Surviving Amazon

A few weeks ago, I put the word out to my travel buddies asking for names of not-to-be-missed independent bookstores in their hometowns, or wherever they have traveled. I received a few suggestions, mostly from the western U.S. and most of those well-known, i.e. Powell's in Portland, Oregon. In the category of there are no new ideas, at about the same time, a friend sent me a link to a survey by CNN of the world's coolest bookstores. On the CNN list is, of course, Powell's in Portland. And many more, in places I would not have thought. The story of how and why some brick and mortar stores continue to exist and are thriving, is an interesting read, too.

In the meantime, I did find one on my own--in Pendelton, Oregon. I especially liked the neon...