Not being an expert in Norman Rockwell’s works, I can’t be sure if he’s ever done a painting depicting a father and a daughter in a bookstore. Nevertheless, a fellow blogger provided that imagery when he informed me about his intention to bring his 9-year-old daughter to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of a parent shushing his or her excited children in a bookstore.

E-commerce has brought a new dimension to book-buying. Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com might have contributed significantly to the publishing industry, but nothing beats the emotional rush of having to determine which aisle to start, while standing under the “Alphabetized by Author” sign. To this day, I still have vivid memory of the sight and smell of the stacked-up-to-the-ceiling shelves and filled-to-the-brim bins of used books in one certain Manhattan bookstore which I frequented when I was going to school there. I understand it’s now closed (sigh).

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