I reminisce about the days of walking into one of the two books store in our mall and browsing the shelves of books. I loved touching the spines, reading the back cover, opening it, and flipping through the first few pages. But it seems nowadays that is all but a memory.
Yes, there are still bookstores out there. Bookstores that are thriving. But they are not as plentiful as they once were. I can’t say that digital publishing caused this shift, but shopping in general has changed. These days a person can by almost anything they want off the web. And to debate the demise of bookstores as the fault of digital publishing versus the fault being the rise of cyber shopping is a lot like trying to figure out what came first, the chicken or the egg. Does it really matter? This is what we have now.
I admit that I can’t go into a store without buzzing by the books. The grocery store, Target, Walgreens. Even at the thrift store, the bookshelves are the first place I stop. But the last time I was at a Barnes and Noble, I was doing a signing, not shopping. I can’t tell you the last time I bought a book at a store. I order. All the time.
So where do I find these books? I hear about some on BookBub, eBookSoda, and ReadFreely. I see some on Facebook ads and blogs. If I like what I see and the blurb sounds interesting, then I’ll usually add it to my Nook or Kindle. Never to be seen again. LOL
Seriously though. I have no idea what all is on my Nook…or my Kindle. Not to mention the books on my phone and the ones on my Audible app. I can’t trail my fingers down their spines and touch the title and think, “Oh, I remember that one!” Instead I scroll through my ‘shelves’ and think, “When did I buy that?”
Some books I have in e-format and then I turned around and bought it in paper. I’ve said plenty of times that I prefer paper to electronic, but paper books aren’t as readily available as they once were. (Or is that just me?)
So tell me…how do you find your books? Do you have a service like BookBub? And if you do, do you turn around and buy it paper? Do you bee-line for the books at Walmart? Or make time to head over to Lifeway, Mardels, or B&N?
Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of my latest contemporary (secular) romance, Healing a Heart. It’s the second book in the Cattle Creek Series and releases February 7th!
And as always, thanks for reading!
amywritesromance.com 
Amy I am like you I love paper! I have bought the same book on paper. I know The kindle or e books save space but to be honest nothing like paper and page flipping in your hands. I agree I have probably over 6000 books on my kindle I know I will never get read in my lifetime. But I get them when they are a deal. I have even erased some like why would i get that book. I have lost so much stuff there and have no clue where to find it. Yes I love paper the feel and the smell.
Blessings
Diana
I miss browsing the shelves at those small, independent book stores when I as younger. Now I find my books on Goodreads and then check my libraries first. If they don’t have them I usually get them from Amazon……I sure do miss the old days but I love my Kindle too……have a great weekend Amy!!
i still love my books to read by hand , not books on a nook, or kindle, the pc is not good on out eyes, but to each to his own, i know a lot of people at work that love to read that way, i guess i am old fashioned, when i am done with the books, i give them to others to read, and donate them to the library, i love the covers of the book, some have recipes,sign me up for your nrw book, deb m
I have a Kindle and I have many books on it, but I also have loads of paperback and hard cover books as well. I prefer to read a book I can actually hold in my hands when I read before going to bed. I use my kindle when waiting in a doctor’s office, or at work on my lunch break. It’s easier to handle the kindle at work, then bringing a book and hoping that it doesn’t get ripped or torn.
I love hardcover books. I will try and get the hardcover if I can before I look for the softcover. I only buy ebooks that I don’t want to add to my favorite shelf and to save room. I already have over 5000 books in my house and it is getting too much to move around. Buying books is no longer available around here. I live near the capital of NY and there is only one Barnes & Noble and another 50 miles away. My favorite used bookstore is gone along with 2 other used book stores. So now I have to buy my books from Amazon and hope they are in excellent condition when they arrive or go to the library. I miss all the bookstores that I used to go to in the past years. :(