The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan FrissMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Evan Friss has written an incredibly comprehensive and compelling history of bookstores in the United States, ranging from Benjamin Franklin's printshop/bookstore in the early 18th century to Ann Patchett's independent bookstore in Nashville, Parnassus, opened in 2011. In between he includes early bookmobiles (bookstores on wheels), Marshall Field, the Gotham Book Mart, The Strand, specialty bookstores, Barnes & Noble, sidewalk booksellers in NYC, and Amazon -- and how they have shaped bookstores and reading today.
As the back book flap indicates, Friss has written a "love letter to bookstores," and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love of reading and bookshops. It is riveting narrative non-fiction, and incredibly well-researched. The notes at the back of the book cover 70 pages! And in the introduction, he admits "To you, dear reader, who thumbs through the index and finds no mention of your beloved bookstore: I'm sorry....While this book covers a lot of ground, it hardly covers everything. Word-count restrictions, ticking clocks, my own blind spots, and the availability of sources imposed limits." Run, don't walk, to your local bookstore or library and read this book immediately! You will not be sorry!
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