I used to love going to Barnes &Nobles bookstore. Just being around books was a thrill for me. I enjoyed walking down the isles of books and finding little treasures I had never seen before. I enjoy reading. That wasn't always true. Books and I didn't get along for years. But a few years back we made up and I started going to the bookstore when I could.

And then the reading Apocalypse happened.  

B&N got all stupid. Somewhere along the way it started being less and less about books and more and more about junk. One day I walked in and nearly 25 % of the store became a toy store.  Not even an educational toy store but a regular toy store with all kinds of junk in it. So all of a sudden there were 25% less books in than before. What the hell B&N!

Music section got bigger too. Because, you know, you can't get music at Wal-Mart for 90% less than they have it there. Who honestly ever goes there to buy their music when they can just download it for free from somewhere on the internet like everybody else?

Then the "café" showed up and took an even bigger big chunk out of the store too. Now I don't mind that too much because drinking coffee and reading is something I enjoy. But then all these damn cold coffee drinks got real popular with all the damn teenage kids so they showed up and turned the café into their new meeting place. They run right past the few books left in the store and go make noise at the café. Damn kids.

So what does B&N do? It caters to the little brats. What little area left for books is claimed by what is called "Young Adult" books. They have a huge chunk of the book space. I'm not sure how they define "YA", but as far as I can tell it requires turning off your brain for a while and sighing a lot when you read. A lot of sighing.

Yes, there is a couple of real books left. But just try finding them. Go ask at the help desk and they assure you they can order a real book for you if you want one. Oh, and try asking about a title when their computers are down! It seems like they now hire only children there who have never stepped in a library in their entire life. Ask them for a Harry Potter book and it magically appears in their hands. Try asking them for Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway and all of a sudden they are doing the mannequin challenge. You honestly have to tap them on their shoulder to get them out of their trance.

Stupid B&N. I hear rumors of actual real books stores in lands far away. Well, a few hours by car at least. But these damn things are a minute from my place so it is what it is. Stupid B&N.

I took these pics my last time there.

I'm pretty sure the Hulk can't talk, much less read. If he wasn't behind this super strong Hulk proof glass I would have kicked his ass and thrown him out of the book store myself. Stupid Hulk.

I asked the cute little high school kid at the help desk who exactly was talking about these books, and if she could direct me to where they were talking about these books so I could get in the conversation? She couldn't tell me. Or wouldn't tell me.  I don't know for sure. It's a mystery.

As it turns out all the single ladies are in the bookstore. But they are all single because they are all 15 years old and drinking cold coffee in the YA section of the bookstore.

She's cute. I choose Peace. Oh, it's War "and" Peace. I thought I had a choice. Carry on.

I swear every time I walked by this thing it was a bit higher than before. I put it on the bottom rung when I left.

Stupid B&N. Though right now I hate it even more because it takes me about a minute to fine the "&" on the keyboard every single time I write it's name.

I'm guessing this is just me and all of you love love love B&N. It's probably just me. I just kind of think of a bookstore being more, oh, I don't' know, about books!

See you guys on the other side.