River City Fiction

I am an unapologetic indie bookstore evangelist, but today I had the kind of customer service experience that proves chain bookstores can rock too. I called Books-A-Million on Broad Street to ask if they had a book in stock. They said they’d order it, which is pretty standard procedure, but then the bookseller asked why I like the book. I told him that the book gives an honest portrayal of a hard subject and I was moved by it. The bookseller then said he’d order extra copies to have in the store for others to find and enjoy. He asked questions. He listened. He cared about good books, and he cared about readers. This is what all bookstores should be, regardless of size.