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(The Old Man at the Back of the Store notices that you have come in, and coughs to let you know that he is aware of your presence. When you do not wander amidst the stacks he determines that you need to have his advice, and comes forward to address you.) "We have been making quite an effort of late with our remodeling; as I am sure you can see if you have been here before. Those blue skies were very pretty, but they put one more in the mood to lie out in a field and read a book rather than stay inside and peruse the shelves simply looking for one. I realize that the more modern sort of book store, or even library, is a place of light and open space, but sadly, it is seldom a place with an adequate selection of books to read! --In this store we have used the space where more up-to-date stores would put windows or broad, well-lit aisles, to build more book shelves. And while you may find new books here, the majority of what we carry are older books; the kind which people have read, and possibly re-read, and which have a chance of remaining interesting long after the publicity which makes for a so-called 'best seller' is gone and forgotten. "I do wish that I could offer you a cup of tea, as I would have in the Old Days, but we are, after all, having this conversation outside of time, in the dimensional reality of Cyberspace; a place with many advantages, I will admit; but not a good place for making a decent cup of tea. "Now, while it was great fun to rummage around in the shop looking for things at random, a number of our customers observed that it would be much more satisfactory to have the shelves, well, organized. I am not a great admirer of too much oranization, but I had to admit that it would be easier for our customers to find things, and easier for me to shelve them, if I gave in and made use of the alphabet a little more liberally. "Having once embarked upon the path, it also occurred to me that I had might as well separate the fiction from the non-fiction. --And who knows? I might even designate categories beyond those basics. Organization can become addictive, you know! I should, perhaps, explain that our books are not located in any physical place per se. They are represented here, in Our Own Little Bookstore, by reviews.. The reviews are written by the inhabitants of the Rhinoceros Lodge, by former inhabitants, by close friends and family, and sometimes by others. This method is as close as we can come to having the book available for you to page through. It is not perfect, but it is as close to visiting a real, genuine, dusty old bookstore as you are like to get unless you live in a really big city. --It also means that, unlike most bookstores you may visit, just about every book we carry is one which we have read; and, most likely, enjoyed. "The actual reviews are stored separately from the titles; much the way the content of a book is not displayed completely on the cover. To read the review, simply click on the link which lists the title and you will be taken to it. "If the rather commanding tone of the links by which you may order the books seems somewhat imperious, please do not take offense. The system was devised by my youngest son, Mr. Bagel, and he has not yet mellowed with regard to his commercial intensity. He is a good boy, and he works hard. "And now, I suppose, I have told you all that I can about this place, and it is time for you to plunge into the stacks and forget old Father Time, in one of the few ways that one can. "The new arrivals are on that shelf at the center. The Fiction stacks are to the left, and the Non-Fiction stacks are to the right. I do hope that you enjoy your stay!"
New Arrivals: New Books
New Reviews: Older Books Some New Reviews Posted as of 28 May 2010
This Link Back to the Front of Our Own Little Book Store This Link to The Brag Shelf, With Personal Pages for Some of Our Related Writers This Way to The Rhinoceros Lodge Table of Contents. I'd be greatly honored if you would sign my guestbook, which you can do below, and let me know what you think of our little store.
. Read My Guestbook! | Sign My Guestbook!
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