Petra X > Status Update

I like to browse and be alone with my thoughts, impressions, and reading plans :) I think I would be very happy if someone wanted to discuss books with me at a bookstore. But I live in Scandinavia where talking to strangers is a sin ;))) (in the big cities, at least).

Bit of both. I like to be left alone to browse but don't mind if someone asks if I am looking for anything in particular. Nothing better than a good rec. I found the brilliant John Gwynne that way. :-)

In a bookshop, that is like the brick and mortar sense, I like browsing for books mostly unaccompanied. When I am truly unable to find anything, I would consult the staff. Now, on the other hand, hunting for books yourself in a second hand bookshop like one of those pavement book stalls here in old Bombay is like a treasure hunt, as my favourite author once called it. There is a real thrill in digging out some book by Greene, Stevenson, Doyle or anyone else lying under a pile of books by other authors.

Well, I often buy books online. The thing is that the whole advantage of going to a bookshop, for me, is an opportunity to discuss books in person. I like that. A lot. Lately, though, even in my formerly favorite independent bookshop the salespeople are obviously not interested. So the whole difference between looking for books online and in an actual bookshop is that online the books are cheaper. I still try occasionally, but less and less so.

I like to be left alone when browsing for books. If I'm looking for something specific I will ask, 99.9% of the time be told they don't have it and go buy it from the internet. 🙄 Gone are the days when the book shop ordered books for you. The clerks at the chain book shops are hired to tell you where they filed the books and to work the till. I don't think most of them actually read stuff for fun, so getting recommendations and discussing books doesn't really work. I've come across the owner/manager of one of the book shops a few times and he will ask questions and mention he enjoyed reading what I was buying but no long discussions or anything.

The exception to this is the one used book shop. The little old lady that ran the shop was always willing to discuss and recommend. When she died 2 years ago her husband took over. We would have short talks but not about books. The new woman hired on to help and eventually take over is really chatty and we get on well. So we have discussions and she makes recommendations, some of which I actually try out.

Twice in my life I've had a (very short) book-related discussion with a fellow book purchaser, but nothing extensive.

I suppose a readers relationship with the bookshop staff depend on how well you know them, if they are there all the time, and personalities?

Now that I live where there are decent independent bookstores, I prefer to buy local. Mostly I go in with a title in mind. Good to know that conversations with customers are welcomed. I always figure everyone seems pretty busy (which is good).

At the moment, when I go to my bookshop of choice, I prefer to be left alone... I usually don't need to ask anything. 8)

Interesting question. I would answer be left alone but in small shops, those conversations are usually great so I would definitely welcome if

I prefer to be left alone to decide, partly because in most cases I'd feel awkward starting, or maybe even picking up such a conversation. However, it never occurred to me that the staff might like it!

I like to be greeted and asked if I'm looking for anything in particular or what I'm in the mood for. Depending on my mood, I'd probably also like to discuss books or my favorite last reads.

Alexandra wrote: "But I live in Scandinavia where talking to strangers is a sin ;))) (in the big cities, at least) ..."

How do Scandinavians get on with Americans, lol? They talk, even hug, everyone?

Petra practice made me perfect at effing things up wrote: "How do Scandinavians get on with Americans, lol? They talk, even hug, everyone?"

Good question :))) They get on pretty well, in my experience, after the initial shock, lol. Opposites attract, and all that...

Alexandra wrote: "They get on pretty well, in my experience, after the initial shock, lol. Opposites attract, and all that....."

Must take a bit of adjustment being introduced by first name and given a hug! It doesn't go down to well with at least some of the British nor the West Indians who are also quite reserved.

My recent 2000km road trip was specifically planned to include a second hand bookshop advertising an extensive collection of pre-electronic media authors.
I was delighted with my haul no doubt, aided by the staff who were keen to hear of my interests and encouraged further contact if I desired other out of print books.
Browsing is fine if you have the time and the shop has the space to display all their wares, but often I have a particular author in mind so will ask what they might have got in a box out the back!

The last gushing recommendation I had for a book was a recent release which really left me cold, and I wished that I had left it on the shelf!

These days I am far more informed courtesy of my GR friends and am far more discriminatory in my reading habits (I hope).

M.J. wrote: "Bit of both. I like to be left alone to browse but don't mind if someone asks if I am looking for anything in particular. Nothing better than a good rec. I found the brilliant John Gwynne that way...."

That's what we do. We greet people and ask if they need any help and if they say they just want to look, we leave them. After about five minutes we ask if they are looking for anything in particular we can help them with? Most people are ok with that, but every now and again you get someone quite rude who says they have already told us they just wanted to look and then they leave.

I like to be left alone - most of the bookshops we have are not the sort of bookshops run by bookish people. i would love to talk books and receive recommendations. Not many bookshops left on the Gold Coast Australia but recently travelled and stayed in a country town in NSW called Gloucester and it had the best second book shop. I was able to pick up 11 out of print books by authors i love.

I have a good friend who owns a small book store and when I stop in, we chat about all sorts of things - books are not always among the main topics - and I do buy books also.
P.S. - I prefer to browse on my own.

I like to be left to browse but if there is the opportunity to discuss books, I am all in!! I do ask for recommendations when I am looking for children's books or books for friends that read books outside of my typical genres.

Zoeb wrote: "Now, on the other hand, hunting for books yourself in a second hand bookshop like one of those pavement book stalls here in old Bombay is like a treasure hunt..."

You can do that in London too, at the South Bank. Hay-on-Wye, the town that is just books, has lots of stalls, you would love it so much. I'm not big on used books, unless they are rare Caribbeana or art books, as I don't like the smell much.

I typically like to be left alone while scouring the shelves for "wish list" items because it takes concentration!! But I strike up a conversation at the counter if there's no line, and I often get interesting recommendations this way.

Petra practice made me perfect at effing things up wrote: "Zoeb wrote: "Now, on the other hand, hunting for books yourself in a second hand bookshop like one of those pavement book stalls here in old Bombay is like a treasure hunt..."

You can do that in L..."

Oh yes, without a doubt, London is a haven for hunters of books. I had the fortune once to visit Black Gull Books in Camden market and I picked up two Greene books from there. I intend to revisit London and this time, I plan on bringing home a whole trunk of books from there.

I like to browse undisturbed – if I'm looking for something specific and I'm not sure what shelf if might be on, I'll ask for help. I do like discussing books with the staff, but as a separate activity from browsing.

I like to be left alone to browse. In my experience shop assistants don't care about what you want but what they need to sell.

Today I did ask someone, but only because it's hard to (yet) find the right book for my nephew (who's 9). Still, I did get him something that his mother approved of - which is important because otherwise I'd get an earful XD

i love to see what is on the "look at me" tables and read the cards that staff write about the books they enjoyed. I don't generally chat. I try to plan to buy easily available books that are not e-books at our local bookstore.

I generally like being left in peace, because half the time I don't even know what I'm looking for. When the clerk asks if I need help, I feel pressured to justify my presence there, somehow.

But to be honest I've never shopped in a 'personalized' bookshop where the owners / employees are happy to spend some time chatting books.

Oh, but I NEVER use bookstores to get ideas for Kindle purchases.

Bookshops had been dead to me for decades precisely because I *always* got waylaid by some well-meaning clerk. There was a tendency here in Germany that book sellers would just retreat for a moment if you told them you're fine, only to swoop down on you to praise whatever book you might have glanced at... Very annoying!

These days, I'm sometimes going to bookshops with my Gen-Z daughter because she sadly regressed from ebooks to dead-tree ones. Those bookshops are not the small ones I used to visit in my youth, though, but, Thalia, the physical equivalent of Amazon. (Don't hate me! ;) )

my country has exactly two bookstores that actually care enough to hire actual good readers, that i would find it a privilege to discuss books with them, then its a few individuals peppered around, that i would enjoy talking to as well, but most bookstore workers around here don't even read, or used to read amateur books and stopped once they got the job, so yeah i would rather be left alone, i remember one time i got attracted to a prize winning book by a writer i used to follow, and i took it, and the guy was like this is also good and this and this! it was completely idiotic honestly.
Plus i don't really want someone to recommend to me something they didn't read, just because they are supposed to sell the copies they just obtained now.

Inna wrote: "the whole advantage of going to a bookshop, for me, is an opportunity to discuss books in person. I like that. A lot. Lately, though, even in my formerly favorite independent bookshop the salespeople are obviously not interested. So the whole difference between looking for books online and in an actual bookshop is that online the books are cheaper...."

Some bookshop clerks don't differentiate their jobs from any other in retail. Keep the place stocked, keep it clean, cash and bag. They really don't care. Others are more outgoing and/or like books and the customer (to me) gets a better experience.

Elentarri wrote: "I like to be left alone when browsing for books. If I'm looking for something specific I will ask, 99.9% of the time be told they don't have it and go buy it from the internet. 🙄 Gone are the days when the book shop ordered books for you. ..."

I order books still! Most of the time indie bookshops do not have what you ask for because they are small and they have curated selections that they hope are more interesting than the chain and supermarket fodder or what Amazon presents you with unless you know exactly what you are looking for. With millions of books published each year, it isn't possible for one shop, no matter how big, to stock more than a tiny percentage of them.

Because of Amazon and Kindle indie bookshops tend to stay away from bestsellers as more than just a few - exception: the airport - and it is bestsellers people tend to ask for. But they want to pay Amazon prices. No bricks & mortar business can do that.

I would pay normal prices in and indie bookshop if they ever bothered to offer to order stuff for me. But they stopped doing that years ago. Now I just order off the internet. Bookshop (new and used) purchases tend to be impulse buys.

Beth wrote: "Now that I live where there are decent independent bookstores, I prefer to buy local. Mostly I go in with a title in mind. Good to know that conversations with customers are welcomed. I always figu..."

Sounds like paradise for bookshop owners. I might live in the tropics, but my comparison it's a desert. Never too busy to chat to customers.

I tend to just want to read some pages from the middle of the book to sample it. I don't really talk to the clerk unless they comment on the book (i.e "I love that book"). If they are just asking if I need help, I don't usually want it.

7jane wrote: "At the moment, when I go to my bookshop of choice, I prefer to be left alone... I usually don't need to ask anything. 8)"

Do you have a lot of indie bookshops in Finland?

I like to be left alone but I cringe when I see people with bad books.

I prefer to be left alone to browse. I don’t like striking casual conversations with complete strangers while I’m trying to shop, and will ask for help if needed. But otherwise the immediate attention from the salesperson (other than hello, or a nod or whichever way they would acknowledge your presence) makes me feel like I either need to buy something quick or get out because they don’t feel comfortable with me just browsing there.

Al wrote: "Interesting question. I would answer be left alone but in small shops, those conversations are usually great so I would definitely welcome if"

I like talking books in real life to customers.

I want to start out alone, browsing, but usually I end up chatting up the staff, sooner or later.

Cecily wrote: "I prefer to be left alone to decide, partly because in most cases I'd feel awkward starting, or maybe even picking up such a conversation. However, it never occurred to me that the staff might like it..."

The staff may not. But the bookshop owner probably will. After all they got into it as book addicts rather than thinking it was going to make them millionaires. I like it when customers get into talking books to each other as well.

I love browsing (who knows what you may find and I am happy to spend hours looking), but if looking for something specific, I will ask.

Petra bf coming to the island today-best behavior! wrote: "7jane wrote: "At the moment, when I go to my bookshop of choice, I prefer to be left alone... I usually don't need to ask anything. 8)"

Do you have a lot of indie bookshops in Finland?"

A few, I think. One of them is called Sammakko (the Frog), that I know of. :)

Maybe next time I'm at a bookstore, I'll try to discuss books with fellow customers. Just to see what happens

Unfortunately I don't remember other customers nearby when I browsed for books, but that is okay because I enjoy browsing alone.

Other than the initial greeting, I prefer to be left alone to browse. From working in retail, I don't get too fussed when they check in with me multiple times (or if multiple employees end up talking to you), but in general I'd prefer to be left to wander.

I'm at the point now, where I'm not necessarily looking for anything specific. Rather, I like to let the books pop out at me.

Left alone to browse, though when I enter I already know exactly what I'm looking for

Shawnie wrote: "I like to be greeted and asked if I'm looking for anything in particular or what I'm in the mood for. Depending on my mood, I'd probably also like to discuss books or my favorite last reads."

An ideal customer.... come and shop by me!

Boadicea wrote: "My recent 2000km road trip was specifically planned to include a second hand bookshop advertising an extensive collection of pre-electronic media authors. .."

That's really great! I think print books will become collectors' items and worth money in not that many years. Especially hardback signed copies.

Petra see you next week, living life this one! wrote: "... I think print books will become collectors' items and worth money in not that many years. Especially hardback signed copies."

You're the expert in the book trade, but in my albeit limited and unscientific experience, authors are doing way more book signings these day: not just the big book festivals like Hay-on-Wye and prestige bookshops like Foyles, but touring small bookshops and doing speaking tours in small theatres. Unless they're really famous, or likely to be, I don't bother about getting a signed copy, because they seem so common. I find them in second-had shops, too.

We have an indie bookshop that gets big (and small) authors to do signings. It's awesome because the crowds are relatively small.