Why I Love... Airport Bookstores

Tomorrow, I hop on a plane and head to Nashville for the Thanksgiving holiday. I don't like flying (not. one. bit.), but I do love people-watching at the airport bookstores.

Airport bookstores are fascinating because their stock of items is usually quite small. Most of these bookstores are heavy on the bestsellers, but they're usually a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Actually, I think the stock tends a bit toward non-fiction. It's as if people arrive at their gate and think, "If I'm stuck on this plane for a few hours, I might as well read something educational." Also, I'm always surprised by the number of books that are hardcovers. I guess, if you have an audience held captive behind security, you might as well sell them the expensive books.

When it comes to shopping, I've noticed that no two airport bookstore patrons are the same. Some people come in, grab the first book they see, pay, and leave. Other passengers take their time perusing each and every title. I've seen people skip the books and load up on more magazines than they can carry. There is one similarity I have noticed, most people choose thick books or select more than one piece of reading material. It's like we all want to prepare for the worst delay scenario; we wouldn't dare be caught without something to read if our flight fails to move.

I've always thought that people choose to read in airports and on the plane because it offers a long period of uninterrupted time. You're not going anywhere - might as well read. That's probably going to change now that planes have wifi. That said, I, for one, will always carry a dead tree book with me. It's portable, entertaining, and doesn't need to be charged.


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