What is Book Sense? Supporting Your Local Booksellers

If you look to the left of this post, you'll see a cute little Book Sense logo. That logo will direct you to a website where you can buy books - locally! When you input your zip code, Book Sense will take you to the independent bookseller nearest you where you can purchase all those books you've had a hanker for, including the ones I review here! In fact, anywhere you see the name of a book mentioned on carp(e) libris, I've got it linked for you to purchase locally. And when you buy your books through the links on this site, you can help support carp(e) libris. That will make me ever so grateful, as it will keep me in postage for the book giveaways.

I must give a big special thanks to Di of Di's Book Blog etc. for helping me through numerous emails! I'm not the technically savvy person I wish to someday be, and she helped me figure out how to set up my links. She's the one who told me about Book Sense to begin with! So give her blog a visit because she's a friendly blogger with an interesting site!

Don't forget to support your local bookseller (and carp(e) libris!) through the Book Sense links!

The Independent Bookseller - Reasons to Love Them

I remember several years ago when I'd asked my husband for a dictionary for Christmas. A real, 30-pound dictionary that could also be used to hold down papers on my desk when the windows were open. He went to one of the major U.S. booksellers and asked the sales clerk for an unabridged dictionary. She looked confused and typed it into her computer. "We don't have that," she said. "How can you not have a dictionary?" he asked. My husband looked over her shoulder at the computer screen where the clerk had typed in "on a bridge dictionary". This is when we realized we needed to stick with our local independent booksellers.

Whenever we visit our local bookstore, we can ask questions much more complicated than "Do you have a dictionary?" and we get an informed answer. The magazine shelves are filled with hard-to-find publications, and the bookshelves house much more than the usual mass market selections. We can still get a great cup of coffee, and if we want to hear a bluegrass band on a Friday night or learn Italian on Thursdays, that's available too. And the staff is working there not just to cover the rising cost of beer and tuition, but because they love books, they're obsessed with books, and they want to share their love and obsession with the community.

There are numerous reasons to support your local bookseller. During the holiday season find yours, go hang out, ask lots of questions. That's what these people live for - they want to talk about books as much as you do, and I'll bet you won't find a single one that will send you looking for a dictionary on a bridge.