Even though I’m from Illinois, that’s basically how I got hooked on Amazon. As I said in another comment, our local selection flat-out sucked. I can get things through them that I can’t get through my local bookseller, without hassle.
I like going to bookstores to look at the selection, and it’s especially nice if the people working in the shop love to read and might know something about the category you’re reading. That’s something I miss about music stores–“Hey, you’re looking at that New Grass Revival CD, have you ever heard of the Flecktones? Totally different, but it’s Bela Fleck playing jazz on the banjo!” On the other hand, I don’t miss the judgemental clerks–“What, you’re buying a Metallica CD? Really?”
