Borders Bookstore moves to close

[Sonoran Silkies]

I very much dislike my kindle. I will NOT purchase books for it; it is one of the two worst gifts I have ever received. It hurt my feelings VERY much that I said do not buy this, and he still did.

I love to read. But I want a REAL book. Paper and ink. The feel of turning a smooth or rough, thin or thick page. The smell of the ink and paper. Something that I can mark my place with whatever I happen to have handy for a bookmark: be it a piece of paper, an old envelope, a flyer of some sort, even my reading glasses. I can thumb through a few pages ahead or back if I want. I can write in the margins if I want. I can OWN the book, not have a "license" to use it.

I have much preferred Borders to Barnes & Noble ever since the release of one of the Harry Potter novels when the B&N made a big deal with a midnight release party, garnering a crowd of at least a hundred or more, and only had about 10 or 15 copies, and at the last minute tried to change the priority for who would get a copy. We had no chance and stopped at Borders on the way home--smaller party (that year), but more than enough books for everyone--including all the people who had been at B&N, if only they had known to come. This year that Borders, and the next closest one closed. I've made it to the one remaining in the area, but it is a long ways off.

I support smaller bookstores, too, but Borders was my favourite.

 

[cuntryuppiechick]

I will not do a kindle. It is a way of removing us from our property. Why can I not loan it to my friend or resell it at the used book store? More and more people going against the new technology. I see it becoming a movement like 'turn off your tv'. I have two hundred year old books. A kindle is so not relevant in that light.

 

[sheaviance1]

I love the written word, it is so powerful. I (any authors on here please don't kill me) purchase most of my books at yard sales/flea markets because I honestly don't have a budget big enough to accomodate paying full price for my reading habit. Books are getting harder to find even there.

I am considering a kindle. I have a dear friend of mine who's reading budget is even tighter than mine. She received a kindle for Christmas, and has yet to pay for a book! She gets all of them for free. In my research on them, I looked at the prices for the types of books and authors that I read. A lot of them are available for 1.99. That rivals a yard sale price! Most of the books that I buy at yard sales run between 10 cents and 2 dollars each.

I love the feel of a book in my hand, but I also love the idea of 3500 books fitting in such a small space. I have been listing the pros and cons for weeks now. I don't like to rush out and make a spontaneous purchase without giving it the consideration it's due. I used a co-worker's kindle, took it out into the sunlight and did a side by side comparison in the light. I have to tell you how surprised i was at the difference in the glare factor. I camp, A LOT, so reading in the sunlight is definitely an issue for me. My eye was so relaxed when reading from the kindle compared to reading from a page. It is an amazing difference. The jury is still out for me as to whether or not there is a kindle in my future.

 

[theoldchick]

I like my books. I like the feel of a paperback settled in my fingers. I like the sound of the turning pages. The smell of the ink on paper. The texture of paper is oddly soothing to me. I snuggle with a book on the nights my hubby is out fighting crime. Rita May Brown, Dick Frances, Nevada Barr, Piers Anthony or is it Anthony Piers-I never can remember until I hold one of his books in my hand. I immerse myself in their words and feel the emotional roller-coaster begin. As I read, my mind carefully tucks away my worry for my husband's safe return.

Books are my comfort and no machine will ever take their place.

 

[maclady]

I am an avid reader. I mean by that, that I read on average 1 book a day completely and usually start another. I do not stick to one genre but read just about everything. Like another poster if my eyesight ever goes I will be lost. I don't watch tv much. I love books-the actual books. I have a library of my own that is filled with them and still buy more when I find a good deal or an author I really like writes a new one. I use my local library even though I have to pay because the local library (nearest to me) is in a different county from where I live. I also however own a Kindle-it was a Christmas gift. I also use it a lot more than I thought I would. I usually don't spend more than $4 for any book for it and you would be amazed at the new authors I have found in free books. I also like the fact that I can adjust the type size to what is comfortable for me to read. The loss of Borders is sad. It was the first major bookstore I had ever frequented. I have a Barnes & Noble and a Books-a-Million in the town near me. I go to B&N whenever I can when I don't have a time restriction on how long I can stay. I honestly do not think e-readers will kill off books. You should see the threads on discussion boards with people mad about prices for the e-reader books. I will not pay the price of a book in e-reader format that is the same as the hardcover since I can not loan the ebook to a friend and have to worry that at some point in the future it would require an upgrade in technology from me in order to keep accessing it. Much rather have the actual book.

 

[coreybee]

I love the smell and feel of a book. I too do not want everything to go digital. Paper has proven the test of time... well beyond anything digital. I also have a great appreciation for used book stores. I remember one in Jacksonville, NC called "Book Ends". They used to have boks stacked to the ceiling. I used to love to go in there and peruse the books for hours. It's sad that books are a dying breed...

 

[turney31]

Thriftbooks.com My new favorite book store.

 

[EweSheep]

I see the pros and cons on books and Kindle.

Camping.....well its hard to read anything with the latern light (we are CW reenactors) and the glare from anything BRIGHT would disturb your neighbors who are trying to sleep while you are reading a book. I love books, particuarly the ones you won't get it on Kindle, like those romantic or adventure stories. And what if your Kindle went out of power all of a sudden or it simply does not like alot of humidity. The books win hands down.

At home, I probably can use a Kindle (never owned one yet but thinking about it).

As for Borders, I believe they are so overpriced but love the B&N outlets, so relaxing and you can sit down to read a book without having a clerk watching over your shoulder, bugging you if "Everything ok?" Leave me in peace in looking for books. If I need your help, I will come for you! I love the cafe type with comfortable chairs.

Only the survival for the fittest of all bookstores will prevail.

As for cursive writing, I'll be darned if they eliminate that! Documents and important contracts, you still need to write cursive with your name on it. Its like our own ID apart from others. To print your name, its too easy to bogus it. If my daughter is NOT taught cursive, I would be darn sure she WOULD because I think it is very important to her and her future.

 

[Godsgrl]

I love to read, and I love to write.

It is definitely becoming a lost art, and it is so sad. No one sends letters by the post office anymore. A quick email or text is it these days.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I love books (My husband is a much more avid reader though, and he likes Kindle. I'm all for it if you like it since he is reading Thomas Hardy, "Moby Dick", "It", some awesomely socially cutting French book, and other varied books for free. I've read....ummmm, a manual for work lately.), but there is no love loss on my end for Borders closing. Kind of like how I still cherish and trade VHS and like movie rental places...but did a right quick jig when I heard Blockbuster might not be around much longer. Now local stores or just small book and movie sellers and renters, they get my business when they are around. Our local book stores do well around here. We also have a more indie oriented theater that does DVD and VHS rentals that gets our paid membership each year. I'm always heartbroken to see a place like that go under. If our local comic shop went under, then it would be time for me to curl up in the corner and rock back and forth.