And it's also my day at The Blood-Red Pencil, where I'm talking about some confusing words.
Everywhere I go I have to visit the local bookstore(s). Recently we were in Taos, so I stopped by the “Moby Dickens” bookshop in the Taos Plaza. It’s a great little shop with floor to ceiling shelves filled with bright colored books. Most of the shelves are painted white, so the spines really pop, and the books that are faced forward catch your attention. There are nooks and crannies to explore or settle into for a quick perusal of the book jacket blurb or first page or two.
Like most bookstores they also have other items, decorative pens, stationary, artistic cards, stuffed animals, eclectic bookmarks, maps and other interesting paraphernalia. Have you ever noticed the smells--of paper, leather and the inevitable dust that collects no matter how many times you wipe the surfaces clean? It’s a comfortable aroma that permeates all bookstores.
With the explosion of electronic books we’ve lost some nice stores (e.g. Borders Books). And not just the large chains or discounters, either, we’ve lost a lot of small independent bookstores, too. Personally, I love a bargain. Give me a coupon and I’m ready to use it. But there are special stores that become a “destination”, a place for readers and writers to go and hang out.
