I miss browsing libraries and book stores

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I hated going to libraries and book stores. I only went because that's where the books were. Now the books are everywhere and I can browse as mainstream/niche/genre/literature as I like; from my armchair, my porch, my bed, the break-room--wherever. I couldn't be happier.

I could not be more different. I loved going to Libraries and book stores, especially second hand book stores. I could never walk past a book store unless it was closed and my idea of heaven is the 'Library of Babel" except my version of the library would have a perfect index and a delivery service to bring requested books to you. The library would also be part of "Eternicon" an eternal science fiction convention in the afterlife and would have a many doors between the library and the rest of Eternicon. Books. food and accomodation would of course be free.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

and my idea of heaven is the 'Library of Babel" except my version of the library would have a perfect index and a delivery service to bring requested books to you.

I already have that. It's called the internet (ok, ok... the index is hardly perfect, but the delivery service more than makes up for it).

The physical acquisition process adds nothing to my reading experience. In fact, it wastes time that I could be using for reading; my absolute favorite book-related activity.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I hated going to libraries and book stores. I only went because that's where the books were. Now the books are everywhere and I can browse as mainstream/niche/genre/literature as I like; from my armchair, my porch, my bed, the break-room--wherever. I couldn't be happier.

Do you have any particular sites you find good for browsing, to avoid the kind of experience the OP was complaining about (i.e. having to scroll past many listings of every book in a series) ?

[Alohamora]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Amazon works fine for me there. I'll look up a book and the "Customers who viewed this item also viewed" and "Inspired by your browsing history" sections can lead me down a rabbit hole similar to what I used to experience at a book store.

I used to resent Amazon tracking my browsing and purchases, but they do such a good job of making interesting suggestions that I've gotten over it.

If they could only do a better job of presenting series books in correct reading order....

[darryl]

To the OP. What on earth is the point of your post? A visit to Amazon or most online bookstores is to me far superior to a visit to any physical bookstore I have ever graced with my presence. But I appreciate that some others feel differently.

But why would an online store seek to mimic the inferior physical bookstore experience? What would it have to do? Firstly, it would have to cut availability dramatically. Then, perhaps we could have a VR walk-through of virtual shelves with this limited collection displayed in whatever perverse order bookshops used. Perhaps you could select from random, alphabetical, or perhaps dewey decimal. Perhaps for the more authentic experience you could empty your vacuum cleaner and spread a little dust around, or maybe put your computer in a mildewed corner of the bathroom.

If you are in a country area you may no longer have a local bookstore, but last I heard there were usually libraries in most places. These are the places that give you the experience you wax lyrical about. Why on earth are you missing out? If because of illness or other medical reasons you have my commiserations. Otherwise, get yourself to the local libraries and bookstores and stop complaining.

[dordale]

I still go in to book stores and libraries and browse--don't do much buying or checking out books any more, but I do get ideas this way.

One online site I like to "browse" for books on is www.fantasticfiction.com . As the name implies, this only works for fiction books. It gives an alphabetic listing of authors--you can click on an author's name to see all their books. You can also narrow your search to specific fiction genres. I find the site very valuable for figuring out which book is the next book in a series I'm reading.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by Alohamora

I used to resent Amazon tracking my browsing and purchases, but they do such a good job of making interesting suggestions that I've gotten over it.

If they could only do a better job of presenting series books in correct reading order....

Alohamora--as I mentioned in my above post, www.fantasticfiction.com does a great job of listing series in order.

Another site I use for tracking where I'm at in series is www.fictfact.com. This site allows you to track where you are in a series by marking books as read and you can see a list of your next books in all the series you mark as "following".

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by dordale

Alohamora--as I mentioned in my above post, www.fantasticfiction.com does a great job of listing series in order.

Indeed. It's been my "go to" site for series information for many years.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I hated going to libraries and book stores. I only went because that's where the books were. Now the books are everywhere and I can browse as mainstream/niche/genre/literature as I like; from my armchair, my porch, my bed, the break-room--wherever. I couldn't be happier.

If the internet makes you happy. fine. It certainly supplies me with a lot of interest.

The library of Babel however contains not only every book that has been written but every book that it is possible to write so I think it has the edge on its textual content. That is why I would want it in the afterlife as only then would I have the time to do it justice.

With regard to Science Fiction books I could also nip into Eternicon and talk to the author about a book I was reading/had read.

[steven168]

now is elibraries and ebook stores

https://www.overdrive.com/explore

https://www.overdrive.com/collection...es-bestsellers

[darryl]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

The library of Babel however contains not only every book that has been written but every book that it is possible to write so I think it has the edge on its textual content.

But just think of the Discovery Problems!

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by darryl

But just think of the Discovery Problems!

Too true. There are rooms where all the books differ by only one character. Hence my specifying a perfect index and delivery service.

[HarryT]

This would seem to be of little help to the OP.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Do you have any particular sites you find good for browsing, to avoid the kind of experience the OP was complaining about (i.e. having to scroll past many listings of every book in a series) ?

Not really, no. I use them all. But then I don't find flicking the scroll wheel (or flinging the touch screen) past stuff I'm not interested in all that onerous.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

Too true. There are rooms where all the books differ by only one character. Hence my specifying a perfect index and delivery service.

A must, given that presumably there are infinite numbers of books of random characters typed by the infinite number of monkeys hitting random keys which would need to be at least readily identified or preferably excluded altogether.