Borders Books

[LuckyTheDog]

There seems to be a difference of opinion about this in my wife's family.

[rcrush]

1. I'm eviler I use Amazon.com

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. I use Amazon's USED booksellers.

Save a fortune and support many independent booksellers.

[motely36]

2. Borders is fine

but I still would rather go to B&N

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Borders is the Kenny G of bookstores, up against Barnes and Nobles' Pink Floyd

[yellowdogintexas]

21. my daughter says Borders is Target and B & N is WalMart! We have always

liked Borders better. Probably because the ambience in our first Borders store here was so laid back and non corporate. Mismatched tables in the cafe, big soft sofas and chairs and a humongeous CD dept. Great coffee too.

Alas, it went corporate and all the tables matched, and eventually it closed when a newer one was opened 4 miles away. I still miss the old one.

I definitely prefer Seattle's Best over Starbucks.

[Rhythm]

4. I shop indie bookstores 95% of the time...

There's a good one here that carries both used and new titles, but if Julian over at "Bookshelf" doesn't have what i want/need, i know a horde of used/rare shops with websites where i can look before surrendering to the lure of the 'big box' and it's Starcrack aromas.

[KamaAina]

5. My "evil" vote applies only to the new Borders on St. Charles Ave. in NOLA

described here:

http://peoplegetready.jockamofeenanay.com/?p=2619

Walking through the glass doors of the new Borders Books installed inside the historic Bultman Funeral Home on St. Charles Avenue is akin to being instantly transported from 19th century New Orleans to the contemporary anywhere-America purgatory of big box stores on Veteran’s Memorial Highway in Metairie. The book selection sucks, the music selection is even worse, and the coffee isn’t even local. It doesn’t look like Borders tried to feign anything with local New Orleans flavor. Don’t even bother to venture a look.

[tigereye]

16. some of the music in the local ones is actually quite good

I've seen jazz CDs there you just won't find most other places...and there aren't anymore independent jazz shops here.

[LSdemocrat]

6. For better or worse, a Borders is the closest book store to my house

And therefore I do spend considerable time and the occasional dollar there.

[Lucian]

7. I don't mind Borders, but I prefer Barnes and Noble.

[taterguy]

9. My local Borders has a bike rack, the local Barnes & Noble doesn't

And fuck all this adulation for 'independents'

Just a synonym for "I want to pay higher prices just to be cool"

(kidding about that)

[jane_pippin]

10. Option 7: Shop the local indie shop

Which also has gifts, coffee, snacks, wifi, etc.

Sorry. Had to chime in as it's one of my pet issues. :hi:

[FloridaJudy]

11. I try to shop Indie whenever I can

But - alas! - the closest Independent bookstore is over five miles away, and Border's is practically across the street. That said, I reserve my expensive book purchases and special orders for the Independents. I'll pick up rock-bottom remainders, DVDs and magazines (which none of the local Independents carry) and the occasional tchotchke at Borders. I won't touch Books a Million, even though they're almost as near - too many prominent displays of the latest offerings from Ann Coulter and Billo, which really creep me out.

Please don't hate me. :hide:

[MorningGlow]

12. I abstain--I used to work at one

It was many years ago, at the tail end of when the Borders brothers owned the small chain. At the time it was great--we had a cool manager, we were responsible for our own sections (even though headquarters decided which books we would carry--ugh), the staff was highly knowledgeable (we had to take a literature test as part of the application process), and the atmosphere was fantastic.

Then they sold out to Kmart. Nuff said.

The Borders I used to work at is more than 15 years old and it seems to be in its death throes (we have a new B&N near it and another across town that's bigger and better, plus Amazon is really cutting into their sales). Perhaps it's for the best. Its best days were long past.

[tigereye]

17. oh, I didn't know it was a small chain bought by KMart, that's too bad

There are many likeable aspects to it - but alas there are fewer options here, since the chains drove all the small independents out of business. That's why it's cool to use al libris or Powell's or indie shops linked to Amazon.

[RetroLounge]

13. Independent stores only...

with an occasional stop at Barnes...

RL

[ACTION BASTARD]

14. B&N Forever! It's where I go hide out while my wife runs amok in the mall.

I spent so much time in there last year, I went and became a B&N member. 15% off everything in the store? Oh baby sign me up.

[ogneopasno]

15. I used to like the Borders in Uptown in Mpls; it had signed a union contract with its workers.

But then it closed. I buy local-indie or through the ILWU portal on Powell's.

[SoxFan]

18. Independent bookstores are overrated

In my experience, they have a piss-poor selection that caters to the personal ideological and philosophical whims of the owner. Since the owners are frequently, but not always, self-important knobs, the stores tend to be long on Po-Mo analysis of Czech interpretive dance, and short on anything I am interested in actually reading.

B&N and Borders give me a good selection, a comfortable atmosphere, and 98.7% less pretentious attitude.

[Critters2]

19. One of my parishioners owns an indie book store. Another is manager of a Waldenbooks,

which belongs to Borders now. I split my book purchases between the two. So, I'm evil 50% of the time.

[JVS]

22. That is kind of you

[JVS]

20. BOOKS SUCK!

[barb162]

23. Other than for gifts I don't buy books. I use the library a lot.

Luckily I have an excellent library and only buy books at AAUW sales.