Sad day in Holland

This week we took a trip to Holland, MI.  We love it there.  It's such a cute lil college town with tons of biking lanes/paths and five biking stores.  There are two knitting stores and a really quaint coffee shop that we would hang at every morning and evening. 

This year - we were saddened by the Magic Treehouse bookstore joining the long trend of indie book stores closing. 

We walked up and down the street, cobble stone sidewalks et al, looking for the book store only to come to the place where the Treehouse bookstore used to be.  Yes, USED to be.  Apparently it closed last August. 

The girls and I were bummed.  We were looking forward to picking out a book to read during the torrential down pours, snow, sleet, hail and ice storms we were plagued by.

SIGH

I own a Kindle, an IPod and a Nook color.  I hope to, some day, own an ipad (holding out for generation 4).  I enjoy reading on those devices and so does my one daughter and husband.  HOWEVER, this does not dismiss the advantages of walking into a book store, walking the aisles, reviewing the titles and taking in the smell of new books.  

I live to find an indie bookstore, search the shelves, find a book that peaks my interest and hang out reading it in the local coffee shop.  This is a trait I have passed on to my daughters.  It's as satisfying, as if not more, than finding the LYS in a town we are visiting and getting a skein of sock yarn to "knit a sock from that town."  

A friend lamented it was the sign of the times, economy and ebooks, but I think it's our priorities and shift in decisions we make that have led to the rapid demise of our local indie book stores.