Why I love bookstores

I love browsing bookstores and libraries. I love seeing what is there, seeing what the "mass market" is reading, but also getting introduced to things that I never would have found. Here are a few things from various trips to book stores:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon.

This is a wonderful book, and I found it only because I was walking through a book store and saw it on the shelf. I like Sherlock Holmes stories, and the title caught my eye (because of the SH reference, in case you didn't know). I've recommended this book to many people, and all have enjoyed it.

Holmes on the Range, Steve Hockensmith.

I went to Keplers to buy the Calvin & Hobbes massive(ly expensive) compendium. I noticed this book and was intrigued enough to buy it as well (and it only added 10% to what I spent that day!). Don't get the idea that I only read Sherlock Holmes inspired books, though! For instance:

Harley-Davidson and Philosophy: Full-Throttle Aristotle, Edited by Bernard E. Rollin, Carolyn Gray, Kerri Mommer, and Cynthia Pineo.

I haven't read this yet, but the gist is that 12 die-hard bikers who also happen to be philosophy professors share their love for the ride and their love for the pursuit of wisdom. Doesn't that sound great? Spotted it while walking through a bookstore on my way to get something specific.

Sudoku

Again, I was in a book store browsing, and came across a Sudoku book. I had never heard of Sudoku, but it looked interesting. Within a month, Sudoku was everywhere I turned. It's not just books that bookstores are good for!

I get some of the same kind of results when going to the library, but the library tends to have things in a more organized manner (shelved by author or dewey decimal number), and not so many areas where "random" books are placed out for view. Our local library branch does have a "new book shelf", but after the book is no longer new, then it disappears into the stacks.

I just don't find browsing on Amazon the same thing. I need to be able to pick up the book & thumb through it to see whether I really want to take it home.