Another one bites the dust...

[felis_ultharus]

So, I went up to the Double Hook on Green Street today. This is an amazing little bookstore -- two floors of nothing but Canadian books, mostly new. The owner is retiring at the end of the month, and closing the bookstore, though. Everything is 70% off, and the shelves are nearly stripped bare. I bought some of textbooks for the upcoming year there, and I think I'll treasure those books.

I've never seen anything like it. It's beautiful, and it's about to die.

A few years ago, we lost L'Androgyne, the city's only queer bookstore. It died due to horrible mismanagement from the new owners. The French mega-chain Renaud-Bray said its branch in the Village would take over with a queer section, but that queer section has dwindled from half a long wall to a small display table. Forget trying to get books by authors like John Boswell there. Won't sell enough to be on the shelf.

And Paragraphe books was bought by evil megacorp Quebecor. I found that out after I ordered Half-Blood Prince from it. So far, their selection isn't bad, but it's usually only a matter of time before these big corporations dwindle to bestsellers only.

I know of only three independent bookstores left in the city that sell new books in English: Argo, and the McGill and Concordia University bookstores. Am I wrong? Have I missed one?

On a happier note, foi_nefaste, when should jenjoou, em_fish, and I gravitate to your house tomorrow?

Comments

[helenseidolon.livejournal.com]

McGill isn't independent. It's been bought and sold by a few companies including Barnes and Noble. It hasn't been run or owned by the university in a while.

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

I guess that brings us down to two, unless there are a few I don't know about :/

I'm hoping there are some I don't know about.

[ubergreenkat.livejournal.com]

i learned tonight that it actually has gone back to being completely owned by mcgill, best friend's neighbour is the manager

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Wow. First time I've ever heard of a corporate-owned bookstore going independent. Now I don't feel so guilty for having spent so much there this year :)

[ubergreenkat.livejournal.com]

there's Babar books (basically a kids bookstore) in on the West Island - that's where i ordered my HP&HBP

there's also Bonder Books in Montreal West who have specialised in telephone orders of any book in print - they have a small location on Westminster, but their thing is special orders (http://www.bonder.com)

There's Nebula for sci-fi on St Cat

There's Nicholas Hoare on Green & in Oglivy's, but it can be $$$

and, last but not least, there's the co-op bookstore in the basement of Reggie's at concordia - it's not awefully well-stocked some times, but you can always find an interesting catch or two - it's about 50/50 new and used

[felis-ultharus.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've never heard of Bonder's or Babar. I must have seen Nicholas Hoare on Green but never registered it as a bookstore. But hasn't Nebula closed? I remember it moved into Mélange Magique for awhile, and then disappeared from there.

And I had no idea Reggie's had a bookstore in it. I don't drink, so I've only been in there twice or thrice. If more bars had bookstores in them, I'd probably go to more.

[ubergreenkat.livejournal.com]

well, it's not in the bar, per se - it's in the basement, which used to be storage area, but is in fact, owned by the CSU, which is why the co-op could set up there and not contravene the agreement with the bookstore (similar to the java u relationship to Chartwells) it is definitely worth checking out though, and during the school year, you can get there by crossing through Java U towards Mackay - they usually have a sign up pointing the way