In praise of the independents

Major bookstore chains are great. They really are. But I have to admit that I truly love independent bookstores and always have. I appreciate the fact that the customer service is fantastic, that the folks who work there not only know their products--they actually love the books they sell and have read almost all of them.


One of my all-time favorite bookstores, Mysterious Galaxy, is now actually two bookstores. (Yay and double yay!)

This incredible store, originally located in San Diego and now with a second store in Redondo Beach, boldly touts its theme:

Books of martians, murder, magic, mayhem and more.

Now, you can probably see another reason why I love them so much. They carry my kind of book. I can wander through their store and find exactly what I'm looking for, stuff that some other stores don't carry. This particular independent bookstore has been open for more than eighteen years and this makes me really happy. I love to see independent businesses, not only surviving, but succeeding in today's climate.

So, in honor of the independent bookstore, I encourage you to purchase your next book from your local independent store. Or consider ordering a book online from Mysterious Galaxy. The authors and the bookstore owners will be delighted that you did.