The Useless Critic 2.0

There are a few things I miss about Erie. Let me stress few . And one of those things happens to be the Books Galore bookstore, which I actually grew up more or less around. I went there from time to time, thinking it was some kind of massive comic book store, which it is, but it also offers some great and cheap reads. I remember being very impressed by their Keroauc collection, for example. They have books about everything....books galore, yes indeed. And that Spiderman out front, well. Let's just say it captivated me for the first five years of my life. Erie is a place that isn't teeming with indie stores, much less music or bookstores, which makes a place like Books Galore so awesome. Sure in bigger cities you can get lost and find like 12, but when you are in a semi-small town, a place like Books Galore is a beacon .  It also offers a selection of local authors (pretty rare) and sells games, in addition to books and comics. Make sure you check out their upstairs ...

Border's has closed, fellow Erie-ites (I know there are at least five of you out there). That really blew. I mean I was there when they found out they were closing- the cashier was genuinely upset. and even though you can go on and on about ebooks or Barnes and Nobles buying the out or blah blah blah, it's still sad to see arguably the biggest bookstore in Erie- a place where I personally have a lot of other memories (Wenli where the hell are we going to hang out anymore)- go under. and I hate having to say that about a chain bookstore! Werner Books just opened in the Liberty Plaza as of a few months ago, though, and I have to say- being a minor connoisseur of used bookstores (there isn't a great deal in the region, no)- I'm rather impressed. It's got a good selection, the atmosphere is refreshingly nice and simple and not cluttered NOR junky (I'm thinking of a few stores and I will not name names), and the prices are reasonable. if you're in the area and wo...