Walkin’ the Walk

Book Review: 1 Teaches 2 Learn A Fish Tale

Walkin’ the Walk

An author who spends one, two, or ten years writing The Great American Novel reasonably wants people to read it. In other words, to buy it. What author doesn’t want to write a bestseller? It’s a worthy aspiration, and who would argue with it? But there is an elephant in the room here, and its name is Amazon.

I’ve always been supportive of local indie bookstores, by word and by deed. I’ve done dozens of book events from coast to coast. Yet, at the same time, my books are on sale on Amazon, indie bookstores’ main behemoth competitor. It has been a mildly uncomfortable balance for me, but one which I convinced myself was an inevitable arrangement to live with, because…well, because that’s just the way things are.

Until now. Last week I read an article in The New Yorker about Danny Caine, the owner of The Raven bookstore in Lawrence, Kansas. A few years ago, I did an event at Danny’s store shortly after the release of my mystery, Spring Break. It’s a small store, on a side street just off the main downtown drag, and it’s jammed with books, nostalgia, two cats, and positive vibes.

In the article, Danny makes a powerful case why America, and not just indie bookstores, would be much better off socially and, yes, economically, if we bought our books from them and not from Amazon. Henceforward, I am going to take his message to heart and will encourage all my readers to make their local independent bookstores their first choice for all their book purchases. The few extra cents it might cost you upfront are an investment in your community which will bring far greater dividends and will bring a much-needed and welcome smile to many more faces than you can imagine.

Amazon will survive very comfortably if they don’t sell many of my books. Thanks to Danny’s article, I realize I can survive very happily without Amazon.

Below is a list of bookstores where I’ve done events over the past years. At some of them it was standing room only. At others only two or three people showed up. But it really didn’t matter because it was human, person-to-person interaction. You talk to people—customers and store staff alike—you shake their hands, you share stories and experiences. You make friends. You can’t get any of that on the Internet. You can’t get that from Amazon.

Sadly, some of the bookstores below have been priced out of business. Please support those who are still willing and more than able to provide you with compassionate, community, informed service. Support them today!

Clues Unlimited, Tucson, AZ

Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ

Tattered Cover Books, Denver, CO

Haslam’s Bookstore, St. Petersburg, FL

Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS

Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

Octavia Books, New Orleans, LA

Trident Booksellers, Boston, MA

The Bookloft, Great Barrington, MA

The Bookstore in Lenox, Lenox, MA

Shaker Mill Books, West Stockbridge, MA

Mystery Loves Company, Oxford MD