Farewell, Borders...

As I write this, I am close to tearing up. Borders bookstore will soon only be a memory in the minds of people across the world. To many of these it was just another shop, but to me it was more than that, and the recent announcement that Borders is to close in the USA has resurfaced my sadness.

Oxford Borders in its last days. {photo source}

My first experience with Borders was on a visit to the States, and is actually where I got the book I talk about in my second Follow Friday post. I fell in love with the place because, at the time, I hadn't seen such an extensive book shop here in the UK. It was just so inviting with chairs you could sit in and read, magazines to browse uninterrupted, shelves and shelves of books, CDs and DVDs just waiting to be explored. I only wished that we had a store like this on our shores.

It wasn't until a few years later on a visit with a few close friends that I actually discovered that there was a Borders in Oxford! I'd caught a glimpse of a small hanging sign a couple of years before, but as it was down a small alleyway I thought it wouldn't be on the same scale and didn't bother looking. Back then I didn't venture into Oxford much as it was unfamilar, but as my familiarity grew (and my confidence in the public transportation system), I began taking regular trips in, and spent hours inside at a time.

A lot of my memories involve these close friends, who were were exchange students visiting for a few months and were discovering the city at the same time as I was. We'd always end up inside Borders as it was so near the bus stop, and also right in the heart of the main shopping centre. Of course, I'd visit the store with other friends too, including my particularly bookish friend who could spend as many hours browsing the shelves as I could. It was also a fantastic place to get newspapers and magazines from all over the world... I remember going all the way there just to get, ahem, Teen People every month/week/whenever it came out! Then my addiction to Starbucks flourished. What's better than the world's best coffee attached to the world's best bookstore?! Yup, Borders became a place of real comfort to me.

And now we all must move without it. Even though it has been ages since we lost Borders here, I still hate walking past the Tescos Metro that now stands in its place in Oxford. I know it might sound dramatic, and there might be a few people rolling their eyes, but this is a heart-wrenching loss to me. Sure, in the UK we have other bookstores, and lately I've been avoiding chains and opting for second-hand and independent booksellers, but they're not the same at all.

So thanks for all the memories and the comfort, Borders. This girl misses you very muchly!

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I'd love to hear about your views/experiences of Borders, whether they were positive or negative. Am I the only crazy person out there? ;-)

The empty Oxford Borders. Sighage. {photo source}

Currently Reading: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

When young Jim Hawkins discovers a treasure map in a pirate’s chest in his parents’ inn, he is drawn into a world of danger and adventure. He joins the crew setting sail to the Caribbean to seek out the booty and over the course of the voyage confronts mutiny, murder and the charismatic and devious Long John Silver.

Indeed, first up is the high seas pirate adventure novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson!

I'm already part-way through the story, so I thought it would be perfect to just keep going and make this my first official book for this blog! Being a fan of pirate films and other swash-buckling outlets, I have been excited to read this legendary story. I must admit though that the first thing that drew me towards it was the pretty cover! Yup, I'm one of those readers who can be swayed by artwork. But can you blame me? Vintage use such beautiful and inspiring covers to draw in readers. I'm glad to see their range expanding within bookshops.

Speaking of which, does anybody else desperately miss Borders bookstore? Trips to Oxford really aren't the same anymore without them! I spent hours in there browsing the books and magazines while leisurely sipping a Starbucks vanilla latte. I mean, Waterstones are great, but to me they don't offer the same full experience that Borders did. Every time I walk past their former store location (that's now been turned into a massive Tescos Metro) I can't help but feel sad and overly nostalgic. This may seem dramatic, but it's like an old friend has left and can never come back, but nevertheless you still look for them in the crowd hoping to see their face! I was pretty attached to that store. Oh well... that's what a recession can do for you. Damn economic downturn.

But I digress. Treasure Island it is! Hoist the sails, me hearties!