I think that all bookstores should be smallish and jumbled. It’s okay if the books are a little out of order, or if one section spills into another. Or onto the floor, or maybe a chair wedged nearby. And all such bookstores should have a cat. At least one.
The photo above is one of the two bookstore cats from the little shop in Jim Thorpe. Perfect little bookstore, it had a lot of character and a selection that, while small, was certainly more interesting than most. The cats were friendly and hung out. It was the sort of bookstore I’d hang out in.
I much prefer this kind of bookstore to Barnes & Noble, which is far too big and commercial for my taste. They’re too sterile [italics]. It’s like trying to buy books in a hospital; everything is too neat and aligned and I always have the sneaking suspicion that if I put something back on a shelf wrong, three clerks will descend to chastise me. Public humiliation in a Barnes & Noble.
![[photo] I think that all bookstores should be smallish and jumbled. It’s okay if the books are a little out of order, or if one section spills into another. Or onto the floor, or maybe a chair wedged nearby. And all such bookstores should have a cat. At least one. The photo above is one of the two bookstore cats from the little shop in Jim Thorpe. Perfect little bookstore, it had a lot of character and a selection that, while small, was certainly more interesting than most. The cats were friendly and hung out. It was the sort of bookstore I’d hang out in. I much prefer this kind of bookstore to Barnes & Noble, which is far too big and commercial for my taste. They’re too sterile [italics]. It’s like trying to buy books in a hospital; everything is too neat and aligned and I always have the sneaking suspicion that if I put something back on a shelf wrong, three clerks will descend to chastise me. Public humiliation in a Barnes & Noble. [photo] I’ll stick with the little shops, the used bookstores. And anyplace with a cat and some character. (On a related notes, many cats make horrible models. My own cat sees the camera come out and hides in the back corner under the couch. But this one was pretty good - it only took a minute or two of goofy kitty noises to get her to grace me with a condescending look.)](http://therovingphotographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/130217_JimThorpe05-370x510.jpg)
I’ll stick with the little shops, the used bookstores. And anyplace with a cat and some character.
(On a related notes, many cats make horrible models. My own cat sees the camera come out and hides in the back corner under the couch. But this one was pretty good – it only took a minute or two of goofy kitty noises to get her to grace me with a condescending look.)
Brent Pennington is a professional photographer and the driving force behind The Roving Photographer. When he’s not working with commercial or portraiture clients, he’s usually out in the field pursuing nature and wildlife shots.
We will have to compare “goofy kitty noises” sometime.