Mastodawn

Fort Wayne’s charming kitty curators of used books

One perk of loving to visit independent bookstores is every now and then you get the added bonus of meeting the resident cat(s) who live and/or work there. As everyone knows, cats in a store are the true brains of the operation and they stay there to make sure their human subjects follow all store policies to the letter.

Recently, on a day trip to Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we were treated to just such a welcome by their kitty curators, Scout and Sherlock.

Scout on her ottoman throne

These two oh-so-adorable cats are brother (Sherlock) and sister (Scout) from the same litter. They are 12 years old and definitely the official rulers of the roost.

Sherlock strolling the History aisle

Scout was striking a restful pose on her cushy ottoman throne in the Literary aisle, while Sherlock was roaming and relaxing in the History aisle. Scout was immediately endearing to us newcomers by allowing us to softly rub her ears and pet her head, as well as give her a kitty back massage. Well-placed chairs on either side of her royal daybed were at perfect petting level for guests to bestow homage upon Scout, while deciding which books they wanted to purchase. Her quiet purrs were delightfully dainty and demure.

Just a touch more hesitant, Sherlock was very welcoming if you let him smell your hand first. Once acquainted, he was your buddy, though you do need to avoid sudden moves or he may scamper away. While not as regally positioned as Scout, he was no less triumphant in his ruling of his domain.

Both Scout and Sherlock were lovely and welcoming hosts into their literary world. It was a heartwarming reminder of how much we adored our Gus (a.k.a. Secret Agent 47) who passed away a little more than two weeks ago at 17 years of age.

Thank you, Hyde Brothers Booksellers for sharing joyful kitty moments with these two humanoids through Scout and Sherlock. It was very cathartic and healing for our recently broken hearts. 💔

Peace and love!

#animals #books #bookshops #bookstores #cats #cities #FortWayne #fun #history #Indiana #kitties #landUse #pets #pictures #retail #travel #usedBooks

Quasit May 12

This might sound crazy, but is there anyone in New England (particularly the southeastern MA/RI area) who'd be interested in a used book shop excursion some time?

#Books #Bookstodon #BookShops #UsedBooks #UsedBookShops

Mark Cantrell May 11

Bradford council recently sold the Wool Exchange (£770,000 it went for at auction), which prompted me to dig this old piece out of my archives...

https://markcantrellauthor.substack.com/p/bradfords-wool-exchange-offers-quite

#books #bookshops #heritage #architecture #textileindustry

Bradford's Wool Exchange offers quite the 'cathedral' to literature

The Grade I-listed heritage gem certainly offers a striking venue for a bookshop, as this piece from the archive explores

Tome of an Obscure Scribbler

disassociated.com Apr 29

Bricks and mortar bookshops making a comeback in the United States

Andy Hunter, CEO and founder of indie bookseller Bookshop.org, talking recently with Shannon Cudd of Fast Company: "People are really galvanizing around bookstores as a force for good in our culture," he says. "You see that in the fact that there are about 70% more bookstores now than there were six years ago in the United States. After 20 years of declining numbers, they're coming roaring back." This can only be a good thing.

https://disassociated.com/bricks-mortar-bookshops-comeback-united-states/

Bricks and mortar bookshops making a comeback in the United States

disassociated.com

Outside News Apr 28

Independent Bookstore Day: Bookshop.org founder on how small retailers are taking on Amazon

Independent bookstores are beacons of hope, offering intangible commodities such as connection, empathy, and knowledge, in addition to physical books.

Independent Bookstore Day: Bookshop.org founder on how small retailers are taking on Amazon, Fast Company

See also: uk.bookshop.org

#Amazon #bookshops #indie

Independent Bookstore Day: Bookshop.org founder on how small retailers are taking on Amazon

After 20 years of declining numbers, indie booksellers in the U.S. have come ‘roaring back,’ says Andy Hunter.

Fast Company

CBC London Apr 25

Curation, collectibles and community keep indie bookshops thriving in the digital age
Bookshops throughout London are marking Canadian Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Shop owners say there is plenty to celebrate as stores continue to find ways to pivot and find their niche in the digital age.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/indie-bookstore-day-2026-9.7176895?cmp=rss

LordWoolamaloo Apr 22

Today's recuperation walk took me to Thorne Records , chat with the guys, pick out some #vinyl therapy, then across to my bookshop.

Hugs & nice catch up with chums, even recommended & sold a few books to people. Felt good, even just for a hour.

#books #livres #Edinburgh #Edimbourg #bookshops #librairies #bookstodon #Bruntsfield

K-Squared Ramblings Jun 17, 2014

The Shelves are Paved with (The Path of) Daggers

The only books left from the Wheel of Time back catalog at the end of the sale were the three you might expect people to leave on the shelf.

https://journal.kvibber.com/2014/06/path-of-daggers/

disassociated.com Apr 20

Spotify partners with Bookshop.org to sell paper books

Spotify members in the United States and United Kingdom will soon be able to buy paper, or physical books, through the music streaming app, by way of a partnership with Bookshop.org, supporters of local and indie bookstores. With just over seven-hundred-and-fifty million monthly active Spotify users, the partnership will surely be a shot in the arm for authors and book publishers. It would of course be ideal if the joint venture (I hesitate to say deal, the word seems a little overused at […]

https://disassociated.com/spotify-partners-bookshop-org-sell-paper-books/