Bookstore Therapy

Rapid City is now home to a Barnes & Noble.

I've posted here over the years (yeah, okay, it's been awhile) about my bookstore love. And I spread that love as widely as I can -- cute independent stores like Mitzi's, used stores like Everybody's Bookstore, themed ones like the castle-y places I've visited in Wisconsin and (another B&N in) Rochester. Tiny neighborhood places or the big box franchises like B&N or Borders (may it rest in peace). Mall bookstores, airport newsstands, even simply the book section in a gift shop.

I enjoy tripping over a small mom and pop store in towns I'm just passing through, or going on a road trip just to see Powell's City of Books. I love the hushed stores ad the big noisy ones. I love the wild stacks in used stores and the nearly cookie-cutter layouts in franchises.

Despite my inner That Guy insisting that I shop local whenever I can (yes, I have one of those in my head), Barnes & Noble holds a special place in my heart. The one in Sioux Falls was built when I was in middle school (I think) and it's where I learned to tune out the world and read. I'd go there in high school to work on homework, especially for my speech class, because if I was very careful and bought enough books and coffee over time I could also use it as a library. I honed my skills to read in noisy places, a skill that has served me quite well in breweries and long lines since then. When I moved to Wausau, B&N was part of my Friday post-work routine, a reward for getting through the work week (and I made up for my lack of purchases in high school by going overboard there).

So I was excited when the familiar option made a reappearance in my life. Rapid City acquired a Barnes & Noble over the summer and it has been lovely. While they've updated their branding and layout over the years, it's still familiar and comforting. And that smell of books and coffee calms me in ways that nothing else can.

Which is good. Because 2025? It's been a helluva year.