Where do you buy your books?

[Shannon Yarbrough]

In this day and age of technology, the internet has just about killed the bookstore. The closest bookstore to me here in St. Louis is a Borders, so I'm just as guilty about buying online. I usually use Amazon or QPB. I'd love to have an indie store nearby, but the closest is all the way in the city, a good 40 minutes from where I live. It's hard to avoid Amazon because we use it as a resourceful tool everyday where I work.

So, where are your favorite places to buy books?

[Jim McDonough]

I buy most of my books through TLA, which is the affiliate program used here on the site. They sell mainly queer books. When I'm looking for mainstream stuff I go to Borders which is the closest place to me.

We have a couple of indie bookstores where I live but both are in parts of town I usually don't frequent. Neither of them stock queer books so I don't go out of my way to go to them.

I also tend to buy a lot of books when I travel. I prefer not buying books online so if I'm somewhere there are some decent indie bookstores I stock up and ship them or drag them with me depending on how I'm traveling.

[SJ Powers]

I try to buy books at Women and Children First book store in Chicago - 5233 N. Clark St. It's a small, independently owned bookstore that's been around quite a long time, and the owners - and a section of the store - is queer. They also hold readings for Pride Week. There's one coming up June 24, at 7pm. It's their Annual Pride Open Mic night, and if you want to read, you have to call (773-769-9299) and sign up. Needs to be only one page, not over 300 words, however. Achy Obejas, Carol Anshaw, Gregg Shapiro and many others will be there for Open Mic night. If you live in or around the city, come check it out.

[Amos Lassen]

I'm very lucky in that publishers and authors send me their books so I don't buy many but when I do I go to Barnes and Noble in Little Rock where I get a nice discount. B and N also works with the Arkansas Literary Festival which makes it nice. I also occasssionally order from Amazon and TLA for those non-mainstream items.

[Jeffrey Round]

One of the best places to buy queer books in Toronto is GLAD DAY BOOKSHOP, which is a sister store to the Boston GLAD DAY. Another popular indie store in the heart of the gay village (but moving as I write) is THIS AIN'T THE ROSEDALE LIBRARY. Otherwise, being a card-carrying member of the Starving Class, I buy most of my books at second-hand stores where I find a remarkable assortment of titles.

[Lara Zielinsky]

I buy through Starcrossed Productions, http://www.scp-inc.biz, a GLBT distributor online, so at least the money is going to the an entity in the community at large.

I also buy at the online portals of nearby indies, like Wild Iris Books. The physical store is located in Gainesville, Florida. or Now Voyager Books physically located in P-town.

Many stores now have online portals, so you could check on that, and support the indie closest to you.

[Shannon Yarbrough]

My new found love is a place called The Book House which I discovered by accident while researching my own book promoting campaign. Turns out it's about 10 miles from my house, so I went there last Saturday to check it out. WOW! It's in an old house that is supposedly haunted by 3 ghosts...with wall to wall, ceiling to floor, three stories of shelves of new and old books. I was in heaven, and completely overwhelmed. I could have spent all day there, but ended up only spending 77 dollars.

Here's their website.

If you are ever in St. Louis, MO, check it out!