Kendall S.
Yelp
Not my favorite bookstore, but a bookstore nonetheless. And, oh how I love to browse through aisles of books! As the world turns, aisles of books are becoming harder to find - especially aisles of brand new books. But, Barnes & Noble has been there for me for decades and has made it through all the rumors of its demise. Other large, chain, brand-new-book bookstores have disappeared, but Barnes & Noble still remains. Perhaps they won't exist forever, but for now they do and I'm glad. They've embraced nooks and kindles as they should, but the fact remains; authors and publishers do not want e-books to diminish print - and I don't think they will for sometime. So, here we are. We have one huge corporation that offers a wide selection of brand new books. We'll always have discount bookshops, we'll always be able to find a few copies of bestsellers and random romance novels at Target and Walmart, but will we always have B&N? One destination dedicated to providing a huge variety of sparkling, fresh print? We'll see.
B&N being a giant chain is both a good and a bad thing. They've got that whole "Fox Books" from "You've Got Mail" vibe going on; having put boutique bookshops out of business and emanating that whole detached, factory-like, cheap, and overproduced ambiance. But that whole business happened years ago, and this is the way it is. I've always enjoyed B&N's wide selection, mostly reasonable prices (although I do think you should have to pay for a fine piece of literature), and the fact that you can buy a coffee and muffin while you shop. I find B&N especially convenient when I'm shopping for gifts (I love to give books as presents) - because you know you can find what you want, and you know it'll be in glittering condition.
I didn't intend to write an essay here on the pros and cons of big-time booksellers; on the politics of e-books being more green than print, on economy, or on the intentions and needs of authors and publishing firms. I haven't done enough research to say, "this is how it should be!" I'm just thinking out-loud... I wish America was full of ornate and charming little bookstores with rare finds and big price-tags that respect a book's value. There are still a few out there, but they don't flourish for obvious reasons. So, we have Barnes & Noble as our only place to find a satisfactory selection of brand-new products, and I'm thankful for that. I'm not ready for print to disappear :(
TL;DR - Barnes & Noble is a huge chain that isn't helping to save the trees! Alas, it's one of the only places left devoted to selling new books, in print, of every genre for reasonable prices.