RIP Borders Book Stores…What’s Your Favourite Borders Memory?
Monday, July 25, 2011Posted in: Goodbye Borders
In 2005, TTG and I went to Florida for our annual vacation, and one of my fondest memories during that holiday was the feeling that I got when I caught sight of the Borders book store on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, for the very first time. I of course made TTG pull into the store parking lot.
I’m pretty sure TTG didn’t get it, but that homecoming feeling that I experienced when I set foot into the store, was wonderful.
I went straight to the romance section and I literally could have spent all day there.
I remember one of the store assistants, a pretty dark-haired girl, coming over to me and asking if I was OK. I’d been browsing, and had come across an EC print book, which I confess gave me a bit of a thrill at the time, as I’d only seen the e-book versions up to that point. I’m pretty sure it was Promises Keep by Sarah McCarty, but my memory may be faulty on this detail.
I asked the lovely girl what she would recommend and she looked at me, hesitated, then looked at the book I had in my hand, then seemed to make up her mind about something. She led me over to Lisa Valdez’s Passion. I think she’d been assessing me to figure out whether or not I’d be offended by the racy nature of the book, and when she saw the EC book in my hand, she figured it was a pretty safe recommendation.
Needless to say I bought Passion, as well as a load of Shannon Mckenna titles, mainly due to the great store assistant who obviously had a passion for romance books. I remember being beyond impressed at how friendly and super helpful she was. A girl who understood the importance of good customer service.
I recall I glommed at least three Shannon McKenna books that holiday, and fell in love with her assholic heroes, and painfully stupid heroines. Ahhhh, memories.
It’s funny but even now, six years later, I still associate Shannon McKenna books with our Florida trip.
When I think about it now, I realise that even way before the UK stores closed, I’d actually stopped buying as many books from Borders. After all, Amazon was cheaper, and probably more convenient. I can’t help but a feel a bit guilty about that.
I’m so sorry that Borders is no more, they were the first book store I’d come across in England that had a dedicated and up to date romance section, and I loved them for that.
KB/KT Grant
July 25
2:15 am
Before B&N there was Borders. Borders was where I would end up every Saturday when I would go to the my local mall. That was the first store I would go into and spend a good hour at. I would always go right to the new fiction table, where they had the newest paperbacks. One book on that table caught my eye. It was an angel and demon paranormal romance, and one I never really thought I’d be interested in reading. I read the first chapter and right there decided to buy it. I went up to the person behind the information desk and thanked them for showing off new books like this one I decided to buy. The woman said that was what they were here for, to promote new books. We talked for a good 15 minutes where she recommend new books for me to read, not once rolling her eyes or laughing me off when I told her how much I loved reading romance.
That book was Demon Angel by Meljean Brook, the year 2007. Less than 3 years later that Borders would be gone from my mall and left a hole in my heart. From that moment, I barely went to the mall unless I really needed to.
RIP Borders, you will missed in so many ways.
LVLMLeah
July 25
2:49 pm
Back before the internet became a household thing, I used to go to Borders all the time. What I loved most about it was that I could listen to music. It was the only place where you could listen to a whole CD and it was how I’d find new music.
I had a routine every week. I’d walk downtown Seattle, go to the library then hang out in Borders listening to every CD I could. It was the highlight of my week and I looked forward to it. Like a treat. I usually always picked up a new CD and while there a book as well.
When Borders did away with those listening devices for music, I stopped going there as often.
Also my tastes in reading changed and I started buying ebooks from small epubs. And I could taste test new music on Amazon and iTunes, so my reason to go to Borders was gone.
It’s a shame it’s gone, they usually had the books that B&N didn’t and vice versa.