Do you Ever Read in the Bookstore?

John Guillen51 Comments

Y’all are well aware of the fact that I don’t even step foot inside bookstores. I see no reason to. Unless some crazy person decides to buy me a gift card. Hehe. Anyway, but I can think of those long ago days in which I did buy books from my local Barnes and Noble and tell you with absolute certainty that I never read in the bookstore. I feel like that’s stealing. You could sit there and read for as long as you want and no one would even say anything.

I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but there’s nothing more annoying than knowing exactly where the book I’m looking for is located and there’s a person sitting there in the way reading. THIS ISN’T YOUR HOUSE. I mostly fault the bookstore for allowing this to happen. WiFi. Coffee. Lounge chairs. It’s too much. People are confused and think those things are there to be used. Nuh uh. Just get your books and get out of my way! (mostly kidding)

But really, don’t most books have samples on Amazon? Wouldn’t it be easier to just read those from anywhere rather than blocking me from getting my book because you have to be sitting on the floor with your nose in the book you haven’t yet bought? I think yes.

Now you know that I’ve never read in a bookstore, but have you?

On this day in 2014 I published The Faces of my Characters. If you’ve read my book, then take a look at this post! You get to see the real people I wrote about!

 

51 thoughts on “Do you Ever Read in the Bookstore?”

  2. I’ll read jacket blurbs and, on rare occasion, if I’m flipping through a book’s pages will stop and take a closer look (House of Leaves for instance)… but that’s rare.
    Have you ever considered stopping and seeing what book it is the person’s reading? If it’s good enough to trap their attention, maybe it’s worth a read. Maybe.
    As for me, I’m a tightwad, I use the library these days unless there’s a book I really really really want in my collection or I find something used.

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  3. I’ll admit, when I got dropped off at the mall and didn’t want to follow the other girls around looking at clothes I’d never buy, I’d sit by myself at B&N and read. And usually I didn’t have the funds to buy a copy. I was 14 or 15 and loathed mall culture, so I avoided it as best I could.

    Now I don’t. There are no big chain bookstores in my town, but there are several Indie stores. I spend all my time ransacking their shelves and spending way too much money, in my husband’s opinion.

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  4. I skim through books that interest me at the book store. I read books and magazines that I’ve purchased at the bookstore (usually while enjoying a massively-over-priced cup of coffee). I write at the bookstore. I attend writer’s groups at the bookstore. I have two small children. Reading book samples on Amazon is something I need to do with all the stealth of a Ninja. Writing is something I do on my lunch break at work or at 5 AM before anyone else in the house is awake. For me, book stores are a beautiful escape from hearing, “Mom, mom. MOMMY! MOM! MOM!” LOL

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  6. Most of the chain bookstores are closed in my area. There is a Barnes and Noble that I go to occasionally, but I can’t say as I spend a lot of time reading there. But you’re correct, when they put in wi-fi, a coffee bar and lounge chairs, they are setting themselves up for people there to kill time reading without buying.

    There’s one used book shop that I go to often though. Floor to ceiling books, stuff stacked everywhere, and the owner’s cat roams the aisles. You probably know the kind of place. They have lots of overstuffed chairs sitting around so people feel comfortable hanging out reading. When I go there, I tend to spend some time reading, but I always try to buy something too.

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    • I do know the kind of place. I think they have used books at the one I’m thinking of? But it’s an indie that specializes in mysteries and they host all Tue major authors who go on tour. They have like 200 events a year. It’s a really nice place, but I never go there or buy anything unless I’m attending an event. They’re too expensive.

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  7. I do read a part of a book in the bookstore. Most of the time it’s just the first page, because I want to know how the beginning is written and if I like the start of it. But I never leave without a book! I totally agree about the part that you shouldn’t read like four chapters of a book in the bookstores and then leave without a book and return an other day to finish the next chapters. That’s like ‘stealing without taking the book’ But it’s still stealing! Bookstores are shops where you can buy the books, Libraries are ‘houses’ where you can read a book without paying. So if you want to read a book without paying, please go to the library and don’t bother the people who love to buy a book in the bookstore. It isn’t a chill-store with coffie, free wifi and more. It’s just pick your book and leave-store.

    Like the post btw! 🙂

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  8. I used to read at Borders all the time! Had one right next to my home. Of course, I wouldn’t really sit to read, but I would skim the book and get a good look through front and back. The amazon samples are great and do the job, but I like to see how thick a book is and more or less whether chapters are long or short. I did not like people sitting in the middle of an isle. That was definitely annoying! Of course, I’m dangerous in a book store. I usually spend way too much money. I want ALL the books! Missing borders a lot lately.

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    • I also used to have a Borders near my house. But I only went there when they emailed me a 40% off coupon. Then I’d order online and have it delivered to the store. I guess I contributed to the company going out of business. 😳 I actually don’t remember people actually sitting in the aisles at the Borders here.

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  9. What happened to free literature? And it’s a bookstore yes some people read at the bookstore plus not everyone can afford to buy the book that they want. Plus not everyone is able to work. I mean would you get mad at them if it was the library? Also a bookstore is setup like a library because it is a library your just aloud to pay so you can keep the book’s for your own amusement. Why get upset at something you can’t control? Though I myself don’t read at the bookstore, I would though if I had no choice. 😃

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  10. I haven’t read novel books or fiction books at a bookstore before. However, I have skimmed through trade, photo, and art books, sometimes even purchasing those that I really like. I don’t think I would enjoy reading a book in public since I’m easily distracted 🙂

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  11. I agree that it’s a form of stealing. And a major reason I say that is because people damage books. I used to work at Barnes & Noble and books that people were standing there “borrowing,” would have dirty fingerprints, folded pages and the like. So for the love of God pay for the book!

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  12. Umm… I completely agree with you. I cannot believe how many people STEAL from authors in this way. If you can’t afford a book, GO TO A LIBRARY! This is such a no-brainer to me. The only thing I read at the bookstore is the jacket blurb or the first few pages to see if it’ll catch my attention. Like you said, all this can be done on Amazon if you don’t prefer to go to bookstores. But people reading an entire book in a bookSTORE is super high on my pet peeve list. Again, THAT’S WHAT LIBRARIES ARE FOR! It’s like illegally downloading music online. You’ve taken the artist’s talent and not respected it enough to pay for it. You can listen to blurbs online to see if you like the music and wish to buy it. How can people not see that this is stealing? Any insights? I’m honestly befuddled.

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    • Yes! I have no idea. If I had a bookstore I’d put signs throughout telling customers that reading a book that hasn’t been bought is not allowed or they will be asked to leave. The back cover is there. Maybe even the first page or two. Anything more is unfair to all who put that book on the shelf.

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  13. I can not tell a lie. Yes I have. This was back in the days when there was no cc on TV. Any books related to TV shows, I quickly read it all.

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