I love bookstores too. I've heard of Strand in Bangalore as a magical place. There was a place near Union Square in New York that was incredible as well. There was a basement where there was a crazy collection of second-hand books. What joy.
And you're right about Crossword. There's something magical about a store attendant who knows the books and loves the books. That's just not there at Crossword. This is the same sentiment you find in You've Got Mail. Maybe a little bit of it in Notting Hill.
Above all, I think it is a question of curation. Most chain bookshops today just put up the latest hot titles up front. Sure, there's some value to that. But when you enter a physical bookstore, I guess you're looking for serendipity. In the absence of good ones, I've begun to rely more and more on ChatGPT. Here's a link to a conversation I had with it when trying to find something nice to read:
Thanks for reading, Parijat! Specifically, apart from a knowledgeable attendant, many stores here seem to have handwritten notes on shelves. Kind of like a staff recommendation of sorts. It's a small detail, but it really makes the process a lot more interactive. And yes, of course, curation, like you said!
I love bookstores too. I've heard of Strand in Bangalore as a magical place. There was a place near Union Square in New York that was incredible as well. There was a basement where there was a crazy collection of second-hand books. What joy.
And you're right about Crossword. There's something magical about a store attendant who knows the books and loves the books. That's just not there at Crossword. This is the same sentiment you find in You've Got Mail. Maybe a little bit of it in Notting Hill.
Above all, I think it is a question of curation. Most chain bookshops today just put up the latest hot titles up front. Sure, there's some value to that. But when you enter a physical bookstore, I guess you're looking for serendipity. In the absence of good ones, I've begun to rely more and more on ChatGPT. Here's a link to a conversation I had with it when trying to find something nice to read:
https://chatgpt.com/share/67d7138f-4404-800e-8d1f-9964e8f71cc0
Thanks for reading, Parijat! Specifically, apart from a knowledgeable attendant, many stores here seem to have handwritten notes on shelves. Kind of like a staff recommendation of sorts. It's a small detail, but it really makes the process a lot more interactive. And yes, of course, curation, like you said!