One, B & L Books in Altamonte Springs, FL, has been around for decades and targets a particular customer, while the other, The Book Worm in Orlando, FL, opened last year and serves a broader audience.
B & L Books is the romance reader’s dream come true. I didn’t know there were so many types of romance books: Christian romance, series romance, African American romance. Several of the sub-sections were separated into a ‘mild’ category and a ‘hot’ category. I paused when I saw those distinctions, pointed them out to my sister, and we both decided to just let that go without further discussion. The store has a strong showing of adventure/espionage books along with general fiction, and children’s books. I was Aunt of the year when I returned with a stack of Clifford books for my nieces. I was tempted, but resisted due to the need to lift my luggage on the airplane, by the mystery bags on the top shelf of several bookcases. In the bag was a stack of books of the genre it was placed in, all for a dollar. Of course, it’s older books that have been around for awhile, but that’s the first time I’ve seen mystery bag of books and it looked like fun.
The booksellers take pride in knowing their customers, tracking their purchases and putting aside newly arrived used books for customers who they believe will enjoy them. Their level of care earned them “Bookseller of the Year” at the Romantic Times Convention. I chatted with the bookseller for quite awhile and was impressed with her knowledge of who comes in, what they want, and how to keep a customer for life.
The Book Worm started business about a year ago and it serves the general used store book buyer. All types of fiction and non-fiction are represented. I spent time looking through the history and art history, for me reading history in older, used books adds to its appeal. Kelsey and I were reading Anne of Green Gables for our mother-daughter book club (I was on the plane to Orlando sobbing as the book ended and completely mortified that the flight attendant would walk up and ask “tea or coffee?”) and Kelsey fell in love Anne. I hit the gold mine at The Book Worm, it had the rest of the Anne series and several of the Emily books also written by Montgomery in a cozy corner for children’s and young adult books. I called over Kelsey when I opened my suitcase to unpack and the top was lined with Anne of Green Gables and Emily books, I was Queen for the Day in her eyes.
If you’re in the Orlando area, stop by both stores to pick up an inexpensive book, even better trade in a book you’ve already read for a discount.
990 State Route 434
Altamonte Springs, FL
T: 407.682.0090
2400 E. Washington St.
Orlando, FL
T: 407.898.7888
Tags: Altamonte Springs, Altamonte Springs bookstore, Florida, Florida bookstore, Orlando, Orlando bookstore
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