What Makes A Good Bookstore?

The definition of what makes a bookstore is always changing. It used to be the vintage atmosphere of an old store with books lining each wall, a maze constructed by novels many have never even heard of. A charming environment where books find their forever homes.

In recent decades though, bookstores have become much more than that. They’ve become the crisp, clean walls of an Indigo, and the digital, seemingly endless webpages of the BookOutlet website. Amazon even has a significant amount of books!

The definition of what makes a good bookstore is always changing. My goal for today is to look at a few factors that can provide insight into a possible answer. Will buying books from Amazon be our future? Will indie book stores steal the spotlight? What will Indigo become?

PHOTO BY ASHLEY BYRD ON UNSPLASH

Environment

There’s no better feeling than finding an awesome book in a bookstore and being able to take a seat and read it. What makes this better is being in an amazing environment. When somebody buys a book online, they can always choose their own reading location, but that just isn’t on the same level as being inside an actual bookstore.

Indigo, before they decided to rebrand, fit this category well. Store color schemes had warmer tones, and there was more wooden furniture. It felt like home! Now, Indigo stores have colder colors and the decor is much fancier. It’s not as welcoming. Indie bookstores, on the other hand, are well known for their warmer and cozier environments. As somebody who has worked retail, I can say confidently that customers almost always prefer this kind of environment. 

Employee Interactions

On the topic of working retail, I can also safely say that the happiest customers are those who have had a great experience with store employees. Stores like Indigo and indie bookstores always have amazing, talkative employees who are genuinely passionate about books. 

Online stores like Amazon and BookOutlet? Not so much. You’re simply met with a website and there’s no genuine human interaction if you have any questions.

Price

Price, regardless of what a person is purchasing, is always a very important factor. Everybody wants a good deal! From my experience, the best prices for books are at indie bookstores or on websites like Amazon and BookOutlet. Additionally, when it comes to indie bookstores, shoppers also get to know that their money is going towards a small business, rather than a corporation!

PHOTO BY JESSICA RUSCELLO ON UNSPLASH

Indigo on the other hand isn’t exactly well known for low prices. There’s the occasional good deal on a paperback, but even then that isn’t always the case: and hardcovers cost even more, going for at least $30 each. When somebody shops at Indigo, every purchase is almost always an expensive one. It’s also supporting a big corporation, rather than a small local business like most indie bookstores!

So…. Which Kind Of Bookstore Is The Best?

With the question of what makes a good bookstore answered, I think it’s necessary to highlight which kind of bookstore is the best. Thus, based on the answer, it’s safe to say that indie bookstores are the best kind because of the fact that their attributes align the most with the categories discussed.

According to this article by the Washington Post, “ninety-two percent of small businesses say they have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus,” which just puts into perspective the difficulties that small businesses like indie bookstores face. Small businesses are always at a disadvantage due to chain stores and large corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and even Indigo. 

Now more than ever, it’s incredibly important that everybody supports small businesses: and in regards to bookstores, this means that it’s vital for everybody to show indie bookstores their support. After all, they are the best kind of bookstore!

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Emily Aalders

Emily Aalders is a Professional Writing student at Algonquin College. When she’s not writing, Emily can be found reading and spending all of her money on overpriced coffee. After she graduates from Algonquin College, Emily hopes to be an author.

What's the Next Big YA Trend?

Perhaps more so than other age categories like Adult and Middle-grade, YA has been influenced by sweeping trends. One subgenre dominates the scene for a few years before it fades away, making space for the next big thing.

It’s clear to see that the last few years have been dominated by High Fantasy books led by characters who are often thieves, assassins, or otherwise morally grey. Books like Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology are massive successes from this niche.

But the fatigue is starting to set in. Dozens and dozens of books that fit this premise are released every year. The long and noun-heavy titles are becoming a meme, and readers are wanting something new and fresh for their next book.

The only question is, what is going to replace morally-grey high fantasy? That is what writers, publishers, and agents are all wondering. 

The Shape of Water

The movie about the fish guy that won a lot of awards. Also, a great representation of the “Monster Boyfriend” idea. Retrieved from Wikipedia.

And I think I have the answer for you in two simple words: Monster Boyfriend.

What the Hell Are You Talking About Corrin

 That’s a fair question, dear reader.

Essentially, “Monster Boyfriend” stories centre around⁠—or at least prominently feature⁠—a romance between a relatively normal humanoid and some kind of sentient monster. A great example would be the relationship in The Shape of Water between Elisa and the Amphibian Man. The Amphibian Man is traditionally “monstrous,” but it isn’t a real issue for Elisa and the pair share a romantic bond.

Now, some of you may be thinking:

“Hey, isn’t this just those paranormal novels that were all the rage in the late 2000s?”

To which I would say, yes⁠—but with some differences. That similarity, however, is a big reason I think the “Monster Boyfriend” surge is just on the horizon.

It All Comes Back to Twilight

In case you live under a rock, Twilight is a book series by Stephanie Meyer about a teenage girl falling in love with a vampire. It ignited the paranormal romance boom, and the popularity of said boom didn’t survive long after the Twilight saga released its final movie.

What didn’t die with the end of Twilight was the hate for Twilight. It was one of the internet’s very first punching bags, right up there with prepubescent Justin Bieber. Most criticisms decried it for being girly, boring, and stupid. In the late 2000s, one of the most embarrassing things you could have been was a Twilight fan.

Twilight

Be honest, you hadn’t actually read the book when you were dunking on it in 2011. Book cover designed by Gail Doobinin and retrieved from Wikipedia.

In more recent years, opinions have started changing. There’s been something of a “Twilight Renaissance” with readers openly admitting to enjoying the series. People celebrate and meme about the parts of Twilight they love while also levying actual criticism of the saga⁠: like Meyer’s inappropriate fictionalization of the Quileute Tribe.

This Twilight resurgence is a huge part of why I think the next YA trend is heading in such a paranormal direction.

The Rise of the Monster Boyfriend

It’s not controversial to say these past few years have been turbulent. But many people have faced that uncertainty by submerging themselves in nostalgia. The Twilight renaissance has proved people are ready to return to that series, and I bet many of them would be keen on reading other books like it. In fact, there is already an established community online for lovers of human and monster romance.

So 2022 will give us the return of paranormal romance, but with a modern twist. The esoteric love interests won’t be the same vampires we’ve seen so much of, but instead, a wide range of monsters will get their time to shine. Fish people! Demons! Aliens! Werewolves who actually get the girl! New monsters entirely conjured from the author’s imagination!

Not only that but there will be diversity in the relationships themselves too. That aforementioned established fanbase is predominantly queer. They will not settle for the same cishet girl meets cishet boy plotlines that permeated the late 2000s. Instead, we’ll see #ownvoices books with POC leads, trans characters, and gay relationships. It will be paranormal but more conscious of its readers and characters. And it will, of course, be much more monstrous.

That, dear reader, is where I think YA is going next.

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Corrin Lewis

Corrin first picked up a book when she was three years old and hasn’t stopped reading since. She’s a 2nd-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program and hopes to publish a novel of her own one day. Her favourite way to waste time is by playing video games.