Non-Amazon ways of buying Dolores and Other Sorrows

The world has changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Oops, sorry, I got carried away there for a second. The world is quickly becoming a scary place in an increasingly tangible way. Don’t worry, though, I’m not going to start talking about politics. This is more of a shoutout to all indie bookshops, and a call to action to everyone to use the power we have to make sure it’s not just two or three people who keep most of the profit pie. What power is that we have, you may ask? Why, the power of the purse, of course!

I appreciate that Amazon is comfortable and easy. However, for a teeny-weeny extra effort you can make a gigantic difference, simply by choosing a different provider for your books. Below is a list of retailers where I have found that Dolores and Other Sorrows is available. Needless to say, I encourage to buy that book specifically, but, even if you don’t want that one, I encourage you to resort to these outlets anyway.

It will come as no surprise that I’ve put the small bookshops first, since I think they provide an experience that no big outlet can hope to replicate. Phoning in and getting the same person every time is a good thing. Use that connection to explore! Tell them about your tastes and let them guide you to places unknown and unexpected.

Nevertheless, I’m going to include also some larger online shops. Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that ‘Amazon bad, the rest good’. I’m sure there are other large online shops that have a, let’s say, less-than-ideal relationship with their employees, but I’m hoping that at least they don’t have enough clout to destroy our democracies.

And with that out of the way, here is the list of retailers. I will be adding more as I find them. If you own a shop and want to be added to the list, please don’t hesitate to write to me.

Librebook.eu – my go-to bookshop in Brussels. The web site is mostly in French, but I’ve been there hundreds of times and I can assure you they are collectively fluent in about fifteen languages.

All Good Bookshop – if you’re in North London, check out this wonderful spot, which is both a cooperative bookshop and a gathering space for events. Just the kind of venue we need more of.

Kennys.ie – online and physical store run by real booksellers. They will find anything you need, even rare books.

Big Green Bookshop – a labour of love if I ever saw one. Simon will go out of his way to help you. Free delivery if you’re in the UK.

Quinn’s Bookshop – if Heaven isn’t like this shop, it’s got work to do to catch up.

There are other, larger bookshops that will undoubtedly be able to find the book for you, and you’re free to buy it there (I actually recommend it, nudge nudge wink wink), but I don’t want to give them any more publicity than they already have.

Again, I would like to encourage any independent bookshops to write to me if they want to be included in this list. I will be writing to as many as I can as well.