So Amazon are largely responsible for Foyles, once the largest bookshop in the world, being taken over by Waterstones.
[Link]

Now I buy shedloads of stuff from Amazon, particularly before Christmas, as I hate shopping in crowds. So I am perhaps hypocritical.
Bookshops have had to change to survive, and have added coffee shops, book club meetings and author book signings.

Bu I love second-hand books. In 1999 I bought a first edition 'Jawa'(hardcover with dust jacket) by Peter Benchley for £1 from a charidee shop, and now it is worth around £500

So my favourite book shop in recent times, is Kirkdale books of Sydenham. Upstairs they have new books, a meeting place/coffee shop, and local news and events. However, downstairs are shelves packed with dusty second-hand books. I have spent many an hour (or two) perusing the shelves and skim-reading sections, before making a purchase.
Lovely way to spend a morning, but with Amazon and internet, the whole High Street is at risk. Probably bookshops might be gone in as little as 10 years.

I disengage, I turn the page.

Black Books.

Something else damaging bookshops.

Apart from saving paper and instant downloading and maybe price after they’ve read however many chick flicks, I’ve never understood women wanting to use e-book readers, kindle etc. Why do you need to hold that many books on it, you have a handbag and if you’re on holiday you have a suitcase to carry a few light paperbacks. If it’s a hardback autobiography you generally want to keep it for various reasons. I just don’t get it.

COYP

That was a brilliant show.

Optimistic as ever

Plus books used to be a great 2nd hand source, they had one in West Croydon and another in Colliers Wood.

Optimistic as ever

If you need those great big tomes on computing subjects to refer to and which on paper cost £40 a go electronic publishing is a godsend.

I don't see why we should pay VAT on them, though, given that paper books are less evironmentally sustainable yet VAT-free.

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The Ferret
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