Much to my dismay, I have noticed that the line in my local bookstore has slowly dwindled over the last two years. This isn't an isolated occurrence; one by one, steel shutters descend upon once brightly lit bookstores, signifying the end of their once fruitful reign as bearers of information and entertainment. The ominous setting of the bookstore is quickly forgotten by the colossal and pervasive reach of technology, whose stores are bloated with a steady stream of customers pouring in and out clutching the latest technologies that don't require you to - god forbid - turn a page with your very own fingers.
The sheer force of the rapidly growing technological sector cannot be disputed or denied. Our mobile phones have become an extension of our hand, laptops take precedence over our notebooks and exercise without an IPod is a mortal sin. This exciting period has allowed us to communicate like never before, and while many of us are absorbed in the constantly changing technological landscape, there are those, like myself who can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia over the plight of the paperback.
Luckily, there is still hope for the avid reader who is averse to the burgeoning EReader; and it comes in the form of an unassuming bookstore in Carlton.
Among the hustle and bustle of Lygon street sits Readings bookstore, a vibrant business that is heavily stocked and artfully designed. Alluring in its charm, it captures and inspires, igniting a voracious desire to consume books like no technological device could.
The increasing expectation for digital content may have doomed many bookstores around Melbourne, but this little gem intends to flourish under modish management and well-read staff.
Standing in defiance of the dire circumstances that surround its profession, this bookstore continues to sell books as if it is oblivious to the looming threat of technological dominance. Readings not only boasts the ability to reel in customers, but rebelliously and audaciously sells books of a divergent kind; classics, niche and atypical novels line the walls of Readings, distinguishing it from many other mainstream booksellers which ironically seem to be sinking. You will find anything from Pluto and Aristotle to JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer, and if you aren't much of a reader when you enter the store, you will be motivated to start once you are in there.
You could spend hours in this store, and it feels as though you are taking a walk through the ages - classic novels that have shaped our social and political landscape today stare brightly out from the shelves, ready to be devoured by the next avaricious reader.
But whether or not you are a book lover this store is still worth the visit, as you are bound to see a collection of books that strike a chord with you, and if not - perhaps you will simply enjoy the serenity and peace that a bookstore always seems to bring. The staff are friendly and helpful, and you get the impression that they genuinely have a passion for literature.
These stores (located in Carlton, Hawthorn, Malvern, Port Melbourne & St Kilda) are carefully placed in trendy boutique areas with an eclectic variety of people who are bound to make your trip to the book store all the more interesting.
Reading' is becoming synonymous with 'online', and the popular Ereader and its sibling gadgets are dwarfing the meagre paperback books, so try to support this flailing industry by visiting Readings' charming store - home to the enlightened.
