#but i feel like we've gone from encouraging people to look for indie stores in their area or when they travel

[caffeinated-bibliophile]

I will never stop being baffled by people casually telling others to just shop at their local indie bookstore instead of the chain store, or reading challenges that call for going to an indie bookstore, or even mentions of any kind of local bookstore.

I recently checked again online for the nearest bookstore and there might be two used bookstores within a 2 hour drive. The nearest indie is maybe 2.5 hours drive (assuming they're actually still operational). The nearest chain store is about 90 minutes if traffic is really good and there's no construction etc.