What: Barnes & Noble
Where: 2208 Bernadette Drive

Columbia doesn’t have much in the way of chain bookstores. The two stores that are considered chains are Lemstone Christian Books and Barnes & Noble. There isn’t much of a competition.

After first visiting Lemstone, I found the store to be very small selling the typical items for a Christian store – Bibles, how-to guides and bookmarks. The store rivaled a Hallmark store in size and was very crammed with merchandise. It’s not very tidy with dust on the shelves and a small selection of books. The staff was very friendly and more than willing to help. I was very surprised to find that the store is open on Sunday afternoons.

Compared to Barnes & Noble, no chain store (or independent store) can really compare. It crushes the competition, metaphorically, of course. Barnes & Noble is so vast; it seems overwhelming at first sight. Upon entering, there is a huge selection of magazines from which to choose. Barnes & Noble sells my favorite UK fashion magazines and literary journals. It’s like Christmas day every time I go in to buy the magazines!

Past the magazines are books upon books upon books. Each section is clearly identified by the signs above the shelves. I found the way the sections are divided a bit confusing. Everything is listed by genre and then alphabetically by author. The collection of books are limited because there aren’t any used books. They’re either from the best sellers list or the latest releases. It’s convenient if you want a book, like Dan Brown’s newest novel, but annoying if you need a specific book and if it’s not in the store. One clerk commented they can order the book to the store, but isn’t it cheaper to get it from Amazon?

Another perk is the coffee shop in the back of the store. It sells Starbucks drinks. I can get my caffeine fix while browsing.
Overall, it’s the best Columbia has to offer because, honestly, there isn’t much else.