What Makes A Good Bookstore?

The definition of what makes a bookstore is always changing. It used to be the vintage atmosphere of an old store with books lining each wall, a maze constructed by novels many have never even heard of. A charming environment where books find their forever homes.

In recent decades though, bookstores have become much more than that. They’ve become the crisp, clean walls of an Indigo, and the digital, seemingly endless webpages of the BookOutlet website. Amazon even has a significant amount of books!

The definition of what makes a good bookstore is always changing. My goal for today is to look at a few factors that can provide insight into a possible answer. Will buying books from Amazon be our future? Will indie book stores steal the spotlight? What will Indigo become?

PHOTO BY ASHLEY BYRD ON UNSPLASH

Environment

There’s no better feeling than finding an awesome book in a bookstore and being able to take a seat and read it. What makes this better is being in an amazing environment. When somebody buys a book online, they can always choose their own reading location, but that just isn’t on the same level as being inside an actual bookstore.

Indigo, before they decided to rebrand, fit this category well. Store color schemes had warmer tones, and there was more wooden furniture. It felt like home! Now, Indigo stores have colder colors and the decor is much fancier. It’s not as welcoming. Indie bookstores, on the other hand, are well known for their warmer and cozier environments. As somebody who has worked retail, I can say confidently that customers almost always prefer this kind of environment. 

Employee Interactions

On the topic of working retail, I can also safely say that the happiest customers are those who have had a great experience with store employees. Stores like Indigo and indie bookstores always have amazing, talkative employees who are genuinely passionate about books. 

Online stores like Amazon and BookOutlet? Not so much. You’re simply met with a website and there’s no genuine human interaction if you have any questions.

Price

Price, regardless of what a person is purchasing, is always a very important factor. Everybody wants a good deal! From my experience, the best prices for books are at indie bookstores or on websites like Amazon and BookOutlet. Additionally, when it comes to indie bookstores, shoppers also get to know that their money is going towards a small business, rather than a corporation!

PHOTO BY JESSICA RUSCELLO ON UNSPLASH

Indigo on the other hand isn’t exactly well known for low prices. There’s the occasional good deal on a paperback, but even then that isn’t always the case: and hardcovers cost even more, going for at least $30 each. When somebody shops at Indigo, every purchase is almost always an expensive one. It’s also supporting a big corporation, rather than a small local business like most indie bookstores!

So…. Which Kind Of Bookstore Is The Best?

With the question of what makes a good bookstore answered, I think it’s necessary to highlight which kind of bookstore is the best. Thus, based on the answer, it’s safe to say that indie bookstores are the best kind because of the fact that their attributes align the most with the categories discussed.

According to this article by the Washington Post, “ninety-two percent of small businesses say they have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus,” which just puts into perspective the difficulties that small businesses like indie bookstores face. Small businesses are always at a disadvantage due to chain stores and large corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and even Indigo. 

Now more than ever, it’s incredibly important that everybody supports small businesses: and in regards to bookstores, this means that it’s vital for everybody to show indie bookstores their support. After all, they are the best kind of bookstore!

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Emily Aalders

Emily Aalders is a Professional Writing student at Algonquin College. When she’s not writing, Emily can be found reading and spending all of her money on overpriced coffee. After she graduates from Algonquin College, Emily hopes to be an author.

What's the Next Big YA Trend?

Perhaps more so than other age categories like Adult and Middle-grade, YA has been influenced by sweeping trends. One subgenre dominates the scene for a few years before it fades away, making space for the next big thing.

It’s clear to see that the last few years have been dominated by High Fantasy books led by characters who are often thieves, assassins, or otherwise morally grey. Books like Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology are massive successes from this niche.

But the fatigue is starting to set in. Dozens and dozens of books that fit this premise are released every year. The long and noun-heavy titles are becoming a meme, and readers are wanting something new and fresh for their next book.

The only question is, what is going to replace morally-grey high fantasy? That is what writers, publishers, and agents are all wondering. 

The Shape of Water

The movie about the fish guy that won a lot of awards. Also, a great representation of the “Monster Boyfriend” idea. Retrieved from Wikipedia.

And I think I have the answer for you in two simple words: Monster Boyfriend.

What the Hell Are You Talking About Corrin

 That’s a fair question, dear reader.

Essentially, “Monster Boyfriend” stories centre around⁠—or at least prominently feature⁠—a romance between a relatively normal humanoid and some kind of sentient monster. A great example would be the relationship in The Shape of Water between Elisa and the Amphibian Man. The Amphibian Man is traditionally “monstrous,” but it isn’t a real issue for Elisa and the pair share a romantic bond.

Now, some of you may be thinking:

“Hey, isn’t this just those paranormal novels that were all the rage in the late 2000s?”

To which I would say, yes⁠—but with some differences. That similarity, however, is a big reason I think the “Monster Boyfriend” surge is just on the horizon.

It All Comes Back to Twilight

In case you live under a rock, Twilight is a book series by Stephanie Meyer about a teenage girl falling in love with a vampire. It ignited the paranormal romance boom, and the popularity of said boom didn’t survive long after the Twilight saga released its final movie.

What didn’t die with the end of Twilight was the hate for Twilight. It was one of the internet’s very first punching bags, right up there with prepubescent Justin Bieber. Most criticisms decried it for being girly, boring, and stupid. In the late 2000s, one of the most embarrassing things you could have been was a Twilight fan.

Twilight

Be honest, you hadn’t actually read the book when you were dunking on it in 2011. Book cover designed by Gail Doobinin and retrieved from Wikipedia.

In more recent years, opinions have started changing. There’s been something of a “Twilight Renaissance” with readers openly admitting to enjoying the series. People celebrate and meme about the parts of Twilight they love while also levying actual criticism of the saga⁠: like Meyer’s inappropriate fictionalization of the Quileute Tribe.

This Twilight resurgence is a huge part of why I think the next YA trend is heading in such a paranormal direction.

The Rise of the Monster Boyfriend

It’s not controversial to say these past few years have been turbulent. But many people have faced that uncertainty by submerging themselves in nostalgia. The Twilight renaissance has proved people are ready to return to that series, and I bet many of them would be keen on reading other books like it. In fact, there is already an established community online for lovers of human and monster romance.

So 2022 will give us the return of paranormal romance, but with a modern twist. The esoteric love interests won’t be the same vampires we’ve seen so much of, but instead, a wide range of monsters will get their time to shine. Fish people! Demons! Aliens! Werewolves who actually get the girl! New monsters entirely conjured from the author’s imagination!

Not only that but there will be diversity in the relationships themselves too. That aforementioned established fanbase is predominantly queer. They will not settle for the same cishet girl meets cishet boy plotlines that permeated the late 2000s. Instead, we’ll see #ownvoices books with POC leads, trans characters, and gay relationships. It will be paranormal but more conscious of its readers and characters. And it will, of course, be much more monstrous.

That, dear reader, is where I think YA is going next.

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Corrin Lewis

Corrin first picked up a book when she was three years old and hasn’t stopped reading since. She’s a 2nd-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program and hopes to publish a novel of her own one day. Her favourite way to waste time is by playing video games.

Author Interview: Danni Maxwell

Danni’s Author PHoto.

Writing as a medium and a profession has changed drastically over the years. Long gone are the days of sitting at a typewriter and mailing your manuscript to brick-and-mortar publishers. Now, we read primarily online, and authors have a million options at their disposal for publishing and marketing their books. 

Danni Maxwell is one of those new-age authors. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Danni writes Queer New-Adult fiction and is currently celebrating the release of her new short story collection. She's active in the writer community on Tiktok, where she has 1500 followers.

I had the chance to sit down with Danni to discuss her writing recently. Here are some of the best moments of that conversation. 

As cliché as it is, I'd love to know what made you initially start writing. 

As cliche as it sounds, I really have been writing for as long as I can remember. Telling stories became my creative outlet from a young age, but I think my earliest memory of writing any of them down was when I was 7. It took off from there, and I wrote all through elementary school just for me. The stories were books I wanted to read that I couldn't find when I looked for new books. I also dabbled in fanfiction writing for almost 5 years before shifting back to original content. I never really took it seriously until my creative writing class in high school, though.

You've published three books in four years, which is quite an achievement! How do you start your book writing process? 

Thank you! I think it definitely depends on each individual book I write. I can draw inspiration from anything. Usually, that's a good thing, but sometimes it can get really distracting. A single photo, a sound. A scenic view through a car window. One tiny thing could incite an idea for me, be it a character, a plot point that I write around, etc. It will get stuck in an infinite loop in my mind until I write it down. Characters will come to me, scenes will play out, and it becomes the bare bones of a plot that starts the entire process of writing the book. I am not really a plotter by nature; I plan little things and let the rest come to me as I go along. That is a whole other problem in itself!

LIfe In COlour’s Cover, retrieved from Ninestarpress.com

Your new anthology, Life In Colour, came out Oct.4th of this year; care to tell the readers a little more about it? 

Sure! It's a short story collection with a diverse cast of characters and their journeys to happily ever after. In A World in Blue, you follow Oliver and Blue. Even though Oliver writes about happily ever afters, he doesn't believe in them. Blue is his #1 fan (but he doesn't know Oliver is his favourite author because he writes under a pen name). He knows Oliver's opinion on love and happily ever afters, but Blue is determined to show Oliver that they do exist. When Skies Are Grey is a companion sequel about Oliver's best friend Eli, who thinks he's notorious for ruining everything he touches, especially relationships. But then he meets Grey, the person his best friends swear will be the one to show him how to grow and learn how to love again.  The Rainbow Connection is the perfect epilogue to everyone's story.

Finally, If you could go on a writer's retreat to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I think I would go somewhere to Europe. Paris and Italy are known for writer's retreats, and I couldn't think of anything better than writing from a little Parisian patisserie or surrounded by gorgeous Italian architecture. How could that not foster my imagination?

 Danni’s newest book, Life in Colour is out now and available on Amazon.ca or directly through the publisher at Ninestarpress.com. 

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Corrin Lewis

Corrin first picked up a book when she was three years old and hasn’t stopped reading since. She’s a 2nd-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program and hopes to publish a novel of her own one day. Her favourite way to waste time is by playing video games.

Why Reading is the Best Form of Self-care

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

The past two years have been incredibly difficult on us. Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic: the wildfires in Australia and the United States; the major protests in India, Poland, and the United States; the explosion in Beirut; the locust outbreak in east Africa; and much more has left us staggering without a chance to catch our breath..

With all the struggles from these events, self-care has never felt more important and what better way to take care of yourself than with a book? 

It calms us down

Unlike listening to music, or watching a show, reading needs our undivided attention. We have to be actively engaged in the story, which stops our minds from worrying and stressing over other demands. According to a study at the University of Sussex, reading for just six minutes decreased stress levels by 68% (Reading 'can help reduce stress' (telegraph.co.uk) ).

It helps us sleep better

Sleep is an important part of taking care of ourselves. Reading just 20 minutes before bed signals to our brain that we are slowing down our pace. It’s a better alternative than browsing through your cellphone, your TV or any other activities that might stimulate our brains too much, and decrease our quality of sleep.

It expands our imagination

Books push us to visualize and experience the world we’re immersed in. Our imaginations aren’t constrained by the boxes and rules of our reality. Magic, aliens, monsters, myths are all possible; and creativity has a chance to grow and thrive. 

The benefits extend to our reality as well. An increase in creativity can lead to innovative ideas in our careers or passions.

It can be done anywhere

Reading can be done anytime and anywhere we want. In high school, I loved reading during my lunch hour, in class, in the halls, and any chance I got. When I’m on my break at work, I’ll take time to recharge by reading something engaging.

Even without the physical copy of a book, we have the possibility of accessing stories on our phones, computers, laptops, tablets, Kindles, and Kobos. We can read while sitting, standing, or lying down. All you need is something to read.

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Celine is a second-year Professional Writing student at Algonquin College. She loves to read, write, and daydream. Despite her wandering mind, she wants to grow as a writer, and make it her career.

Fantasy Subgenre and You

Image by Yuri B from Pixabay

The list of Fantasy subgenres takes after the average book in its genre: both are very long. This fact can make the various distinctions hard to wrap your head around. Some of the nichest tropes and settings have their own category (like Assassin Fantasy, which unsurprisingly is a subgenre dedicated to contract killers in Fantasy.)

But if you’re new to the genre, you don’t need to know the summary of every category of Fantasy. In fact, a lot of them can be grouped into a handful of the larger subgenres that comprises the umbrella that is mainstream fantasy.  And I just so happened to have listed and summarized them for your reading pleasure.

Crossworld Fantasy

              Crossworld Fantasy involves characters from the real world travelling into a new Fantasy world. It’s often referred to as Portal Fantasy, although the term crossworld is more fitting since not every story uses a portal to get the character where they need to be. It’s a common plot device in childrens’ literature especially, so crossworld Fantasy would be great if you’re looking for a bit of a nostalgia hit.

Dark Fantasy

Dark Fantasy mixes the fantastical with elements of horror. Set either on entirely new worlds or just another version of our own, there is always a thread line of gloom and doom in the setting. This is also where you’ll find many books with strong Lovecraftian influences. Other hallmarks of the subgenre are a surplus of morally grey characters, morbid descriptions and a habit of twisting hallmarks of lighthearted Fantasy into something far grimmer. If you’re already a horror fan, then this is the subgenre for you.

High Fantasy

              When the average person pictures Fantasy novels in their head, this is the subgenre that they’re thinking of. High fantasy takes place in sprawling, fictional worlds, often meticulously worldbuilt and lush with detail. These stories follow large-scale plots – nations clashing or terrifying evil wizards threatening to destroy the entire world. High Fantasy tends to account for some of the longest books in the genre, but if you aren’t afraid of length then you’re in for a tale of epic proportions.

Historical Fantasy

              Historical Fantasy is – you guessed it – Fantasy set in historical time periods. Many novels centre around alternate versions of our history, where the existence of magic or other supernatural creatures changed the outcome of major events. Others simply explore what life would be like if you add fantasy to a certain time period. If you’re a self-proclaimed history buff, then these are the books you should read.

Urban Fantasy

If you’re looking to read about witches and vampires mixing with smartphones and Starbucks, then Urban Fantasy is what you’re looking for. Urban fantasy usually (but not always!) takes place in large cities, and the fantastical elements of the world may be a secret or a normal part of life for characters in this world. Urban Fantasy is a great place to start reading the genre as it provides the familiar setting of our own world to balance out the fantasy.

Two great examples of High Fantasy and Crossworld fantasy respectively are J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series and C.S.Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Covers taken from goodreads.

So, there you have it: five of the biggest Fantasy subgenres! Any of them would be a great place to start for someone just taking their first steps into the genre. So take a look through Goodreads shelves for these categories; I’m certain you’ll find the perfect book to begin your Fantasy journey.

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Corrin Lewis

Corrin first picked up a book when she was three years old and hasn’t stopped reading since. She’s a 2nd-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program and hopes to publish a novel of her own one day. Her favourite way to waste time is by playing video games.