is out of print and one is impossible to find anywhere else.

I’m so happy I found them.

An escape from our reality for an afternoon? Priceless. A ride with Don, a chance encounter with an old friend, hours spent in an enchanting bookstore, walking in Manhattan? Just as priceless.

Happy Wednesday.

Missing: the Book in Bookstore

November 13, 2012 at 9:33 am by Claudia

My love of bookstores has been frequently cited in this old blog of mine. I love nothing better than hanging out for a while, discovering new books, new authors, and re-visiting old favorites, maybe flipping through a magazine or two. If there was a way to accurately add up all the time I have spent in bookstores over my lifetime, I’m sure I would be shocked at the total.

Or maybe not.

On any given day, if I have a choice, I opt for an independent book seller. One of my favorites is The Strand in Manhattan. I could spend hours there. And have. My friend’s newish bookstore in Spring Green, Wisconsin is another favorite. Some day, if I ever get to Portland OR, I imagine I will immediately go to Powell’s.

But in my neck of the woods, save for a couple of teeny-tiny independent book shops, the only sizable store is Barnes & Noble. There is a modestly sized B & N near Target. There are a couple of bigger stores across the river. The one I usually head to is the modest-sized one because I usually combine errands to save gas.

On Sunday morning, I drove southward to hit Lowe’s, Target and Barnes & Noble. There were several new books I wanted to explore. (I’m on the most frugal of budgets so I rarely buy unless I know the book is worth the expense.) And it really struck me as I wandered through the store just how much it has changed. As you enter the store, there is the usual humongous display of Nooks. To the right, there is the CD/DVD section. And the magazine section. In the back is the café. On the far left are the calendars and notebooks and candles and whatever. Just beyond that is the children’s section. And next to that are games, gifts, educational toys for children and a whole bunch of stuff that I wouldn’t categorize as a book and that have been added fairly recently. This section takes up a huge amount of retail space. And sandwiched in between all of that? Books.

Every time I go in there, I am increasingly astonished at how few actual books there are. I wanted to look for some books on writing – that section is gone. The decor section is appallingly sparse. Plays, classics? Less and less. Many, many books that should be a part of the standard inventory are missing. The space allotted for books keeps shrinking.

I’m sorry? I thought Barnes & Noble was a bookstore.

I’m aware of the struggle bookstores, even huge chains, have in their fight against the Amazon juggernaut. I can only imagine these ‘additions’ are due to some marketing research that says “Books aren’t enough! You have to give them more or they won’t come around!” Every business is fighting to stay relevant and in the black.

But, come on.

When I go to a bookstore, I’d actually like to look at books. Yes, the café is nice, the little gifts are nice, being able to buy a CD is nice, but I am there for the books. Isn’t that what a bookstore is for? Books? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left that store in frustration because I couldn’t find a book I wanted. Or two. Or three. It makes me mad.

In a perfect world, I would be able to hop on the subway and go to The Strand anytime I want to. But, since Manhattan is about an hour and a half away from my home, that is not going to happen. And Amazon? Fine for ordering a book I absolutely know I want. However, most of the time I don’t know that absolutely, so I want to pick the book up, leaf through it, see what is between the covers. I don’t have the funds to simply order a bunch of books online. And besides, isn’t it much more satisfying to actually see the book in person?

Sigh. I’m sure someone at Barnes & Noble could logically explain their marketing strategy. And I would nod in understanding.

But then I would respond, “Yes, but where are the books?”

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New in the Etsy shop:

Happy Tuesday.

The Bookmobile

October 25, 2012 at 9:56 am by Claudia

One of my favorite childhood memories is that of our Bookmobile.

I was a kid who loved to read. If there was a choice between playing outside and reading a good book, I went with the book. More often than not, you would find me with my head buried in a book, oblivious to everything going on around me. It was my escape, my peek into other worlds, other times, magical ideas, wonder.

Every day the same conversation would occur.

Mom: It’s time for dinner.

Me: Just let met finish this page.

3 minutes later:

Mom: I said, it’s time for dinner!

Me: I just have two more paragraphs, Mom!

And so on.

We didn’t have a lot of money, so I checked out books from the library. Some I got from my elementary school library. But most of them came from our Bookmobile. Every Thursday, the Bookmobile that was a part of the Dearborn library system arrived in the parking lot of my elementary school. I lived two blocks away from my school, so getting there was easy.

Miss McHenry, our local librarian/bookmobile driver would pull into the parking lot. The driver’s seat would turn around to face a counter that ran the width of the truck. When she needed to come out into the bookshelf area, she would simply lift a portion of the counter and walk out into the truck.

I thought that Miss McHenry had the neatest job in the world. I could imagine nothing more wonderful than not only being surrounded by books, but also being able to drive that truck! Oh, that seemed like the perfect job. I wanted to be Miss McHenry, who was unfailingly kind, polite and helpful to all of us who frequented the Bookmobile. I wanted to be a librarian, yes, but I wanted to be a librarian who worked in a Bookmobile. Much more fun.

Miss McHenry remembered what I liked and had suggestions ready for me. She knew I liked books with red covers. She encouraged me to read all of the Little House books. My world expanded. My imagination soared.

I couldn’t wait for Thursday to arrive. I would go home from school, grab my previously checked-out books, and walk the two blocks to the parking lot. Often, my mom would come along with me because she loved to read, too. I would greet Miss McHenry, hand her the books, and eagerly turn back to the shelves. What would I find this week? Could I be daring and check out more than 5 books? Would Mom let me start reading them as soon as I got home? Were there new red-covered books?

Nothing was better to me than carrying a stack of yet-to-be-explored books homeward. So many possibilities! So many worlds to explore!

Our Bookmobile was a godsend to a serious young girl who liked to read and dream and lose herself in the printed page. I cannot begin to tell you how important it was to me. I can still see the inside of that truck, the shelves that were full of all shapes and sizes of books. I can see the shelves near the bottom of the stacks where the children’s books were – the perfect height for a kid like me. I can see the counter where Miss McHenry would take my stack of books and stamp the due date inside the cover. (I so wanted to operate that stamp!)

I lost track of Miss McHenry many years ago. I have no idea what happened to her. But I thank her for her love of books, for her respect for children and for introducing me to so many wonderful stories. For instilling in me a love of the printed word, on the page, between actual book covers, that I carry with me to this day. And I thank my hometown for knowing that kids needed to read and perhaps the best way to get books to them was via a mobile library that arrived almost on one’s doorstep!

Did you have Bookmobiles when you were young?

Happy Thursday.

Throwing Caution to the Winds: A Quick Trip to Manhattan

Missing: the Book in Bookstore

The Bookmobile

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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