... is doing rather well, thank you. My nostalgic heart sits happy.
I'm cheered that my all-time favorite indie bookstore, Brookline Booksmith, reported record sales this year, according to the Boston Globe. Recession, shmecession. It's looking for a new owner soon, however; this is the cue for some fortunate soul to step in. Readers, this shop is worth going out of your way to visit.They have excellent new and used titles (also, videos); a welcoming environment; a thriving event series; community-centered activities (knitting groups, book clubs, and so on); and smart cookies working there. Also, it is beloved. Not just by me.
The vibrant Harvard Book Store, meanwhile, remains passionate about "the future of books." Porter Square Books, just five years in the business, is profitable, though the days of double-digit sales growth are behind them. Weirdly, the Globe article on the city's "AAA" bookshops left out Trident Booksellers and Cafe, the Newbury Street mainstay and the only indie bookshop that doesn't focus on used titles that remains in the city of Boston. Every time I visited there, the place was hopping. I miss Trident's hot cider with an orange slice while reading short stories on autumn afternoons.
Comments