The last few days of holiday shopping are here, and you're rushing to buy something, anything, for the last names on your gift list. Here are 6 reasons to head to your local independent bookstore for last-minute gifts.
Get it now. No paying extra for overnight shipping. Forget giving them a picture of their gift and a promise that it'll arrive soon. Instant gratification is just one of the benefits of shopping at your local independent bookstore.
Avoid the mall. Skip the crowds, the long lines, the harried clerks, and that maddening holiday music loop. Find an indie bookstore in your neighborhood at http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder.
Ask an elf. Don't know what to get your 12 year-old niece? The folks at your local independent bookstore do. They live and love books, and pride themselves on making suggestions that go way beyond this week's bestsellers table.
Great gifts at any budget. Books are some of the best value out there. You'll find great gifts at every price, from stocking stuffers to jaw-droppers. Remember to browse the used shelves, too -- you can find treasures in great condition.
Make it personal. Introduce a friend to the series you couldn't put down. Give the recent graduate the cookbook that got you through your twenties. Give the new mom the one storybook that always got your kids to sleep -- or call her parents and give her the ones she loved as a child.
A gift for your community. Independent bookstores are hurting. If you love them -- the smell of books, the hours you can spend browsing, the employees who remember you and introduce you to titles you never would have found on your own, the sprung couch and resident cat and all the rest of the things you won't find on Amazon.com or in a chain store -- and if you want to keep them alive in your community, buy a few of your presents at your local independent bookstore this season.
Thoughts? Recommendations? Stories of favorite bookstores? Please comment below.
Find an indie bookstore in your neighborhood at http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
21 December 2009
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Give the gift of a book you love and pair it with a date to talk about the book with your recipient over coffee, lunch or dinner -- it will make the gift more meaningful for both of you.
ReplyDeleteNice suggestions, Claire. Thanks.