Things That Make Me Want to Drink* #4

The Closing of Independent Bookstores.

Bloody hell. I was still mourning the closing of the Globe Corner Bookstore in Harvard Square when the news spread that Curious George Goes to Wordsworth in Harvard Square is ALSO closing. Are you freakin’ kidding me???

I am drinking my cheap Sauvignon Blanc from the bottle, because I am that irritated and depressed. I can’t even be bothered to pour it into glass after glass. This news is highly distressing to a book lover with a master’s in publishing and writing who worked at a publisher for years.

I have to admit that I didn’t buy tons and tons of books at these stores. I have a limited income; I borrow books from the library and go to used bookstores. But I DID relish buying something at the Globe Corner Bookstore every time I was planning a vacation. I could always find the most interesting books and maps. Things that Borders and B & N didn’t carry. Every time I entered the store, I would make a beeline to the Britain/Ireland section, whether I was planning a trip there or not. The Globe will still have an online presence. But it won’t be the same as wandering the aisles and paging through the books and maps. {Slug, slug}

I don’t have such a personal connection to Curious George. I’ve only been in the store a handful of times. But the store is in such a prominent location in Harvard Square; it seems like such an integral part of the neighborhood. {Slug, slug}

Am I hearing a death rattle for the physical book? Is the physical book going to be like vinyl records? {Slug, slug}

Something that is a collector’s item, a hobbyist’s item? {Slug, slug. Slug}

I have to go read one of the three books I am currently in the process of reading. I leave you with this Ray LaMontagne song. It’s my favorite off his new album.

* Because I’m feeling irritated, depressed, or pissed off.