We try to be really positive here at Novel Novice, but I recently visited a couple chain bookstores in person (gasp! They DO exist!) and noticed some … worrisome things. I won’t name the bookstores; just know that they’re both major chain stores.
I was looking for Carrie Ryan’s new book, The Dead-Tossed Waves, which came out Tuesday March 9. It’s a companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and I thought it would be a great book to review here on Novel Novice (coming soon). I suppose I could have pre-ordered it online, but I was feeling adventurous and decided to actually visit a real store in person. (I know, what was I thinking?)
Store No. 1 had a giant YA section (yay!) that was well-organized and eye-friendly. Newer releases were placed in a section by themselves and others were placed cover-out so you could see the art. Nice.
Except for two things: First, the “new releases” were at LEAST two months old, which isn’t terrible I suppose, but with the amount of YA lit coming off the presses, you’d think it would be bit fresher than that. Second, the store did not have The Dead-Tossed Waves, and what’s worse, the slow and confused clerk said they wouldn’t get it in for about two weeks. Did I want them to order it for me? Uhm, yes, I’ll just sit and wait till it gets here. Heck no! I went across the street (literally) to another big chain store to look for it.
Hmmm, Q … R …S … it’s got to be here somewhere! Except the books weren’t arranged Q, R, S (looking for R as in Ryan); it was more like Q, S, L, V, R … you get the idea. Not only were the shelves in the “Teen Reading” section out of alphabetical order, they were sparse. This means one of two things.
Maybe the store was overrun by a mob of book-crazy teens who swooped in, made a mess, made their purchases, and left the teen section in shambles. Could happen.
OR, the store/employees fail to see the value in YA lit (apparently they haven’t read the article in The L.A. Times about how “YA is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak publishing market. Where adult hardcover sales were down 17.8% for the first half of 2009 versus the same period in 2008, children’s/young adult hardcovers were up 30.7%”) and don’t give much attention to the section.
There were very few titles and again, the “just released” section featured books that are yesterday’s news. (Nothing wrong with yesterday’s books, but again, there’s so much fresh stuff coming out.) On the bright side, this store DID have the book I was after, thanks to a really diligent employee who dug around the back room to locate The Dead-Tossed Waves. (Thank you, mister.)
What I want to know is, are all bookstores like this now? Has the Internet started the countdown toward the death of brick and mortar stores? And why aren’t retailers paying attention to the wild success of YA lit? They want to sell books, right? Well, guess what’s selling?!
Here’s where you come in. PLEASE, I really want to know, do you do all of your book shopping online? Library? Actual store? What are the YA sections like at the stores you visit? Well-stocked? Sparse? Leave us a comment!
Novel Novice 
I live in an affluent town. We have one bookstore, a hole-in-the-wall of a major chain. It’s poorly stocked in all areas. Its only real use is the ability to order a book and feel as though one is supporting local business. Ironically, one could get the books cheaper on the chain’s site.
My most sorrowful example of the loss of bookstores is Seattle’s famous Elliot Bay Bookstore. It was in a historic location, Pioneer Square, for several decades. At the last moment, it was “saved,” but had to leave its location. Could well be the death knell for them. If Elliot Bay can’t make it, is there hope for any small indie?
Good post, lots of food for thought. If there are bookstores in our areas (especially indies), it’s worth supporting them.
Take care,
Jess
haha, welcome to my life!! : p
Here in Norway we NEVER get new books before they either get really popular or a movie/TV series is made based on this or that book :p
It is not well-stocked with books! seriously!
So yes, do all my book shopping online!
I rarely shop for books online (unless I am looking for an older book). I shop at a local independent bookstore called Anderson’s Bookshop in downtown Naperville, IL (they also have a store in Downers Grove, IL). They have a great YA section & that is kept up-to-date & often have YA authors that come to the shop to do readings/signings (I just met Claudia Gray there last night). They also spotlight new & up-&-coming YA authors that I have never heard of & cannot find on the big chain websites (which I only use for browsing books). Plus the staff is really great their & have recommended books & authors I never would have found on my own.
To me, there is absolutely nothing that compares to going into a bookstore, touching all the books, inhaling the books, carrying them around, deciding on which one I love based on description and reading of the first page… but also by the font, the cover, the weight.
I order books online when I get a rewards card from Amazon through my credit card, or when I want a poetry book that my bookstore doesn’t carry (I have a huge beef about that, but let’s just say I feel the same way about that lame-o section as you do about the lackluster YA selection in your stores).
Books are my one indulgence and always will be – they even come before chocolate! And I fully believe in patronizing chain bookstores as well as used bookstores.
This is … appalling! Seriously.
I have to say, I honestly have not had this problem here in Portland — where I buy my books almost exclusively in brick-and-mortar stores (even chain stores). Which one I go to usually depends on where I am running errands at the time, but there’s a Barnes & Noble and a Borders that I go to — and both are always well-stocked and well-organized. And of course, Powell’s Books usually has everything and then some. (Portland’s famous Powell’s Books is 5 stories and an entire city block … plus, it has additional locations in the suburbs too).
HOWEVER … Portland is sort of known as a “book town.” We have a lot of readers here. Author events are usually pretty popular. People read along the waterfront; on the MAX trains; on the bus; in the many parks in downtown, etc. So maybe Portland is the fluke. I don’t know.
Either way, I still cant’ believe what you had to go through to find a new book …
Thanks for the replies! I guess I should add that my (current but temporary) town is also affluent, so you’d think there would be big demand for a decent bookstore. There IS an indie bookstore in the area, but it’s at least 45 minutes away and on the other side of a large body of water (withholding the name to protect the guilty!). They sometimes host Southern authors, but that’s about it.
Honestly, I rarely go to a bookstore anymore. If I’m in the mood to touch and feel, I go to the library. You can always tell a good read by how used the book appears to be.
Mostly though, I get my books from Amazon. I like the suggestions it gives when you make selections. “Other readers who selected this book also ordered…” I like being able to search inside and get a feel for the book, read a few paragraphs at any time of the day. Sometimes I just don’t have time for conventional brick-and-mortar stores. The hours are limited, the arrangement varies from store to store… time spent searching could be much better spent reading.