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,