Your Perfect Bookshop

One to two bookshop pets (cats, old lazy dog, what have you), preferably within walking/biking distance, a huge section for used/cheap books, chill but helpful staff. I want a sort of older building with a lot of winding passages that are just lined with books, a kind of maze with a huge, wide open center area. Small pretentious music section. Big, comfy chairs. Soft lighting. If I can make this place literally anything that I want, they're going to be hiring, too. I need a new job.

A lofty place to people watch from.

hellbee said:

I want a sort of older building with a lot of winding passages that are just lined with books, a kind of maze with a huge, wide open center area.

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But none of those "secret" aisles or bookshelves that take you back in time or into an alternate dimension or anything... unless I'm guaranteed no horrifically ironic twists of fate on my adventure. Then it's cool.

(And if they need someone to take books out of boxes, I have six-odd years of experience...)

Location, location, location.

Any of these will do.

This is it for me. I bought my first Mad magazine here at 10 and never stopped going until I moved. I have missed them ever since.
http://bookmans.com/about/history/

Books.

Just books and nothing else to distract from those books.

Except magazines.

Areas for writers to write without too much talking. Focus on the books first and being a cafe 2nd. Book one of a lot of different fantasy series and the classics. Maybe book sections divided into types of plots under each section just to be even more fun and different. Books on art and drawing, posters, manga, translated books from around the world that you can't find anywhere. Bright sunny bay windows, a large fat orange tabby cat. And bookmarks, lots of bookmarks and blank notebooks and fancy pens

Scary's good! It usually means you're on the right track. When will you know for sure if it's happening?

Mr Flibble said:

This is looking scarily like it might even happen. I may not have space for all I want to start with, but...holy hell. *Hides under table*

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That elevator-starting feeling is what you get when it goes from theoretical to possible.

Definitely a quiet area for reading in far from the room with the children. Hate kids about when I'm trying to read.

Mr Flibble said:

I have a few brains to pick first

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Arrrghghghhhh! The zombies are coming!

Good luck!

Oh! Just thought of one more thing.... no music. I once went into my usual Waterstones and they had music playing. I asked if they could turn it off and they said 'no, but we have told head office about the many complaints and requests to turn it off.'

The next time I went in, it was silent.

My dream place? It'd be stocked with lots of hard-to-find books, no best sellers, and staff who love reading as much as I do. If my book isn't on the shelf, a staff person would magically find it in the stock room.

M.S. Wiggins said:

A lofty place to people watch from.

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There's a bookstore in San Diego, California that has an upstairs floor that'd be perfect for people watching. The name of the store is Upstart Crow. It's in the Seaport Village waterfront shopping/dining area, which is very nice but sort of "touristy".

Mirandashell, you are so right about music! I love music when I'm not reading, and reading when I'm not musicking. Can't process both.

Alcohol and fiction with a performance area and a community of amazing people who have come to call it home.

So ... how's it going, Flibble? Is it on?

People have covered most of the important bases already, but I'll toss in a couple bits.

Definitely a children's story hour. My local library used to work it that sometimes authors would come in and read either their book or their favorite book to the kids, and it was very popular.

Instead of bookshelves that go to the ceiling, I would suggest a revolving gallery devoted to showcasing the work of emerging local artists. I can speak from experience here in that it's hard to be one, and it's always nice to give a boost to creative talent. Having the occasional local band in to do an acoustic set is also a nice touch. Both bring in more people and build good will in the neighborhood.

In a similar way, you could do poetry/flash fiction readings.

And while I personally love cats, I know that many are unfortunately allergic to them. A used bookstore where I used to live had a small dog, however, and that might be something you could consider.