Powell's Books, the landmark book retailer of Portland, Oregon, has neatly integrated almost all the joy of browsing books in its company website, Powells.com.
Well almost. You can't smell the printed page or feel it crinkle under your fingers or heft a new hard cover under your arm as you wander toward the check-out. Absent is the camaraderie of perusing shared by book lovers, the monthly book club gatherings, the authors' events, the special sales. But the online Powell's works hard to give an electronic version of these human pleasures.
There are the books - nearly every category in the alphabet, from Art and Africa to Computer Languages, Green Press, Pulp Fiction and Technical Books, to Sexuality, Self Help, Windows and Writing with volumes in between. Online shoppers can purchase the newest hard cover of a just released best seller in any genre. Or they can shop frugally and find a huge collection from
Powell's used books collection. There is a Rare and Collectibles section. Current titles here include Salvador Dali's Jerusalem Bible ($200) and a First Edition of Saul Bellow's Adventures of Augie March ($100).
In addition to selling new, used and rare books and a smattering of e-books, Powell's.com also buys books. If you're a student at the end of a term or collector who needs more bookshelf space, Powell's makes selling easy. The quickest way is through their online system which allows a seller to enter the ISBN of a title and wait for Powell's offer. If you like it, then Powell pays for shipping and either gives a store credit or deposits your proceeds in your PayPal account. The store credit is invariably a dollar or two more than the PayPal deposit. So choose your preference: more books or the money.
But there's more. Powell.com visitors can sign up for a variety of email alerts and newsletters to track new titles, rare book arrivals and receive the Daily Dose, another fan favorite. Every morning, a subscriber will find the Daily Dose waiting in their Inbox. Remark on a Daily Dose book selection and you are eligible for a $20 gift certificate. Not a bad deal. What makes it more attractive is that each day there are no comments, the $20 accumulates. The Daily Dose becomes a mini lotto.
With a site and a store with such high popularity, it's no surprise that the website is buzzing with interactivity. Check out the official store Blog with its guest author bloggers, the Morning News Tournament, the author interviews and Q&As. And then there's Fup, the Store Cat, who appears to be writing his memoirs, startling tales that include the adventures of his compatriots, Zooey and Bear. No bookstore is complete without its resident cat. And just in case all this sounds a little too wild for the online world view their photo album. Fup's tales have entranced online readers since 1999. However, as a testament to the mortality of Powell's, there is a memoriam to Fup, whose antics rose heavenward in 2007.
For all the levity, Powell's is a serious source for all-things-books. Take your time browsing. Book reviews or blurbs accompany nearly every title. Readers can add their own comments too. Videos pop up here and there along with an occasional poll.
If you love books, you'll be here awhile. In that, Powells.com is just like the real world thing.