Grab a book, pull up a chair, and enjoy an overpriced cuppa coffee.
Jun 17 '00
One of my favorite places to shop for books is Barnes and Noble. The atmosphere is what pushes me to come back. I spend a lot of time in Barnes and Noble bookstores. I love to sit in the cafe and read or write.
How the love affair began
I discovered Barnes and Noble 3 years ago. I needed a book that I had trouble located. I had looked in B. Dalton and Waldenbooks. Neither had the book and ordering would take up to six weeks. My dad suggested Barnes and Noble, which was new in the area at that time. It was love at first site. This particular store is two floors. Each floor is the size of a small supermarket. I had never seen such a large bookstore. The only thing that came close was the library in downtown Philadelphia. They had the book I needed, in stock. I have been a regular customer since then.
The store
I frequent three Barnes and Noble stores in my area. Each is a different size. We have the two-story one that I previously mentioned. The other two only have one floor. Barnes and Noble stores are usually quite large. There is one in my region that has three floors. I have yet to visit it since's it's a bit of a drive.
The decorum is done in shades of green and brown. Bookshelves are neatly arranged throughout the store. It's not cluttered. There are big fluffy couches placed all over the store so you can plop down with your selection. Thee is also a store directory so you can easily locate the section(s) you are interested in.
Most of the stores have a cafe, a children's section, a music section, a magazine section and a gift section.
The children's section is named "Barnes and Noble Junior." It's brightly decorated with images of popular children's book characters such as Dr. Seuss and Curious George. There is a small stage where they have story-telling and other performances. The area around the stage is decorated with children's artwork. It's quite a popular area. During one of their many children's events, the area is loaded with dozens of kids.
I rarely go into the music section. It's like any other music store with CD's and cassettes. I can usually find cheaper music and a better selection at Tower Records.
Barnes and Noble has one of the best magazine selections. It carries a large variety of magazines from both the United States and overseas. This is the only place that I can find three of the four dance magazines that I read (and the fourth is available by subscription only). They have an enormous selection of bridal magazines, which keeps me happy. They also have newspapers from major U.S. and European cities. The magazine section is usually equipped with benches where you can sit and flip through your selections.
The gift section has a wide variety of cards, postcards, bookmarks, bookplates and stationary. The cards are quite lovely. During the holiday season, they have hundreds of boxed cards. The holiday cards they sell are beautiful and I usually end up buying quite a few boxes. They also sell Calendars around the New Year. They have a nice selection of journals and address books. I have bought a few for myself and as gifts. In addition to this, they also sell bookends, booklights, wrapping paper (a lot during the holidays), reading glasses, specialty stationary and photo albums. It's easy to find a nice gift in this little section.
The cafe is where I spend most of my time here. The cafes are large, but they can become a bit too crowded during busy times. They offer a good-sized selection of specialty coffees (Starbucks blend), teas, beverages, baked goods and soups. The prices are a bit high, though. My favorite drink, a regular sized Cafe' Mocha is $2.86 (after tax). A regular coffee is $1.35. Tea is $1.00. A bowl of soup will cost you about $2.50. Their bakery consists of sandwiches, croissants, bagels, muffins, cookies, and cakes. The prices are too high for my taste. I only splurge on those mochas. Once in awhile, I treat myself(translation: Fiance' buys it) to a bowl of soup and a croissant.
You can always find me in the cafe with a stack of books on my table. I love to sit here and read or write. In the past months, I have spent many an hour here pouring through countless bridal magazines (I'll trash half of them in later reviews). When school is in session, you'll find me studying or doing my homework in the cafe. I'm not the only one. Barnes and Noble cafes seem to be a magnet for students. For me, the atmosphere seems to help me study better and get through my homework. You'll also see quite a few people typing away on their laptops. My fiance' loves to relax in the cafe as well. He always has a stack of poetry books next to him and a pen in his hand. Most of my Epinions were penned in a Barnes and Noble cafe. Yes, I'm a dork and I make rough copies of my reviews.
Events
Barnes and Noble hosts a variety of free events each month. My fiance' and I enjoy the poetry readers they hold. Poetry readings are open mic, so anyone can participate. My fiance' enjoys reading his work to a captive audience. Musicians come to play and sell their music several times a month. they even had a "Scottish Day" at one point, which totally tickled my tartan. They had Scottish music, storytelling, dancing. they had a chef who taught the audience how to make shortbread.
Authors come here to discuss their work and sign books. There are countless book discussions for both children and adults. Each month, they publish a free calendar which details the events for that particular month. I thoroughly enjoy these events. It's a great way to meet people, make new friends and enjoy entertainment.
Downsides
One downside to Barnes and Noble are the prices. Their books aren't overpriced, but they aren't exactly competitive. You can find better deals online. They do have a nice bargain section, though. I have found many gems in this section.
I've also had my share of snooty salespeople. This is the exception, not the rule, but it deserves mention. The people in the cafe know I come there a lot. They are usually very friendly and will strike up a conversation. However, we had one boy who acted so put out whenever we'd walk in. It was as if our constant presence offended him. He would say, "you're here again?" in a rather snooty tone. I once overheard him making fun of the fact that I was there so often. HELLO! I'm a paying customer. If I want to come there 7 days a week (I don't) and sit there from open to close, I will. You're not getting paid to judge me. Anyway, after his rude behavior continued, I called a manager and explained the situation. She was apologetic and promised that it wouldn't happen again. Things were fine after that.
Conclusion
As you can see, I have a deep love affair with Barnes and Noble. I love the selection they offer. The cafe is a great place to relax or exercise the old brain. The free events are thoroughly entertaining and provide a nice alternative to the usual movie theater routine. I always recommend Barnes and Noble to my friends.
In case you're wondering, this editorial was originally written in a Barnes and Noble cafe, with a piping hot mocha at my side.
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Epinions.com ID:
MikesCelticLuv
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Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 92 members
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"The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth." Chief Seattle.
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