Bye Bye Borders?

Hate to say it, but I remember when Borders built its big store in Torrance and we all thought, how can a book store possibly sell enough to pay for that chunk o' real estate?

But then we began meeting for coffee and listening to acoustic concerts, getting books signed by the author, joining in group discussions, and in general abandoning the old, dusty stores where we'd prowled for used books for years. Borders seduced us with flirtations and lattes and songs . . .

Amazon pushed them out of business, but I can't help wondering--will this possibly bring back a few old dusty bookstores?

So many are gone--Either/Or in Hermosa, Acres of Books in Long Beach. Others remain, slightly changed: Book Soup and Vromans come to mind.

Many little coffee shops (Catalina Coffee in Redondo Beach is a perfect example--the owner posted this picture at right) have added shelves of used books over the years. Along with comfy, cushioned chairs and sofas, the books contribute to the feel of lounging a big living room. Friends and couples gather there. Kids meeet for study groups.

Maybe we can survive losing the neighborhood Borders.

FYI, the Wall Street Journal has posted a list of all the stores that are closing. Click on a column (like STATE) to sort the list alphabetically.

I expected to find Montclair and Rolling Hills on there and maybe Long Beach (both Bellflower Blvd and Pine)--but Glendale, the Santa Monica Blvd. store in LA, Cerritos, Pasadena?

My old favorite, Torrance, remains. But with the company in bankruptcy, and some publishers not shipping to them due to unpaid bills--for how long?