The Past, Present, And Future Of Our Favorite Bookstores : 1A You're listening to a public radio show. There's a good chance you're into books and the stores that sell them.

And what's not to love? There might be few greater joys in life than a warm drink, a kind clerk with good recs, and the scent of freshly printed pages wafting through the air.

But in the age of the internet (and especially of Amazon) the future of the world's independent book sellers looks murky. But not hopeless.

We discuss what the future holds for these brick and mortar institutions.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

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The Past, Present, And Future Of Our Favorite Bookstores

The Past, Present, And Future Of Our Favorite Bookstores

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A general view of a collection of childrens books on display in Foyles bookshop in London, United Kingdom. Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images hide caption

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Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

A general view of a collection of childrens books on display in Foyles bookshop in London, United Kingdom.

Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

You're listening to a public radio show. There's a good chance you're into books and the stores that sell them.

And what's not to love? There might be few greater joys in life than a warm drink, a kind clerk with good recs, and the scent of freshly printed pages wafting through the air.

But in the age of the internet (and especially of Amazon) the future of the world's independent book sellers looks murky. But not hopeless.

We sit down with a historian who's written a book about bookstores, an employee of a store that's been around for a minute, and the owner of a store that's pretty new to the business to talk about books and selling them.

What the future hold for these brick and mortar institutions?

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.