We just heard that our local book store is closing, and while we have a couple used bookstores in the area, unless something steps in we’ll have a pretty big hole for local bookworms to consume, well, books.
Dragon and Goat have been there since about the time we moved to OP, so if you’re in the area stop by to get one of the last copies of THYME BANDIT before this local gem is shuttered for all eternity… (or just order it off the website!)
Aside from featuring our books, we will miss a brick and mortar bookstore that’s become part of our everyday life pretty quickly. Our kid loves popping in before piano lessons or getting presents for people- and it takes me back to when I used to go to bookstores and would beeline for the fantasy/scifi/humor section. Don’t get me wrong- I love libraries and OP libraries are pretty great (internal politicking aside…) but there’s something about owning a copy of a book.
I usually write in books that I own, penciling in thoughts and underlining quotes for future use. (Though, not usually with comics- those are usually tagged up like Trump’s ear with sticky notes!) I don’t buy an exorbitant amounts of books because I generally like to keep them, so I’m pretty selective. Usually it’s a book that I know I can go back to- like the fantasy novels I read back in middle school that I occasionally revisit or some cultural, historical, or theoretical text that I can use in later writing, projects, or classes.
Most of my experiences with book stores growing up were through chain stores like Walden’s, Books-a-Million, or Barnes and Noble. They were always full of such potential, offering up a stack of bound paper to consume and ignite my imagination.
As Amazon edged out their brick and mortar big box book slingers, indie bookstores have become more important to support. I do sell books on Spamazon- bc, well, as an indie creator and publisher I need the distribution, but I keep a few books off their monstrous site and have been working to get more titles over to a slightly better platform- that’s better for indie bookstores.
Hopefully this announcement will inspire someone else to take up the Book Table’s reins. And hopefully those new owners…will dedicate a solid month to featuring Dragon and Goat in a window? I don’t know- we’ve got the books! Maybe I can design some sort of animatronic Macy’s window display?