bookstores

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Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Teens Get Their Own Space To Dream About Strange Adventures
New Online Bookstore Is "Agnostic," But It'll Be a Religious Experience For You

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brownjawa
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Congrats to the winner! I'm sad to see so many bookstores go this year, outside of Waldenbooks/Borders Express/Borders; bookstores really do become a large part of our communities and hearts.
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Nazzie
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Holy shit. I never thought I would come onto io9 and find the bookery on here. This is the store I go to when I go and find comics that I need to read. I then go over to Bookery Fantasy across the street for some tabletop fun. I'm going to have to congratulate them when I go into the store next. Never thought there were that many io9 members out here in fairborn/ wright pat.
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jonbussler
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
I loved the Bookery until a few months back. I've been going to the store for 18 years; they cut my file there because I forgot to tell them I deployed for several months.

They had my phone number and e-mail address and could have asked me why I haven't showed up but they just decided to get rid of my file all together. I haven't been back since.
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Allen_Richards
12/02/09

@jonbussler: I guess there's bound to be someone who's had a problem, and mistakes do happen. Although, it doesn't sound like it was entirely their fault.

You started going there the same time I did, so our paths probably crossed back in the day, but, unfortunately, I can't place your name.

Aside from the owner, whom I never knew despite meeting on a number of occasions, it's an entirely different group of guys running things, right?
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TheGreat&PowerfulTurtle
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Many a day did I spend at Gardner's or Wizard's Asylum down the road.

Gardner's was definitely a goldmine. Practically its own flea market of used books and games.

Glad to know they're still in business.
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Edited by TheGreat&PowerfulTurtle at 12/02/09 10:53 AM

SnehalataDemophon
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
I had never heard of the Bookery. I was actually born at Wright Pat, and I have relatives in Huber Heights, Vandalia, and Kettering but my dad joined the army after med school and away we went when I was six. I was just back there for Thanksgiving and I will probably be back for Christmas, so I will definitely have to search The Bookery out...looks like my kinda place!
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blisskitty
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
When I was younger, my family used to have their taxes done by the guy that owns Gardner's. It was always exciting to me because he would give a $20 gift certificate to every person that got their taxes done there, and everyone would give my brother and I their gift certificates. We would get to scour the store for comics and old books we wanted. I don't know HOW many old Star Wars and X-men comics I bought with those certificates!
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Annalee Newitz promoted this comment Edited by blisskitty at 12/02/09 5:41 AM blisskitty was starred blisskitty was unstarred

Im_your_Huckleberry
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Annalee, This contest made an old comic book geek's heart just feel a little more full in these past weeks. I'm glad I found io9. You guys rock and keep up the good work!
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Makidian
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
I haven't been to the Bookery in ages at least 8 yrs. I really need to get out to Fairborn and give it a go because I really want to start collecting comics again.
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Starlionblue
12/02/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
SF Bokhandeln in Stockholm!!! My old hometown!!! I love that store. I started going there in the late 80s, when they were just starting out over on Kungsholmen. It was a tiny place, no more than 250 square feet (25sq.m.) or so. Since then they have moved three times to bigger digs to end up in their current location. As the poster mentions, it is in "Gamla Stan" (literally "The Old Town") where the streets are mostly cobblestones and the buildings date back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The staff was always great, and steered me towards some amazing authors like Neal Stephenson, Stephen Baxter and Peter F. Hamilton. In fact, the latter two did book signings there. One guy asked Baxter whether he had calculated on the urination of all the crew members in "Voyage". He found that intriguing. ;) When Peter F. Hamilton was there, I piled all his books (6 at the time) on the table for signing and asked what he was working on now. He gave me a very brief sketch of the upcoming "Fallen Dragon".

Ah, memories.
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phillyguy83
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
The Bookery is 10 minutes from my house! I couldn't believe it when I saw the picture that accompanied this post. I'm glad that someone wrote in about it (and actually won!).
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Makidian
12/02/09

@phillyguy83: I know right. I thought that sign looked familiar and sure enough it did. I don't live in Dayton anymore so it's hard to get up to these places but I haven't been to the Bookery in quite some time.
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Robb Wilson
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
This is truly amazing! I started reading comics because of the Bookery! I was born at Wright Patt and moved to Chicago 4 years ago. What a great store (workers and customers)!

Sam Lee... One of the best people I have ever had the privilege of knowing! R.I.P.
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Allen_Richards
12/02/09

@Robb Wilson: Sam was indeed a good dude. Even when he was bummed, he always had a smile to share. He was just an all-around pleasant guy.
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Lassus
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Jesus, how did I miss THIS contest? Oh well.
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Squareborn
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Who knew there'd be so many people that live near Bookery on here. Should have a gathering at the good ole Bookery sometime. lol
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Allen_Richards
12/02/09

@Squareborn: I'm sure the ones that are still in the area would be down for it. Call it the io9-Bookery Meet & Greet, or something....

I'm not sure if it's still there, but across the street was this pub-style restaurant that would make a nice place to grab a beer afterwards. They used to have these things called Balls 'O Fire, which were like those Boneless Wings you get from Chili's, only less Cayanne, more Black Pepper. Hmmm....

If you guys do get together, have fun. Being 450 miles away makes it hard to join you....
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Squareborn
12/02/09

@Allen_Richards: I can't remember the name but I think you are thinking of the irish sounding place. lol.
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Allen_Richards
12/02/09

@Squareborn: THAT'S IT!!
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Kevin Hamilton
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Allen, you can reach Kevin at @Mad_Penguin on Twitter. He's also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/madpenguin23

He'd love to hear from you.
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Annalee Newitz promoted this comment Chip Overclock approved this comment Kevin Hamilton was starred Kevin Hamilton was unstarred

Allen_Richards
12/01/09

@Kevin Hamilton: Thanks, Kara. Kevin actually e-mailed me himself about an hour so ago.
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stiletto001
12/02/09

@Allen_Richards: Believe it or not, in my insomnia last night and as a favor to you, I started looking for your old friend online. Got the Facebook page in approximately 20-30 minutes of searching. (Hope that isn't too creepy.) Was going to post my results this morning to you privately but I see the people involved already took care of things. Gotta love the Internet. :)
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Allen_Richards
12/02/09

@stiletto001: Hey, thanks for checking! Being the holiday season, it's the thought that counts, and I certainly appreciate the gesture.

Apparently, within minutes of this going live, someone in Dayton saw it and sent the link to Kevin's wife. After posting my thanks to Annalee for the books, I ran a few late-evening errands only to return home an hour later to find a number of messages from people regarding this, including some of the gentlemen mentioned. Thanks to every who made that possible, it's extremely humbling.

While a number of the guys are on Facebook, doing a search and seeing 900+ results for a name made the entire process feel overly daunting. And Google was completely useless....
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TwoTrickPony
12/01/09

In reply to Winners Of The "Describe Your Favorite Bookstore" Contest
Well, heck. I have lived merely one town over from Bookery for ages, and despite spying it on regular trips to Giovanni's, have never stopped in. That ends NOW!
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Allen_Richards
12/01/09

@TwoTrickPony: Since I left Ohio, I think they've expanded to 3 or 4 seperate storefronts on that same block. They just keep growing. Not having been there in 7 years, I'm not sure how much book store is there versus comicshop. But I hope you dig it. As you can see, there's much love for that place.... much love...
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