MacIntosh Books and Paper on Sanibel Island. Jan 26, 2021. Paul Goldfinger photos.   Click to enlarge photos.

MacIntosh display.  James Patterson lives in Florida, and this book was released just one month ago.  Paul Goldfinger photograph.

By Paul Golfinger, MD, Editor@Blogfinger.net

When we  visit Sanibel Island we always stop at the MacIntosh bookstore.  It is the sort of place where book-lovers love to go, to browse and to talk about books. Eileen’s eyes widened as we entered Rebecca Binkowski’s shop.  She looked around and exclaimed, “I love sox.”

I said, “Now you tell me.”

Another woman was also looking at the sox display. This selection was brightly colored with pictures on them.

This shop is hanging on. The shopping traffic has diminished, and across the country 20% of independent book shops are in danger of closing.

Eileen headed right to the children’s section.  She has pretty much given up on books on paper because all her “reading” is of audio books where someone reads a book to her.  The readers are specially talented–some are actors who make a career out of it.

Rebecca the owner of MacIntosh is bubbly, talkative, and happy; the perfect personality for what she does. She unmasked for the photo.   Paul Goldfinger photo.  Q2M   1/26/21

Rebecca is the 6th owner of the MacIntosh shop located in the 6th location on Sanibel Island.  That business was started in 1960, and a large photograph of the founder, named MacIntosh was hanging behind her.  But she was feeling optimistic because she said that “sales of books on paper” are up 30%—a good side effect of the pandemic.

The shop’s cat was sitting near my feet, looking up at us.  Rebecca says that Bart is the perfect book store cat.

Bart, the book store cat. Click to enlarge. PG

JOHN LENNON: