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Back in 2011, a lady on ŷ������, who was concerned about the need to support physical bookstores in order to keep them open and preserve all the benefits they provide, challenged the rest of us to buy at least two books (new ones, not used) per year from a brick-and-mortar store. I've met that challenge every year from 2011 on, and I've met it for 2016, having already bought two books so far (as presents for my wife). Maybe some others would be interested in taking up this challenge as well?

I love this idea! I can definitely commit to this. Even better to choose an independent book store.

Deb wrote: "I love this idea! I can definitely commit to this. Even better to choose an independent book store."

Deb, I completely agree! (The one I support is the locally-owned Hearthside Books in Bluefield, WV).

Here's an interesting and encouraging article on independent bookstores, from a blog called the Passive Voice, which one of my ŷ������ friends regularly reads: .

This past Monday, I was saddened to learn that the local bookstore, Hearthside Books, will be closing its doors for good on Feb. 18. :-( I've shopped there since at least 2004 (they were the only bookstore I could find, besides Bluefield College's, that was willing to carry my book!). According to the newspaper article, they just didn't have enough business to sustain the store, so it's a graphic reminder of how important it is to support bookstores while we have them. (Now, I'll have to go further afield to find one to support.)

Sorry to hear about your local store, Warner. As you say, another reminder to support the stores we want to have. I've thought of your post several times since you first put it up and have definitely included indie bookstores in my shopping plans.

Deb wrote: "I've thought of your post several times since you first put it up and have definitely included indie bookstores in my shopping plans."

Glad to hear that, Deb!

The real challenge for my location is that there are few (one that I know of and it's two towns away) independent book stores. That noted, I do attend readings and signings by local authors and buy a book or two when I do.

Joseph wrote: "...I do attend readings and signings by local authors and buy a book or two when I do."

And (speaking as a writer myself), I know those authors really appreciate that, Joseph!

Werner wrote: And (speaking as a writer myself), I know those authors really appreciate that, Joseph!"

Thanks for the nod, Werner. A fellow local author, Dale Phillips, does quite a few and does well by them (I think he teaches writing workshops, too). I'm not convinced it's a reasonable outlet for what I write (Joseph Carrabis), though. To that end, any suggestions for getting my name and books out there would be greatly appreciated. I've got great reviews on Amazon and would love to turn those great reviews, et cetera, into sales.

Joseph wrote: "any suggestions for getting my name and books out there would be greatly appreciated."

Unfortunately, my sales don't amount to more than a few dollars worth of royalties every quarter; so I'm obviously not someone who's qualified to offer you any worthwhile marketing suggestions! But if you ever run across any, be sure to pass them on. :-)

The closing of our local home-owned bookstore earlier this year made it harder for me to fulfill my goal of supporting a brick-and-mortar store this time around. But there's a chain bookstore in the Mercer Mall (located out in the country, between Bluefield WV and Princeton, the county seat), and this weekend, I finally got out there for some shopping. I fulfilled my two-book purchase commitment (for myself, this time!), and was pleased to see that the store was pretty busy with shoppers.

Sorry to hear about your local bookstore, Werner. Yay for completing your buying challenge! I completed my challenge on a trip to Utah with my sister. I also recently challenged myself to buy more books at full retail and to buy more diverse voices. On to 2018!

Deb wrote: "Sorry to hear about your local bookstore, Werner. Yay for completing your buying challenge! I completed my challenge on a trip to Utah with my sister. I also recently challenged myself to buy more ..."

Sounds great, Deb. Yes, on to 2018!

My bookstore-supporting challenge really had to wait until nearly the last minute this year; but I fulfilled it this morning, again at the bookstore in the mall. I was glad to see that once again, they were doing a brisk business!

Hurray! I fulfilled my challenge, too. Here's to more book buying in 2019!

Deb wrote: "Hurray! I fulfilled my challenge, too. Here's to more book buying in 2019!"

I'll drink to that! (With root beer, of course. :-) )

We supported our local bookstore by buying our granddaughter a copy of How the Grinch stole Christmas-- for Christmas.

Rosemarie wrote: "We supported our local bookstore by buying our granddaughter a copy of How the Grinch stole Christmas-- for Christmas."

Nice! I love that book. Hope she does, too!

She asked for it for Christmas. She is turning three in April and already has a large collection of picture books.

Cool. I've noticed that those of us who read are quick to give books as gifts. I mean, what better gift is there? My grandson turns three in January, and he also has many books. Happy reading to all!

Barb and I gifted our grandkids with books this Christmas, too. I agree --"what better gift is there?"

There is no greater gift than a book for Christmas. Used to love getting B Dalton Booksellers gift certificates for Christmas when I was a kid. Though B Dalton wasn’t an independent bookseller, it meant the world to me at the time. Bookstores and libraries are my two favorite haunts.

I remember B Dalton, too! B Dalton stores used to be in every mall--back when many more people were reading.

I grew up in the Midwest in the 70s and 80s, Deb. B Daltons were a staple at just about every mall I remember in those times. It is a shame people don’t read more these days. I’m always happy to connect with people who can appreciate good books and stories.

I still love buying books. I've gotten at least 20 in the past few months. 👍😊 There's nothing better...

Most of my book purchases are e-books thru Amazon routed to my kindle app. If I enjoy an e-book enough, I’ll purchase the hardcover and add it to my collection. It is comforting to know there are still plenty of bibliophiles out there. 🤓

The nearest bookstore is a B&N thirty miles away. I could shop there, but they don't sell the fiction I want to read, I'm too far out of mainstream tastes. So I shop the second hand stores and used book sales in our area, and buy the more obscure titles from Amazon booksellers.

I like to buy books through since it's hard for me to make it into the store. It makes it easy to support the bookstore without putting on pants.

Thanks for sharing the link, A. O.! For those who (like me, until I checked out the link) aren't familiar with Indiebound, it's an online community of independent local bookstores. I think it's a great idea!

Once again, I've recently met the challenge to support brick-and-mortar bookstores by buying at least two brand-new books a year in one! This year, I didn't leave it until the last days of December. :-)

I'm glad to say that I've once again fulfilled the challenge to buy at least two books a year from a physical bookstore! Though this year, as we've come down to the last week of December, it was, as some British Goodreaders might say, a bit of a close-run thing. :-)

Since I've accumulated so many piles of unread physical books by now, which are greatly backlogged, and I'm running short on space to put books, I decided not to buy books for myself to fulfill the challenge this year. So instead, I bought two books to donate to the Bluefield University library, where I work. (Barb and I also bought several books as Christmas gifts for family members; so the clerks at our local bookstore were probably pretty glad to see us coming. :-) )

In most years, I wind up waiting until very late in the year (and sometimes after Christmas!) to complete this challenge. This year, though, I've been much more on the ball; I picked up two books for myself at the bookstore in our local mall over the weekend. So, I've fulfilled the challenge for another year; and I hope others in the group will be able to join me before the year is out!

Yesterday, while I was at our local mall, I visited the Books-a-Million (BAM) outlet, and bought myself two books. One is New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (to the Bible), which replaces an older edition I've owned for 40 years, that was literally fallen apart. The other is a story collection, American Midnight: Tales of the Dark. So I've fulfilled my challenge to support physical bookstores for another year!

It usually takes me until late December to complete my "support bookstores" challenge in any given year. But having won a $25.00 Barnes and Noble gift card earlier this month through the wellness program where I work, and being in Harrisonburg, Virginia (which is home to a large brick-and-mortar Barnes and Noble bookstore) last week, I took the opportunity to redeem it. With that deduction, it didn't cost me much to buy copies of the anthology Golden Age Detective Stories, and of Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse.