Are Bookstores Dying?

A few weeks ago I visited the popular bookstore, Parnassus Books. Parnassus Books is one of the few independent bookstores in Nashville, Tennessee and according to their website they stock the best selections of literature, non-fiction, children’s, local interests, and the arts. Before I went and visited the bookstore, I asked a few people at lunch where our local bookstore was, I could have easily Googled it, but I was interested in seeing if others knew.  The mass majority said Parnassus so my afternoon was decided for me.  OFF TO PARNASSUS!

 I will be honest with you, I haven’t been inside a true bookstore in ages (don’t judge me!).  As mentioned before, I am a digital only reader as I like to have my books with me at all time. But when I walked into the store, I was mesmerized by all the books! I was also mesmerized that the book store was dog friendly and there were cute dogs everywhere.  I am a sucker for a cute dog! As I walked around I smiled at the author panel happening in the middle of the store and shocked that they had a book club that regularly met during the week.  Where has this been all my life and why aren’t there more?!

But it made me think….are bookstores dying?

I did some digging and found an article that point blank said that bookstore owners are simple people who have a love for books and in this day in age no one wants to go all the way to the book store to find books when they are just a click away (geez harsh).   The article continues and says with the age of fast access, people just don’t feel the need to have hard copy books at all but would rather have the digital version ( did they just call me out!?).

This made me sad, I myself fall into the category of not visiting a bookstore but simply doing a quick download and calling it a day. It’s kind of scary because I question how bookstores can even remotely compete with the Amazon’s and Apple bookstores of the world and will probably all eventually shut down.

However there is some hope, bookstores are definitely geared to a unique audience. They are for the audience that enjoys the written word and being in a safe space which includes researching and actually putting your hands on a book and taking it home to enjoy. It is for readers who actually want to meet the author and ask questions, and readers who just want a place to go and relax with fellow like-minded people.  After my visit to Parnassus Books, I for one will be visiting bookstores more often and taking advantage of its relaxing feel and hopefully I can encourage many of you to do the same!

---

P.S…  Parnassus Books so graciously stopped by  and read my post!  Below is what they had to say ❤

We’re so happy you visited! THANK YOU for stopping by. We hope you’ll be back soon, and that on your travels you’ll continue to check out all the wonderfully unique independent bookstores around the country. You can always find the closest indie store to wherever you are at https://www.indiebound.org/ — and did you know IndieBound also offers a searchable database of every book under the sun (just like Ama-who-know-who-zon)? (Linking book titles to IndieBound is a super-easy way for bloggers to support and introduce their readers to indie bookstores.)

Our shop-dogs and shop-people stand ready to greet you next time you pop in. We can’t wait to hear what you’re reading and see you again!

PS: We never judge anyone for wanting to order books online! Sometimes it’s nice to shop while wearing jammies on the sofa. 🙂 Many indie stores (including Parnassus) do a booming online shopping business and are happy to ship you any book you like. Visit ParnassusBooks.net and toss any book you like into your cart — and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out our First Editions Club and ParnassusNext subscription boxes! If you’re not sure what you want to read next, our resident booknerds also publish suggestions every week in our online magazine, Musing: ParnassusMusing.net