One of the biggest things indie bookstores, especially used books stores, have going for them that Barnes and Nobles doesn't is this: The smell. There is just something about the smell of so much old paper in one place that makes me smile.
Hello, current bookseller here. I think it does vary on the store that you visit and how much the staff personally care and are motivated. I know that our store has been trying it's best, but there was a sweet spot right after the lockdown where EVERYONE was at B&N. It was honestly awesome to see. However, I think that now the cuteness has worn off. Corporate is back to pushing very specific agendas and it creates hostile and stressful working environments, thus leading to staff being unmotivated. The new membership program is genuinely nice compared to the old one, however they are just so worried about profits at the moment that it leads to missed opportunities to engage with customers, as well as staying stocked on books in a series. I find your video accurate and helpful and in ways that also makes me sad. Because I think we had a good sweet spot going but it's been a really, really slow year for our store and we're considered the top in the region.
I went to my local B&N recently, and had a similar experience. I like to kind of keep up with the Hugo and Nebula winners, and they had a few, but the sci fi section was pretty light. My kids read Manga, but it's hard to buy the first books in a series because B&N never has them, just the most recent and maybe a smattering of others. Going to B&N used to be a treat, like going to a restaurant with a great chef and deep menu; now it feels more and more like going down the grocery aisle with the colorful, processed cereals and a freezer full of TV dinners.
Barnes & Noble is the Walmart of bookstores. The cheaply made hardbacks are designed for display at home to make it look like you’re a reader even though you hardly read at all or read on your Kindle only.
You’re spot on about b&n. I used to work at one. The incompetent corporate people and idiotic management knew nothing about books. It was a terrible place to work. I always wanted to talk books and help customers find what they were looking for. But that was the last thing we were expected to do. And the categories like sf and fantasy and graphic novels were always underrepresented with blah titles. Everything was cheap and generic there. Being eaten by Roger would have been a blessing.
I went to one yesterday as well. The closest to me is the store in Calabasas, California. This selection is astounding! I have never seen a Barnes & Noble with a more extensive collection of fiction. Still, I couldn’t find several of the ancient tones recommended by one Mr. Donoghue From a place known as the Commonwealth.
James Daunt, the CEO, has given each B&N store, more autonomy in how to run and stock the stores. So each store will have different offerings to a certain extent.
The closest B&N store to me is closing and currently has everything 50% off. They are moving to a new, much smaller location. It's ironic -- for a long time B&N was viewed as the bad guy putting small bookstores out of business but it looks like eventually they will be the ones going extinct while small, niche bookstores will remain. I love going to book stores, including B&N, though, I never seem to be able to find the books I am looking for at physical bookstores. I have to go to Amazon or eBay to find the books I want. Amazon may get a lot of hate, but at least they actually sell what I want to buy.
I love books, but B&N always makes me feel unsettled and kind of panicked. It's something like that Twilight Zone episode where a guy rolls into a small town, but everybody is a mannequin.
Earlier this year, I too visited a brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble (Emeryville) after not having walked into one in many years (to get the special edition Harlan Ellison's greatest hits) and it did not look or feel like a bookstore. There were two tables of the new-ish Poe biography, marked down to $10, tempting, but It felt more like one of those showrooms where there are boxes on display but what they're really selling you is a service of some kind. That, or perhaps like a store that just sells cereal boxes. It was a surprisingly sterile, non-human experience.
I don't know how it is now, but I always preferred London bookshops over any I found in the US. Many years ago, I was in London and purchased a hardcover first printing, first edition by a little-known author named JK Rowling from an independent book seller. The proprietor recommended the title, which was not something I'd have normally bought. Tucked it away in my luggage and read it on the flight home. Got the author to sign it a few years later. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is considered valuable, but I'd never sell mine. I believe it's the most valuable possession I have by far. Rowling, by the way, checked the publication information of the book when she signed it and said "Oh, so now I've met all three people who bought the first printing!" There were only 500 printed in that format, goodness knows where most of them ended up. London book sellers seemed to genuinely treasure books and reading. I don't often get that feeling with independent sellers in the US, and never with employees of B&N. Books, widgets, whatever, it's just another retail job to them.
It's a byproduct of the laws in this country always favoring the corporation over the individual in any capitalist enterprise. Oh yes, I forgot corporations are individuals. . . My bad.
@@michaelalley214 I haven't been to London in 21 years. I'm told it's greatly changed (aka it's now Londonstan). Maybe someone who's been there more recently or lives there can advise you. Have you been to Powells in Portland or City Lights in San Francisco? The Tattered Cover in Denver? I used to work at Left Bank Books in St. Louis and that's worth a visit.
@@michaelalley214 I know travel can seem expensive, but if you plan it right, you can manage it inside the US for not much money. One thing that's fascinating and not expensive is visiting Civil War battlefields. The people curating these sites are passionate and know their stuff.
Most bookstores killed themselves off by trying to become something they weren't. They de-emphasized books and become a coffee shop where you buy tee-shirts and stuffed animals and games and junk. That killed most of the bookstores. The bad thing is... a lot of libraries are following the bookstore pattern. Our local library has emphasized ebooks (even though the market for those is starting to fail and physical books are coming back) and they've tossed most of their paper books and journals out the back door to make space for retail pods -- food, exercise equipment, etc. And the locals are HATING it. The library is killing itself off, and the director of it is so committed to the mistake she made that she's not correcting course. It doesn't even look like a library anymore... it looks like a clinic where you'd go to book a colonoscopy.
I'm a retired librarian. Worked as one for 30 years. Most of my colleagues are nerdy misanthropes who HATE the general public and consider them irredeemably stupid. When we renovated an LAPL branch on the Westside of LA, the plan was to trash the entire collection of 30,000 books and replace them with 6,000, a dumbed down collection deemed suitable for the unwashed masses. I fought the plan and managed to secure 18,000 out of the 30,000, but I only won that partial victory because I enlisted our Friends of the Library, who were horrified at the proposed Great Book Massacre. The library profession is stuffed to the brim with fools and eventually, they all become library directors.
Huh, both stories are pretty scary. I guess my libraries in Kingston Ontario are doing pretty good, they closed down my local branch when the public schools consolidated into on space, which was annoying, but there's still 18 branches and the ones I've been to seem to focus on filling the space with books, with much smaller sections for movies and video games. The only retail space is for books they're moving on. The main annoyance is so often you can find some books in a series, but not the entire series, especially for comic books. However the staff has always been helpful and friendly to me, and seem like they want to be there. I'm sure pubic libraries in much of the west are struggling and need vigilant defenders.
Wow! I had not seen that about libraries. I usually just go my small local one. They don't have that stuff. (Yet.) The few times I've gone to the huge one downtown I was horrified. It's just a haven for homeless people. Now, if they were actually utilizing the books, that would be different. But I've never seen any of them with a book. Or even looking through the shelves. They use the seats, especially the little study areas, to sleep. They leave the bathrooms FILTHY with toilet paper and filth on the toilets. They even harass people for money. The first time it happened to me I was so shocked that my brain did not process what the woman was saying to me. It was only after she walked off that I realized she was begging for money. I was so stunned that I didn't even say anything to the employees. I should have. But honestly, I haven't gone back there. It's such a beautiful and huge building with multiple floors. To see this behavior being allowed left me feeling sick.
Interesting. A twice yearly visit to B&N used to be my treat. No more. I get my thrills now buying used. New books are now mostly disappointing guilt trips. I crave variety and the treasure hunt elements.
Me too-I have always loved the treasure hunt aspect. I have a thrift store that is walking distance from me. They keep up their book section and I love finding surprises! I buy almost all my books there now.
The target audience of Barnes and Noble is women under 35. They allow their employees to curate the stores and most of their employees are women. They stock books that interest those women (sexy fantasy, thrillers, romance, and horror) and presents for dads.
@@eriebeverly I worked in a B Dalton's when I was in college. Woman wanted to buy "the Cameron" by B-something...none of the clerks except me guessed The Decameron by Bocaccio. I was reprimanded for telling the customer the correct title (in what I thought was a nice way). "NEVER correct the customer!" I also forgot to ask if she wanted fries with that.
@michaelk.vaughan8617 FYI : TH-cam put a survey on this comment asking me how it made me feel, and if I thought it was appropriate. When I came back to answer it was gone. Judy FYI.
The comic book industry in America has been completely decimated by DEI. Comic shops have shuttered across the nation and readership is down, because there just aren't good stories coming from the industry behemoths anymore, and beloved characters have been thoroughly desecrated for long-time fans. That's why Manga is selling so well now: There are those who are still seeking entertainment with the medium, but are uninterested in the DEI slop produced by the American companies. They're trying to do the same thing with Role-Playing Games, as well, but these are proving harder to desecrate because people can play the way they want to, and there has been a strong resurgence into older styles of gaming, and the barrier to entry in that space is low.
Hello Michael and Roger. I'm sure many of us wish they had the chance to do just like you did. Very wise decision to visit the Bookstore even though you avoid purchasing any titles. Thanks for this enjoyable video.
Back when I worked at a bookstore, science fiction and fantasy were still married, shelved together. I guess they’re separated now. I’m also disappointed with my local B&N.
What an eerie video! And not even TEMPTED to buy anything? Coming from you, that in itself is disturbing. But I agree. It seems that retail bookstores have somehow lost their soul over the years. At least Roger was able to find something he liked.
In Canada, in our Indigo stores, graphic novels/trade paperbacks usually get 4 to 6 sections worth of space, which is quite nice and shows there is still at least a solid audience here for comics.
Ciekawe czy Roger jest zadowolony zawsze przyjemniej wziąść ksiązkę w rękę jak jest ładnie wydana edytorsko i ma atrakcyjną okladkę mimo ,że od poczatku mojej milosci do literatury takiej jak juz wyszlem z dziecinstwa byla treść czytanego tekstu chociaz kazdy chyba zsczynał swoja przygodę od ogladania jakie sa obrazki w tych taty ksiązkach a byly byly rózne i ciekawe ilustracje piękne do powiesci Curwwoda ,Coopera,Howarda , Haggarta, Burroughsa , Vernego i wiele wiele innych i tak to się zaczeło Pozdrowienia z dalekiego kraju z Polski 🫡👋👋👋dla wszystkich milosników literatury i tego programu z Rogerem włącznie ...👍👉📚📚📚U nas juz praktycznie ksiegarnie takie z prawdziwego zdrzenia poznikały duze korporacje maja punkty sprzedazy w duzych galeriach a same wydawnictwa ( kilkadziesiat )- prowadzi sprzedaż internetową swoich ksiązek tez sa bardzo drogie nie kazdego juz stac na zakup chociazby dwóch w miesiscu a wychodzi róznych i nowosci i wznowien setki w miesiacu pojawiaja się jak grzyby po deszczu Antykwariaty ksiazkowe i tam mozna kupić uzywane ksiazki o wiele taniej chociaz sa tytuły co są wiele wieke drozsze niz kosztowaly w Księgsrni i to kilkanascie razy 👋👋📚
I've had the same experience going into B&N more or less, but even the independent book stores give the same experience. At one independent bookstore I asked the person working there if they had The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. I got a blank look as if I were speaking Russian. No Wells, No Lovecraft, No Harlan Ellison, and on and on, only new stuff by writers I've never heard of. It was depressing. Give me a good used bookshop with that old musty smell any day.
In The Big Sleep, Marlowe asks two bookstore clerks “Would you happen to have a Ben-Hur, 1860, third edition, with duplicated line on page 116 . . .or a Chevalier Audubon 1840?’ One knew that those books didn't exist, and the other one didn't. That's how Marlowe knew the bookstore was a front. Hey, maybe B&N is a front for some kind of racket. Let me get my fedora and trenchcoat and see if I can crack this coconut--
It has been almost 2 years since I've been in a BN, but I can remember when they were almost BADGERING in their attention to you if you were browsing the bookshelves. In about a 30 minute visit, I would be asked NO LESS than 4 times if I needed assistance finding something. Today, I'm usually lucky if I can point out 3-4 employees in the entire store. They don't usually put someone in the Child book area anymore, I might see 1-2 behind the register, 1 at the Customer Service Counter, occasionally 2 if one of them goes on Lunch, and usually 1 person in the Barista Counter. The place has turned into the Home Depot of books, because Good Luck finding a person to help you in Home Depot, too.
@@salty-walt Which is a clear indicator that people (apparently) don't like to spend a bunch more on a shiny new book and sit in a Cafe enjoying a coffee, they would rather have it dropped on their doorstep next-day with no "People-ing."
@@VMSelvaggio Sometimes. More often laziness wins over ignorance to the fact that where you spend your money affects how your world is shaped. As a species we seem to progress looking backward and saying "shouldn't have done it that way." Instead of planning a path forward.
I enjoy the Barnes & Noble near me. I go for the music biographies and autobiographies . I recently managed to pick up Geezer Butler's autobiography in paperback format and an R.E.M. special from Mojo magazine. The stores other section I visit related to mysticism, secret societies and UFO's is pretty small though.
The worst thing about Barnes and Noble is just seeing how bad modern books look. No interesting art or even fonts, just random pastel colors and an author/title
@@FalconlibraryI’ve seen more interesting art created by AI than the boring graphic designs I’ve seen on book covers lately-I think the publishers want every book to look cohesive on a display and it’s led to this samey look. So boring.
I think the blandness in book covers stems from angst over having enough diversity in the art so as to stave off anyone who might be offended because the people on the cover don’t look like them
This was a great video Michael. I enjoy going to Barnes & Noble, but I’m very disappointed in how much they have reduced their SFF section. At least my local indie bookstore has more.
I always preferred half priced books to Barnes and noble. I always found much more interesting things. They had the most popular books like B&N did, but they also had stuff you would never see that hasn’t been sold for over a decade
I went thru B&N with my camera and took pictures of ALL the myriad of books with generic covers featuring pastel colors with a vague nature scene. I still often find good books, but you have to look and generally know what you are looking for.
The leading researcher in reading said that 90% of people today read one book in the last two years. A librarian friend of mine said they do not bother strengthening the spines and covers on non-fiction books because they do not circulate like the new fiction(not classic fiction). If the average person is reading less than a book a year and the vast majority of the books being read are 'fast fiction'... No wonder there are so many great books no longer in print...
I have a dream of possessing a fortune that would permit me to keep a library of leather-bound out of print books, thousands upon thousands of them. I would hire Victoria's Secret models to keep the place neat and tidy. Look, there's no point in being filthy rich if I can't indulge ALL my fantasies.
@@Yesica1993 The old school ones who are out of work now because they weigh less than 300 lbs. They'll also be wearing original Star Trek uniforms. I have very specific fantasies.
The difference is previously wanting to escape to a book shop and now wanting to escape from a book shop..The mood of allure has been throttled..MKV you are looking dapper..
There's a lot more adventure in Half Price Books than in Barnes and Noble. On the other hand, there is benefit to any of them. Books A Million had a store in an outdoor mall in the nearest town of note. It closed, replaced by something called Ulta, which I believe is a beauty retailer of some kind. A sign of the times, I guess. My wife could wander the mall while I wandered the multiverse in prose, sitting with my laptop and my word processor in Books A Million's coffee shop. No more. If I were going to open a bookstore - and don't dare me, I might call your bluff - I would offer book club memberships and a members-only lounge/writing studio. I would promote the written word and let book sales appear to be a sideline. Disney didn't sell tickets to attractions, they sold access to imagination. To early visitors, the attractions were nice but it was the park that drew them in. To Disney, tickets to attractions paid the bills. And then Disney forgot their real stage was theater of the mind, but that's another story.
Barnes & Noble has to stock what sells. It's a business beholden to its corporate interests. Bookstores are nearly gone; Barnes & Noble is still hanging on. "Pretty" books are for TH-camrs and TikTok content creators to show off online. Those people, at least, still buy books.
I don't have a problem with my local B&N. But I also buy and order my books through them, so my purchases get factored into their procurement considerations.
To be fair each B&N s different because the local management has control over what they stock. I have gone to three of them and each were different in one way or another.
The last few times I went into B&N to browse, I too came away with nothing. I had a few books I was looking for, but they weren’t on the shelves. I was told they would be happy to order them for me. Now if I was wanting to order a book, I could have stayed home and done that myself.
There is a similar story going on up here in Canada with the Chapters/Indigo/Coles chain. My local is a Coles which are the smaller format stores and the last three times I’ve been in, they haven’t had anything I’m looking for. And what has happened to the wall of Penguin black classics that used to exist in every store? It’s disappointing and kind of sad that all they’re carrying are the clothbound which I agree are too expensive for the quality of the reading experience you get with them. At the World’s Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, now closed, they used to have a room, floor to ceiling of Penguin Classics that was a joy to behold. The selection of Penguin Classics are minimal in the online Indigo site in Canada and so I get most of my classics at used bookstores now. You also don’t get that serendipity that you used to have with browsing on their site. It’s all very same-y and the promise of choice from the online retail experience is largely a myth now. You used to be able to find several editions of classics but now you’re lucky if you find the one you want. Sorry for the ramble. Loved the video!
I went to a B&N that I haven’t been to since pre-Covid times, in suburbia - for coffee, natch. On our way out, I thought I’d take a peek around the corner where Poetry and Theater had used to be. It and a huge adjacent area had been taken over by Manga.
Michael, i agree, B&N is not what it used to be. Too many toys, gifts and games. Starbucks food and coffee. Wi-fi, so no one goes there to buy books. I am a book buyer. In the past i would go into a B&N and buy 5-6 hardcovers, or 10-20 paperbacks. No more. I know how you feel going into the store, looking around, and not feeling there is one single book you want to buy. Very sad. I d still go to indy bookstores and buy a bag or so of books if they have what i want. B&N seems to be run by people who do not know books, do not read them, and don’t care that much to sell them. It has become a gift store, an upscale version of mall stores like Hot Topic or Spencers Gifts. Goodbye B&N! Thanks for a thoughtful video.
I never shop for books at B&N either, and the last time I went in with a friend my experience was the same. I was not tempted to buy any books, even when my friend offered to buy me a book. She bought one, but only one, and then we went to our library's used book store to satisfy our unsatisfied yearning to spend money on enticing books. Was an odd experience, not what I expected anyway..
When I first started working at B&N back in 2000, Horror had its own designation. It was generally placed after Fiction & Literature and before Science Fiction and Fantasy. Then in 2001 Horror was dismissed and those works were mixed in with Fiction.
The last book I got from Barnes and Noble in store was The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, and Elric book by Michael Moorcock. On the website I got the House of the Wolf by Basil Copper and Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. Other then that, I know exactly how you feel.
In my city the B&N has a decent History section. The comic nerds have their own shops that are pretty good. Lots of reprint collections and graphic novels. Most of them subscribe to their favorite titles and pick them up at the store. Probably why B&N is so thin.
Barnes & Nobles at it's height for me was the early 90's. Their horror section was a complete row of shelves not one rack put at the end of thrillers like the last time I had been in one. I went there once a month on the regular after Border's went away to keep up with my magazine's. Once magazine's and monthly comics went away (they got comics later than the lcs so if you missed a book it was the place to go) I've had no need to visit one other than last minute X-mas gift when discovering I forgot such and such person.
A quality book is bound in signatures with string - that's the only kind of physical book I buy now. Hardcover or paperback is the same quality if they are both glued, and I think it's just a matter of time before they fall apart. But that time might be thirty, forty years(?)
Yes, hardcovers, in general, have degraded in quality over the years. I have some hardcovers that are pretty old (around 100 years) and they still hold up to handling and reading. Modern hardcovers, though, who knows how those will hold up? I haven't seen stitched binding in a hardcover for some time now. It is always glue nowadays, making hardcovers just glorified paperbacks. I don't know when this started, but I think the first time I noticed it was Joe Hill's The Fireman. Then paperbacks, which used to be a convenient, cheap way to get the books you wanted to read, haven't gotten more expensive and have, as you mentioned, moved away from the old mass market style. They are all pretty much trade paperbacks now. Mind you, the paper is better quality in those, so that is nice, but I miss the rough, yellowing paper and the stiff cardboard covers decorated with often sensational artwork. Still, the modern paperbacks we do get will probably last better than the hardcovers we get.
Michael, Roger, sometimes I'll watch the movie "84 Charring Cross Road" just to feel like I'm in an old bookstore with well-made, well-loved used books. I know strange, but it's true, that book is wonderful as well by Helene Hanff. She has an incredible story of being a writer as well. Good video Michael, though it felt like a Twilight Zone episode, you're right, when I visited B&N two years ago. Thank you.
Your observations on the history (and particularly ancient history) sections are widespread, Michael. Way out east (Pittsburgh area), the history section in my local B&N keeps dwindling. It irks me. Books I've had my eye on are now gone, and I'm suspicious that they've been removed rather than bought. Too many to just be random purchases. There are WAAAAY too many of those crappy Penguin Clothbound books, and another series of hardcover classics (I forget the name, but they have end papers) that look much too flowery, with covers unrelated to the title, and seriously suspect in terms of durability. And yes, our SF and Fantasy shelves are really scanty as well. I wonder to what degree the movies and tv shows have disillusioned people from reading them. BIG history section in ours (tons of "cozies").
Michael you hit on just about everything, I have felt about Barns and Noble. I already knew it was a soulless cooperating. But the one near me is the only books store that is around me. I don't go in mine very often anymore. Because it is depressing and sad. To see my favorite book genres dying or gone. As you mentioned the comic books industry is dying, yes the superhero moves are declining, and to be honest it's bad writing and personal agenda's that are killing it. Anyway the thing that disappoints me the most is seeing what fantasy has become. I feel like to much realism has been injected into fantasy now. But I'm a fan of swords an sorcery and Barns and Noble is not the place for that and the vast majority of books I buy are online.
Honestly, what you find in a Barnes & Noble is different based on demographics. The BN near me (45 minutes away) has HUGE Fantasy and Fancy Classics sections, a HUGE Manga section, a bloated Fiction section, and a large magazine wall, with a healthy helping of Guns n Ammo and books about Horses and Veterinary stuff, and a large Cafe crowd. That was in Lexington, Kentucky. I think I saw 4 employees, and they all looked bored.
I travel a lot for work and my first stop will typically be the local indie bookstore, but some places don’t have them… oddly. So I wander to the B&N and have found them to be embracing more the in markets they are in, some good some bad. Our Madison west side B&N is quite good, though; far better than the East side one. This week I played a game to see how many indie press books under 200 pages I could find… I found almost 20 unique presses at the FL BN I was at. Quite fun, and rewarding! Sure there was lots of stuff that didn’t interest me, but I had a fun time exploring. Still local indie and used… much more fun.
As has been noted in another comment, this is very similar to the situation at the retail stores in Canada. I'm fortunate that my city (Toronto) has some excellent used bookstores. The used bookstores have more variety and better titles and are my preferred option for the in-store experience.
Wow, I don't think I've ever gone to my usual BN and been asked if I needed help. (Which, yeah, that's a plus for me too. I don't like to be pressured.)
Shame you didn’t enjoy your mooch around the shop. If our equivalent is Waterstones, I love walking around those branches, and always see something amongst the regular stuff. I get a lot out of new bookstores as much as 2nd hand ones. Manga is a particular brand of comic book/graphic novel. I think the Manga interest is keeping comics alive and possibly making it bigger….i think it’s interesting and arguably a great thing that Japanese culture is dominating comics…multiculturalism and all that….I’m not into Manga myself but I find it fascinating that there’s lots of British teenagers learning Japanese because they love the culture so much. I’m amazed at what you’re saying about the fantasy section. We’ve got tons of authors to choose from over here with all the fantasy stuff coming out. It’s definitely not dying out.
I think many of the new fantasy books are considered YA and you have to search there for them. I am trying to remember when I was even in a B&N last, pre pandemic, maybe.
I’m wondering if your 500 book challenge now seems easier for you because you discovered that you’ve mostly already got all the books you need? The Brattle will be waiting for you when you’re done.
I'm overjoyed to hear The Bore of the Rings didnt have much presence 🤭 Hopefully the store manager is watching, they are responsible for the 'brand strategy' (whatever that means). They're allowed to cater to local tastes (apparently). Sounds like it's working 🤭
Probably hardcover books are meant to be only read once if that, their main fonction is dust-collecting on shelves like when I sold a guitar and people were telling me they didn't want to pay much because it was only going to be used for dust-collecting.
Michael, do you have a 2nd and Charles near you? The one here in Augusta, Georgia is my home away from home. Used books, new releases, comics, collections etc. It's worth the drive if yours is an hour or so away. Funny how your B&N sounds exactly like mine! LOL! When I was younger my Waldenbooks in the mall had 5 or 6 shelves of Star Trek...now it's almost nothing like you described....but 2NCharles usually has quite a good selection. Love the videos! Say hey to Roger for me!
As far as the history/NF section, it's not the fault of Barnes & Noble, people just aren't interested anymore. It's a cultural thing. I Also agree that most new book covers lagely look the same.
I went 3 times for specific books. I went there to support the local economy. Even though it is corporate local people work there. I needed the first book in a series, but they only had the second and third. Then I needed the last book in a series and they only had the first. Last time I went they had what I wanted but the back cover had a huge crease in it. I just gave up and ordered everything on Amazon.
I buy used books a lot. For the amount of books I’m reading and acquiring Barnes and Noble is too expensive. And I’ve noticed the hardbacks being made flashy but cheaply which would be fine if the prices reflected that.
1.)The Barnes & Noble near me, in Glendora (a suburb of SoCal) has a much larger selection of graphic novels than you saw. It has a large shelve with graphix on both sides. It has a Marvel, DC and then the 'other' publishers .It also has its obligatory Star Wars section. 2.)James Patterson to me, isn't a real author anymore. I guess he just does outlines and someone else writes the novels. Has he written a book by himself lately? (Doubt it!!!) Just in it for the $$ I guess. 3.)What really bothers me is the disappearance overall of bookstores. You go into a mall now and their is no bookstore to be seen. Is it dumbing down of America or is it just because everyone now buys on Amazon? If I want a really nice bookstore I have to go to Downtown L.A. I "NEVER" go downtown. I buy most of my books now from Thrift stores and the library book store. It saddens me. Most Independent Bookstores just aren't making any money and are dying. (There's one close to me in Covina that I try to get to to support.) I know you aren't really buying now but is there a nice bookstore up there in NoCal you like to support? Thanks, as always and I guess we all will "catch you later."
Barnes and Noble is very sad now. And, definitely, modern trade paperbacks are generally more durable than modern hardcovers. I think it's Tor putting out those really pretty (although sorta garish) hardcovers of the Dune series ... but the spines are literally paper. And the general vibe at B&N ... definite Borders death knell vibes. Sad.
I just bought a John Dickson Carr novel that was re-released at B&N. The last few times I went there I went to the classics section about the Count of Monte Cristo, Dracula--which I had copies in the past--but never read, Shirley Jackson-Haunting of Hill House. The B&N I go to has the Horror section next to the Mysteries and Thrillers section. The science fiction is maybe two shelves with mostly Dune and series books by other author others. If I found something there I'm looking for and want it now, I buy it at B&N rather than order it online. What surprises me is at the section with c.d. music is getting smaller and smaller and being taken up by shelves of vinyl albums. I would rather buy a c.d.
Ever read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson? It's her masterpiece. “Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea? Oh no, said Merricat, you’ll poison me. Merricat, said Connie, would you like to go to sleep? Down in the boneyard ten feet deep!”
Barnes and Noble seems to push a lot of what's new and "hot" on the bookseller market, but it neglects the great classics. They have their Barnes and Noble brand version of classics, which are cheaply made. I'd rather have Penguin Classics versions or The Modern Library Classics versions, but they have only a few of those. I was looking for books by Hawthorne the other day, and they only had the Scarlett Letter. I wanted House of the Seven Gables or Twice-Told Tales, but they didn't have those. It seems to me that an American bookstore should have more than one book by Hawthorne, one of the greatest American authors.
I went there a few days ago to kill some time. Didn't find much either. They sold these unknown books in a paper bag called book for a blind date or something like that. Have no idea who that would appeal to. I do miss Waldenbooks and B. Dalton.
Glad to see that Roger got out and about! I think some of the SF and Fantasy content may have been moved to Young Adult (YA). YA as a genre confuses me. Some of the content in YA books does not seem YA. I agree B&N is not the place to go to find new content.
You pretty much described my local Barnes and Noble stores. Apparently B&N is making their money these days from Taylor Swift magazines. I counted 44 ( yes, 44 !!! ) different Taylor Swift magazines on the shelves. Ridiculous. I do sometimes f 20:07 ind new books there that I want, but I usually have to order what I'm interested in online. I looked in 3 B&N stores for the new Conan 2-novel hardcover by John Hocking. I finally just ordered it from Amazon.
why are all the employees are wearing headsets? Are they all listening to the same really cool music?? Or receiving commands in a long forgotten language from our benevolent tentacle faced overlords??? I need to know Also need to check out the Horror section, its been awhile. Great video.
Testing your resolve?!?! (I find book stores selling new product a bit depressing. The new books and art just don't grab me along with the poor print quality. And after about 5 minutes I'm heading for the door)
Cover art seems to be a little better than it has been for a while, at least in some cases. But man oh man do I loathe those “tall” modern paperbacks publishers are relentlessly pushing.
"Giftie book." I think these book stores are becoming chinese made living room decoration stores like At Home. In fact, there's an At Home near me that has a book section with hardcovers that will be bought but never read.
I like to go to bookstores even if I'm not buying something. It puts me into the mood to read.
Me too--there is just something about a bookstore. If you are a Book Lover, you just "KNOW!"
One of the biggest things indie bookstores, especially used books stores, have going for them that Barnes and Nobles doesn't is this: The smell. There is just something about the smell of so much old paper in one place that makes me smile.
I always enjoy walking around bookstores and libraries. I always find something new and unkown for me to read.
Hello, current bookseller here. I think it does vary on the store that you visit and how much the staff personally care and are motivated. I know that our store has been trying it's best, but there was a sweet spot right after the lockdown where EVERYONE was at B&N. It was honestly awesome to see. However, I think that now the cuteness has worn off. Corporate is back to pushing very specific agendas and it creates hostile and stressful working environments, thus leading to staff being unmotivated. The new membership program is genuinely nice compared to the old one, however they are just so worried about profits at the moment that it leads to missed opportunities to engage with customers, as well as staying stocked on books in a series. I find your video accurate and helpful and in ways that also makes me sad. Because I think we had a good sweet spot going but it's been a really, really slow year for our store and we're considered the top in the region.
@@razorback10 interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience!
😢
I went to my local B&N recently, and had a similar experience. I like to kind of keep up with the Hugo and Nebula winners, and they had a few, but the sci fi section was pretty light. My kids read Manga, but it's hard to buy the first books in a series because B&N never has them, just the most recent and maybe a smattering of others. Going to B&N used to be a treat, like going to a restaurant with a great chef and deep menu; now it feels more and more like going down the grocery aisle with the colorful, processed cereals and a freezer full of TV dinners.
I'm surprised B&N doesn't sell frozen dinners. They don't seem to know their own business.
@@Falconlibrary I guarantee if Funko put out a TV dinner, B&N would sell it.
@@troytradup B&N would stock dead dogs if they thought people would buy them.
Thank you. Your content always cheers me up.
Barnes & Noble is the Walmart of bookstores. The cheaply made hardbacks are designed for display at home to make it look like you’re a reader even though you hardly read at all or read on your Kindle only.
You’re spot on about b&n. I used to work at one. The incompetent corporate people and idiotic management knew nothing about books. It was a terrible place to work. I always wanted to talk books and help customers find what they were looking for. But that was the last thing we were expected to do. And the categories like sf and fantasy and graphic novels were always underrepresented with blah titles. Everything was cheap and generic there. Being eaten by Roger would have been a blessing.
Michael walks into a store with his dusty, malevolent. staring mummy......announces loudly: "This place has an odd vibe!!"😅.
I went to one yesterday as well. The closest to me is the store in Calabasas, California. This selection is astounding! I have never seen a Barnes & Noble with a more extensive collection of fiction. Still, I couldn’t find several of the ancient tones recommended by one Mr. Donoghue From a place known as the Commonwealth.
James Daunt, the CEO, has given each B&N store, more autonomy in how to run and stock the stores. So each store will have different offerings to a certain extent.
The closest B&N store to me is closing and currently has everything 50% off. They are moving to a new, much smaller location. It's ironic -- for a long time B&N was viewed as the bad guy putting small bookstores out of business but it looks like eventually they will be the ones going extinct while small, niche bookstores will remain. I love going to book stores, including B&N, though, I never seem to be able to find the books I am looking for at physical bookstores. I have to go to Amazon or eBay to find the books I want. Amazon may get a lot of hate, but at least they actually sell what I want to buy.
B&N carries nothing I am interested in. Especially all the new stuff which might as well have been published by Kathleen Kennedy.
I love books, but B&N always makes me feel unsettled and kind of panicked. It's something like that Twilight Zone episode where a guy rolls into a small town, but everybody is a mannequin.
Ha! Yes!
Yes!
Hopefully you have health insurance, make an appointment to talk to someone
@@ronaldmay1283 I do, but I think he may be a mannequin too.
So funny!
Earlier this year, I too visited a brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble (Emeryville) after not having walked into one in many years (to get the special edition Harlan Ellison's greatest hits) and it did not look or feel like a bookstore. There were two tables of the new-ish Poe biography, marked down to $10, tempting, but It felt more like one of those showrooms where there are boxes on display but what they're really selling you is a service of some kind. That, or perhaps like a store that just sells cereal boxes. It was a surprisingly sterile, non-human experience.
If you really want to be depressed, try to chat with one of the clerks about their reading habits. Spoiler alert: they don't have any.
I don't know how it is now, but I always preferred London bookshops over any I found in the US. Many years ago, I was in London and purchased a hardcover first printing, first edition by a little-known author named JK Rowling from an independent book seller. The proprietor recommended the title, which was not something I'd have normally bought. Tucked it away in my luggage and read it on the flight home. Got the author to sign it a few years later. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is considered valuable, but I'd never sell mine. I believe it's the most valuable possession I have by far.
Rowling, by the way, checked the publication information of the book when she signed it and said "Oh, so now I've met all three people who bought the first printing!" There were only 500 printed in that format, goodness knows where most of them ended up.
London book sellers seemed to genuinely treasure books and reading. I don't often get that feeling with independent sellers in the US, and never with employees of B&N. Books, widgets, whatever, it's just another retail job to them.
It's a byproduct of the laws in this country always favoring the corporation over the individual in any capitalist enterprise.
Oh yes, I forgot corporations are individuals. . . My bad.
I would love the opportunity to walk through London book shops. I guess I have to save my pennies to go someday.
@@michaelalley214 I haven't been to London in 21 years. I'm told it's greatly changed (aka it's now Londonstan). Maybe someone who's been there more recently or lives there can advise you. Have you been to Powells in Portland or City Lights in San Francisco? The Tattered Cover in Denver? I used to work at Left Bank Books in St. Louis and that's worth a visit.
@@FalconlibraryI do not travel much but if I do, believe me, I would make a point to hit all those great book stores.
@@michaelalley214 I know travel can seem expensive, but if you plan it right, you can manage it inside the US for not much money. One thing that's fascinating and not expensive is visiting Civil War battlefields. The people curating these sites are passionate and know their stuff.
Barnes and Noble is the Radio Shack of literature.
Hahahahaha! Pretty accurate!
Most bookstores killed themselves off by trying to become something they weren't. They de-emphasized books and become a coffee shop where you buy tee-shirts and stuffed animals and games and junk. That killed most of the bookstores. The bad thing is... a lot of libraries are following the bookstore pattern. Our local library has emphasized ebooks (even though the market for those is starting to fail and physical books are coming back) and they've tossed most of their paper books and journals out the back door to make space for retail pods -- food, exercise equipment, etc. And the locals are HATING it. The library is killing itself off, and the director of it is so committed to the mistake she made that she's not correcting course. It doesn't even look like a library anymore... it looks like a clinic where you'd go to book a colonoscopy.
I'm a retired librarian. Worked as one for 30 years. Most of my colleagues are nerdy misanthropes who HATE the general public and consider them irredeemably stupid. When we renovated an LAPL branch on the Westside of LA, the plan was to trash the entire collection of 30,000 books and replace them with 6,000, a dumbed down collection deemed suitable for the unwashed masses. I fought the plan and managed to secure 18,000 out of the 30,000, but I only won that partial victory because I enlisted our Friends of the Library, who were horrified at the proposed Great Book Massacre.
The library profession is stuffed to the brim with fools and eventually, they all become library directors.
Huh, both stories are pretty scary. I guess my libraries in Kingston Ontario are doing pretty good, they closed down my local branch when the public schools consolidated into on space, which was annoying, but there's still 18 branches and the ones I've been to seem to focus on filling the space with books, with much smaller sections for movies and video games. The only retail space is for books they're moving on. The main annoyance is so often you can find some books in a series, but not the entire series, especially for comic books. However the staff has always been helpful and friendly to me, and seem like they want to be there.
I'm sure pubic libraries in much of the west are struggling and need vigilant defenders.
@@MagusMarquillinour library stories are merely visions of what you have yet to expect
"OUCH!"
Wow! I had not seen that about libraries. I usually just go my small local one. They don't have that stuff. (Yet.) The few times I've gone to the huge one downtown I was horrified. It's just a haven for homeless people. Now, if they were actually utilizing the books, that would be different. But I've never seen any of them with a book. Or even looking through the shelves. They use the seats, especially the little study areas, to sleep. They leave the bathrooms FILTHY with toilet paper and filth on the toilets. They even harass people for money. The first time it happened to me I was so shocked that my brain did not process what the woman was saying to me. It was only after she walked off that I realized she was begging for money. I was so stunned that I didn't even say anything to the employees. I should have. But honestly, I haven't gone back there. It's such a beautiful and huge building with multiple floors. To see this behavior being allowed left me feeling sick.
Interesting. A twice yearly visit to B&N used to be my treat. No more. I get my thrills now buying used. New books are now mostly disappointing guilt trips. I crave variety and the treasure hunt elements.
Me too-I have always loved the treasure hunt aspect. I have a thrift store that is walking distance from me. They keep up their book section and I love finding surprises! I buy almost all my books there now.
The target audience of Barnes and Noble is women under 35. They allow their employees to curate the stores and most of their employees are women. They stock books that interest those women (sexy fantasy, thrillers, romance, and horror) and presents for dads.
Apparently dads need colorful socks.
@@Falconlibrary Obviously. And LEGOs.
@@eriebeverly I worked in a B Dalton's when I was in college. Woman wanted to buy "the Cameron" by B-something...none of the clerks except me guessed The Decameron by Bocaccio. I was reprimanded for telling the customer the correct title (in what I thought was a nice way). "NEVER correct the customer!" I also forgot to ask if she wanted fries with that.
@michaelk.vaughan8617
FYI : TH-cam put a survey on this comment asking me how it made me feel, and if I thought it was appropriate.
When I came back to answer it was gone.
Judy FYI.
The comic book industry in America has been completely decimated by DEI. Comic shops have shuttered across the nation and readership is down, because there just aren't good stories coming from the industry behemoths anymore, and beloved characters have been thoroughly desecrated for long-time fans. That's why Manga is selling so well now: There are those who are still seeking entertainment with the medium, but are uninterested in the DEI slop produced by the American companies.
They're trying to do the same thing with Role-Playing Games, as well, but these are proving harder to desecrate because people can play the way they want to, and there has been a strong resurgence into older styles of gaming, and the barrier to entry in that space is low.
Nothing wrong with occasionally going into bookstores to feel cheap hardcovers.
Hello Michael and Roger. I'm sure many of us wish they had the chance to do just like you did. Very wise decision to visit the Bookstore even though you avoid purchasing any titles. Thanks for this enjoyable video.
Back when I worked at a bookstore, science fiction and fantasy were still married, shelved together. I guess they’re separated now.
I’m also disappointed with my local B&N.
What an eerie video! And not even TEMPTED to buy anything? Coming from you, that in itself is disturbing. But I agree. It seems that retail bookstores have somehow lost their soul over the years. At least Roger was able to find something he liked.
In Canada, in our Indigo stores, graphic novels/trade paperbacks usually get 4 to 6 sections worth of space, which is quite nice and shows there is still at least a solid audience here for comics.
Glad you got to explore a Barnes & Noble!
Roger is quite amazing.
Ciekawe czy Roger jest zadowolony zawsze przyjemniej wziąść ksiązkę w rękę jak jest ładnie wydana edytorsko i ma atrakcyjną okladkę mimo ,że od poczatku mojej milosci do literatury takiej jak juz wyszlem z dziecinstwa byla treść czytanego tekstu chociaz kazdy chyba zsczynał swoja przygodę od ogladania jakie sa obrazki w tych taty ksiązkach a byly byly rózne i ciekawe ilustracje piękne do powiesci Curwwoda ,Coopera,Howarda , Haggarta, Burroughsa , Vernego i wiele wiele innych i tak to się zaczeło Pozdrowienia z dalekiego kraju z Polski 🫡👋👋👋dla wszystkich milosników literatury i tego programu z Rogerem włącznie ...👍👉📚📚📚U nas juz praktycznie ksiegarnie takie z prawdziwego zdrzenia poznikały duze korporacje maja punkty sprzedazy w duzych galeriach a same wydawnictwa ( kilkadziesiat )- prowadzi sprzedaż internetową swoich ksiązek tez sa bardzo drogie nie kazdego juz stac na zakup chociazby dwóch w miesiscu a wychodzi róznych i nowosci i wznowien setki w miesiacu pojawiaja się jak grzyby po deszczu Antykwariaty ksiazkowe i tam mozna kupić uzywane ksiazki o wiele taniej chociaz sa tytuły co są wiele wieke drozsze niz kosztowaly w Księgsrni i to kilkanascie razy 👋👋📚
I've had the same experience going into B&N more or less, but even the independent book stores give the same experience. At one independent bookstore I asked the person working there if they had The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. I got a blank look as if I were speaking Russian. No Wells, No Lovecraft, No Harlan Ellison, and on and on, only new stuff by writers I've never heard of. It was depressing. Give me a good used bookshop with that old musty smell any day.
That always get me--Why are you working in a bookstore if you don't love books!
In The Big Sleep, Marlowe asks two bookstore clerks “Would you happen to have a Ben-Hur, 1860, third edition, with duplicated line on page 116 . . .or a Chevalier Audubon 1840?’ One knew that those books didn't exist, and the other one didn't. That's how Marlowe knew the bookstore was a front. Hey, maybe B&N is a front for some kind of racket. Let me get my fedora and trenchcoat and see if I can crack this coconut--
It has been almost 2 years since I've been in a BN, but I can remember when they were almost BADGERING in their attention to you if you were browsing the bookshelves. In about a 30 minute visit, I would be asked NO LESS than 4 times if I needed assistance finding something.
Today, I'm usually lucky if I can point out 3-4 employees in the entire store. They don't usually put someone in the Child book area anymore, I might see 1-2 behind the register, 1 at the Customer Service Counter, occasionally 2 if one of them goes on Lunch, and usually 1 person in the Barista Counter.
The place has turned into the Home Depot of books, because Good Luck finding a person to help you in Home Depot, too.
Every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to live in.
@@salty-walt Which is a clear indicator that people (apparently) don't like to spend a bunch more on a shiny new book and sit in a Cafe enjoying a coffee, they would rather have it dropped on their doorstep next-day with no "People-ing."
@@VMSelvaggio Sometimes. More often laziness wins over ignorance to the fact that where you spend your money affects how your world is shaped. As a species we seem to progress looking backward and saying "shouldn't have done it that way." Instead of planning a path forward.
This is all of retail though. Never enough help.
The B&N near me is like a ghost bookstore…more employees than customers…but the employees are ghostly too.
I enjoy the Barnes & Noble near me. I go for the music biographies and autobiographies . I recently managed to pick up Geezer Butler's autobiography in paperback format and an R.E.M. special from Mojo magazine. The stores other section I visit related to mysticism, secret societies and UFO's is pretty small though.
Me Too, I'm a music geek (& a musician too) I love Mojo and the other British publications!@
@@michaelalley214 I play bass (Peter Hook is my favorite musician) and guitar myself. Just hobbies though.
@@mikewilson3581 I am a working musician. A vocalist and occasional music director.
The worst thing about Barnes and Noble is just seeing how bad modern books look. No interesting art or even fonts, just random pastel colors and an author/title
With that just about eligible "hand writing" font
Most of the cover art is done by AI now. But you already guessed that.
@@FalconlibraryI’ve seen more interesting art created by AI than the boring graphic designs I’ve seen on book covers lately-I think the publishers want every book to look cohesive on a display and it’s led to this samey look. So boring.
I hate the reason I always hear for these covers too- “it’s what sells”. If it’s all you’re offering of course it’s going to sell.
I think the blandness in book covers stems from angst over having enough diversity in the art so as to stave off anyone who might be offended because the people on the cover don’t look like them
The quality is so cheap but the books are soooooo expensive!
Remember the days when you could get a pocket book for 50 or 60 cents. You might not--I am really dating myself.
Totally agree! The last time I walked into a Barnes & Noble, it was an assault on my eyes! So many awful covers *and* they all look the same. 📚
All designed by AI. My friend who worked as a cover designer for a major publisher got laid off because now most covers are computer generated.
This was a great video Michael. I enjoy going to Barnes & Noble, but I’m very disappointed in how much they have reduced their SFF section. At least my local indie bookstore has more.
I always preferred half priced books to Barnes and noble. I always found much more interesting things. They had the most popular books like B&N did, but they also had stuff you would never see that hasn’t been sold for over a decade
I went thru B&N with my camera and took pictures of ALL the myriad of books with generic covers featuring pastel colors with a vague nature scene. I still often find good books, but you have to look and generally know what you are looking for.
The leading researcher in reading said that 90% of people today read one book in the last two years. A librarian friend of mine said they do not bother strengthening the spines and covers on non-fiction books because they do not circulate like the new fiction(not classic fiction).
If the average person is reading less than a book a year and the vast majority of the books being read are 'fast fiction'... No wonder there are so many great books no longer in print...
I have a dream of possessing a fortune that would permit me to keep a library of leather-bound out of print books, thousands upon thousands of them. I would hire Victoria's Secret models to keep the place neat and tidy. Look, there's no point in being filthy rich if I can't indulge ALL my fantasies.
This makes me so sad.
@@Falconlibrary Have you seen VS models lately? LOL!
@@Yesica1993 The old school ones who are out of work now because they weigh less than 300 lbs. They'll also be wearing original Star Trek uniforms. I have very specific fantasies.
@@Falconlibrary Hahahahahahaha!
The difference is previously wanting to escape to a book shop and now wanting to escape from a book shop..The mood of allure has been throttled..MKV you are looking dapper..
There's a lot more adventure in Half Price Books than in Barnes and Noble. On the other hand, there is benefit to any of them. Books A Million had a store in an outdoor mall in the nearest town of note. It closed, replaced by something called Ulta, which I believe is a beauty retailer of some kind.
A sign of the times, I guess. My wife could wander the mall while I wandered the multiverse in prose, sitting with my laptop and my word processor in Books A Million's coffee shop.
No more.
If I were going to open a bookstore - and don't dare me, I might call your bluff - I would offer book club memberships and a members-only lounge/writing studio. I would promote the written word and let book sales appear to be a sideline.
Disney didn't sell tickets to attractions, they sold access to imagination. To early visitors, the attractions were nice but it was the park that drew them in. To Disney, tickets to attractions paid the bills.
And then Disney forgot their real stage was theater of the mind, but that's another story.
Barnes & Noble has to stock what sells. It's a business beholden to its corporate interests. Bookstores are nearly gone; Barnes & Noble is still hanging on. "Pretty" books are for TH-camrs and TikTok content creators to show off online. Those people, at least, still buy books.
B&N still has readable classics editions in the main fiction section, along with the decorative classics edition.
I don't have a problem with my local B&N. But I also buy and order my books through them, so my purchases get factored into their procurement considerations.
To be fair each B&N s different because the local management has control over what they stock. I have gone to three of them and each were different in one way or another.
The last few times I went into B&N to browse, I too came away with nothing. I had a few books I was looking for, but they weren’t on the shelves. I was told they would be happy to order them for me. Now if I was wanting to order a book, I could have stayed home and done that myself.
There is a similar story going on up here in Canada with the Chapters/Indigo/Coles chain. My local is a Coles which are the smaller format stores and the last three times I’ve been in, they haven’t had anything I’m looking for. And what has happened to the wall of Penguin black classics that used to exist in every store? It’s disappointing and kind of sad that all they’re carrying are the clothbound which I agree are too expensive for the quality of the reading experience you get with them. At the World’s Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, now closed, they used to have a room, floor to ceiling of Penguin Classics that was a joy to behold. The selection of Penguin Classics are minimal in the online Indigo site in Canada and so I get most of my classics at used bookstores now. You also don’t get that serendipity that you used to have with browsing on their site. It’s all very same-y and the promise of choice from the online retail experience is largely a myth now. You used to be able to find several editions of classics but now you’re lucky if you find the one you want. Sorry for the ramble. Loved the video!
I went to a B&N that I haven’t been to since pre-Covid times, in suburbia - for coffee, natch.
On our way out, I thought I’d take a peek around the corner where Poetry and Theater had used to be. It and a huge adjacent area had been taken over by Manga.
Michael, i agree, B&N is not what it used to be. Too many toys, gifts and games. Starbucks food and coffee. Wi-fi, so no one goes there to buy books. I am a book buyer. In the past i would go into a B&N and buy 5-6 hardcovers, or 10-20 paperbacks. No more. I know how you feel going into the store, looking around, and not feeling there is one single book you want to buy. Very sad. I d still go to indy bookstores and buy a bag or so of books if they have what i want. B&N seems to be run by people who do not know books, do not read them, and don’t care that much to sell them. It has become a gift store, an upscale version of mall stores like Hot Topic or Spencers Gifts. Goodbye B&N! Thanks for a thoughtful video.
I never shop for books at B&N either, and the last time I went in with a friend my experience was the same. I was not tempted to buy any books, even when my friend offered to buy me a book. She bought one, but only one, and then we went to our library's used book store to satisfy our unsatisfied yearning to spend money on enticing books. Was an odd experience, not what I expected anyway..
When I first started working at B&N back in 2000, Horror had its own designation. It was generally placed after Fiction & Literature and before Science Fiction and Fantasy. Then in 2001 Horror was dismissed and those works were mixed in with Fiction.
In my local B&Ns, horror currently has its own section.
The last book I got from Barnes and Noble in store was The Citadel of Forgotten Myths, and Elric book by Michael Moorcock. On the website I got the House of the Wolf by Basil Copper and Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. Other then that, I know exactly how you feel.
In my city the B&N has a decent History section. The comic nerds have their own shops that are pretty good. Lots of reprint collections and graphic novels. Most of them subscribe to their favorite titles and pick them up at the store. Probably why B&N is so thin.
Barnes & Nobles at it's height for me was the early 90's. Their horror section was a complete row of shelves not one rack put at the end of thrillers like the last time I had been in one.
I went there once a month on the regular after Border's went away to keep up with my magazine's. Once magazine's and monthly comics went away (they got comics later than the lcs so if you missed a book it was the place to go) I've had no need to visit one other than last minute X-mas gift when discovering I forgot such and such person.
I still go to B&N once in a while but I NEVER find ANYTHING I want to buy.
Same here. I can walk around in there for a full hour and leave without any books.
A quality book is bound in signatures with string - that's the only kind of physical book I buy now. Hardcover or paperback is the same quality if they are both glued, and I think it's just a matter of time before they fall apart. But that time might be thirty, forty years(?)
Give Roger a hug for me.
Yes, hardcovers, in general, have degraded in quality over the years. I have some hardcovers that are pretty old (around 100 years) and they still hold up to handling and reading. Modern hardcovers, though, who knows how those will hold up? I haven't seen stitched binding in a hardcover for some time now. It is always glue nowadays, making hardcovers just glorified paperbacks. I don't know when this started, but I think the first time I noticed it was Joe Hill's The Fireman. Then paperbacks, which used to be a convenient, cheap way to get the books you wanted to read, haven't gotten more expensive and have, as you mentioned, moved away from the old mass market style. They are all pretty much trade paperbacks now. Mind you, the paper is better quality in those, so that is nice, but I miss the rough, yellowing paper and the stiff cardboard covers decorated with often sensational artwork. Still, the modern paperbacks we do get will probably last better than the hardcovers we get.
Michael, Roger, sometimes I'll watch the movie "84 Charring Cross Road" just to feel like I'm in an old bookstore with well-made, well-loved used books. I know strange, but it's true, that book is wonderful as well by Helene Hanff. She has an incredible story of being a writer as well. Good video Michael, though it felt like a Twilight Zone episode, you're right, when I visited B&N two years ago. Thank you.
I went into a bookstore about 5 years ago, and I didn't know what to do. No search box, and clicking on the author's name didn't work.
VERITAS!!
Your observations on the history (and particularly ancient history) sections are widespread, Michael. Way out east (Pittsburgh area), the history section in my local B&N keeps dwindling. It irks me. Books I've had my eye on are now gone, and I'm suspicious that they've been removed rather than bought. Too many to just be random purchases. There are WAAAAY too many of those crappy Penguin Clothbound books, and another series of hardcover classics (I forget the name, but they have end papers) that look much too flowery, with covers unrelated to the title, and seriously suspect in terms of durability. And yes, our SF and Fantasy shelves are really scanty as well. I wonder to what degree the movies and tv shows have disillusioned people from reading them. BIG history section in ours (tons of "cozies").
Michael you hit on just about everything, I have felt about Barns and Noble. I already knew it was a soulless cooperating. But the one near me is the only books store that is around me. I don't go in mine very often anymore. Because it is depressing and sad. To see my favorite book genres dying or gone. As you mentioned the comic books industry is dying, yes the superhero moves are declining, and to be honest it's bad writing and personal agenda's that are killing it. Anyway the thing that disappoints me the most is seeing what fantasy has become. I feel like to much realism has been injected into fantasy now. But I'm a fan of swords an sorcery and Barns and Noble is not the place for that and the vast majority of books I buy are online.
Honestly, what you find in a Barnes & Noble is different based on demographics.
The BN near me (45 minutes away) has HUGE Fantasy and Fancy Classics sections, a HUGE Manga section, a bloated Fiction section, and a large magazine wall, with a healthy helping of Guns n Ammo and books about Horses and Veterinary stuff, and a large Cafe crowd.
That was in Lexington, Kentucky.
I think I saw 4 employees, and they all looked bored.
I travel a lot for work and my first stop will typically be the local indie bookstore, but some places don’t have them… oddly. So I wander to the B&N and have found them to be embracing more the in markets they are in, some good some bad. Our Madison west side B&N is quite good, though; far better than the East side one.
This week I played a game to see how many indie press books under 200 pages I could find… I found almost 20 unique presses at the FL BN I was at. Quite fun, and rewarding! Sure there was lots of stuff that didn’t interest me, but I had a fun time exploring.
Still local indie and used… much more fun.
As has been noted in another comment, this is very similar to the situation at the retail stores in Canada.
I'm fortunate that my city (Toronto) has some excellent used bookstores. The used bookstores have more variety and better titles and are my preferred option for the in-store experience.
I read romance books including Harlequin books. I have been ordering books on Amazon online.
"TRAITOR" just kidding!
Wow, I don't think I've ever gone to my usual BN and been asked if I needed help. (Which, yeah, that's a plus for me too. I don't like to be pressured.)
Shame you didn’t enjoy your mooch around the shop. If our equivalent is Waterstones, I love walking around those branches, and always see something amongst the regular stuff. I get a lot out of new bookstores as much as 2nd hand ones. Manga is a particular brand of comic book/graphic novel. I think the Manga interest is keeping comics alive and possibly making it bigger….i think it’s interesting and arguably a great thing that Japanese culture is dominating comics…multiculturalism and all that….I’m not into Manga myself but I find it fascinating that there’s lots of British teenagers learning Japanese because they love the culture so much. I’m amazed at what you’re saying about the fantasy section. We’ve got tons of authors to choose from over here with all the fantasy stuff coming out. It’s definitely not dying out.
The fantasy genre is THRIVING in the indie/self-pub scene. There's nothing interesting going on in chain book stores nowadays.
I miss Borders. Another corporate chain store, but they had a little more personality with a better cafe IMO.
I remember spending hours at borders look through books back in the day. Many of my books, manga and DVDs came from that store.
@@stephennootens916 They encouraged you to hang out there. Comfortable furniture and good coffee. I'd spend hours there.
I loved Borders! I certainly did my part in trying to keep them in business!
The new CEO has revamped some locations to reflect local taste. Those stores are pretty good if you have one near you. Pretty big selection.
I think many of the new fantasy books are considered YA and you have to search there for them. I am trying to remember when I was even in a B&N last, pre pandemic, maybe.
I think you mean many of the new YA books are considered fantasy. . . 😅😉
They're not proper fantasy, they're romance novels for teens with a fantasy element.
I’m wondering if your 500 book challenge now seems easier for you because you discovered that you’ve mostly already got all the books you need? The Brattle will be waiting for you when you’re done.
I'm overjoyed to hear The Bore of the Rings didnt have much presence 🤭 Hopefully the store manager is watching, they are responsible for the 'brand strategy' (whatever that means). They're allowed to cater to local tastes (apparently). Sounds like it's working 🤭
Probably hardcover books are meant to be only read once if that, their main fonction is dust-collecting on shelves like when I sold a guitar and people were telling me they didn't want to pay much because it was only going to be used for dust-collecting.
Good! I like that place
Yeah when I was a kid knocking on a hardcover sounded like knocking on a door. Now* they sound like knocking on a slightly soggy cardboard box
Michael, do you have a 2nd and Charles near you? The one here in Augusta, Georgia is my home away from home. Used books, new releases, comics, collections etc. It's worth the drive if yours is an hour or so away. Funny how your B&N sounds exactly like mine! LOL! When I was younger my Waldenbooks in the mall had 5 or 6 shelves of Star Trek...now it's almost nothing like you described....but 2NCharles usually has quite a good selection. Love the videos! Say hey to Roger for me!
I don't think there are any of those in California.
As far as the history/NF section, it's not the fault of Barnes & Noble, people just aren't interested anymore. It's a cultural thing. I Also agree that most new book covers lagely look the same.
I went 3 times for specific books. I went there to support the local economy. Even though it is corporate local people work there. I needed the first book in a series, but they only had the second and third. Then I needed the last book in a series and they only had the first. Last time I went they had what I wanted but the back cover had a huge crease in it. I just gave up and ordered everything on Amazon.
Arh, I believe, you believe, that Roger is always with you :D
I buy used books a lot.
For the amount of books I’m reading and acquiring Barnes and Noble is too expensive.
And I’ve noticed the hardbacks being made flashy but cheaply which would be fine if the prices reflected that.
1.)The Barnes & Noble near me, in Glendora (a suburb of SoCal) has a much larger selection of graphic novels than you saw. It has a large shelve with graphix on both sides. It has a Marvel, DC and then the 'other' publishers .It also has its obligatory Star Wars section. 2.)James Patterson to me, isn't a real author anymore. I guess he just does outlines and someone else writes the novels. Has he written a book by himself lately? (Doubt it!!!) Just in it for the $$ I guess. 3.)What really bothers me is the disappearance overall of bookstores. You go into a mall now and their is no bookstore to be seen. Is it dumbing down of America or is it just because everyone now buys on Amazon? If I want a really nice bookstore I have to go to Downtown L.A. I "NEVER" go downtown. I buy most of my books now from Thrift stores and the library book store. It saddens me. Most Independent Bookstores just aren't making any money and are dying. (There's one close to me in Covina that I try to get to to support.) I know you aren't really buying now but is there a nice bookstore up there in NoCal you like to support? Thanks, as always and I guess we all will "catch you later."
I’m lucky to live near an used book store. I prefer that over a BN.
I'm not a fan of the new taller mass market paperbacks. They feel like fat brochures to me.
For a long time I thought I was going crazy because the paperbacks seemed to not be the same size as they were my entire life!
Barnes and Noble is very sad now. And, definitely, modern trade paperbacks are generally more durable than modern hardcovers. I think it's Tor putting out those really pretty (although sorta garish) hardcovers of the Dune series ... but the spines are literally paper. And the general vibe at B&N ... definite Borders death knell vibes. Sad.
I just bought a John Dickson Carr novel that was re-released at B&N. The last few times I went there I went to the classics section about the Count of Monte Cristo, Dracula--which I had copies in the past--but never read, Shirley Jackson-Haunting of Hill House. The B&N I go to has the Horror section next to the Mysteries and Thrillers section. The science fiction is maybe two shelves with mostly Dune and series books by other author others. If I found something there I'm looking for and want it now, I buy it at B&N rather than order it online. What surprises me is at the section with c.d. music is getting smaller and smaller and being taken up by shelves of vinyl albums. I would rather buy a c.d.
Ever read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson? It's her masterpiece.
“Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea?
Oh no, said Merricat, you’ll poison me.
Merricat, said Connie, would you like to go to sleep?
Down in the boneyard ten feet deep!”
Last time I went to B&N, I had the same experience. Bought nothing. I was disappointed. Then again, like you, I'm not a current book kind of guy.
Barnes and Noble seems to push a lot of what's new and "hot" on the bookseller market, but it neglects the great classics. They have their Barnes and Noble brand version of classics, which are cheaply made. I'd rather have Penguin Classics versions or The Modern Library Classics versions, but they have only a few of those. I was looking for books by Hawthorne the other day, and they only had the Scarlett Letter. I wanted House of the Seven Gables or Twice-Told Tales, but they didn't have those. It seems to me that an American bookstore should have more than one book by Hawthorne, one of the greatest American authors.
I wonder how my local Barnes & Noble has changed in the almost two years since I last went.
I went there a few days ago to kill some time. Didn't find much either. They sold these unknown books in a paper bag called book for a blind date or something like that. Have no idea who that would appeal to. I do miss Waldenbooks and B. Dalton.
Glad to see that Roger got out and about! I think some of the SF and Fantasy content may have been moved to Young Adult (YA). YA as a genre confuses me. Some of the content in YA books does not seem YA. I agree B&N is not the place to go to find new content.
they never have a good horror selection at mine just stephen king🙄
You pretty much described my local Barnes and Noble stores. Apparently B&N is making their money these days from Taylor Swift magazines. I counted 44 ( yes, 44 !!! ) different Taylor Swift magazines on the shelves. Ridiculous. I do sometimes f 20:07 ind new books there that I want, but I usually have to order what I'm interested in online. I looked in 3 B&N stores for the new Conan 2-novel hardcover by John Hocking. I finally just ordered it from Amazon.
why are all the employees are wearing headsets?
Are they all listening to the same really cool music??
Or receiving commands in a long forgotten language from our benevolent tentacle faced overlords???
I need to know
Also need to check out the Horror section, its been awhile.
Great video.
I’m surprised by the amount of horror and Chandler for sure.
'Romantasy' has taken over the fantasy genre - Sarah J. Maas has entire shelves of her books. Modern fantasy has degenerated massively.
Testing your resolve?!?! (I find book stores selling new product a bit depressing. The new books and art just don't grab me along with the poor print quality. And after about 5 minutes I'm heading for the door)
Cover art seems to be a little better than it has been for a while, at least in some cases. But man oh man do I loathe those “tall” modern paperbacks publishers are relentlessly pushing.
"Giftie book." I think these book stores are becoming chinese made living room decoration stores like At Home. In fact, there's an At Home near me that has a book section with hardcovers that will be bought but never read.
Wow, Michael, you **really** hit a chord! There's a lot of toxic responses, take a deep breath before you wade in. . .
Are any of them teachable moments?
Oh, And there's a lot of bots. You've got bots in the comments: you're going to have to spray. . .
@@salty-waltmaybe. maybe just red flags, all the way down.