It's traditional to be gloomy about book retailing, and the closure of Borders in the UK recently, another casualty of the recession, fuelled that gloom. The Borders superstore model didn't translate all that well across the Atlantic. And the closure took down with it Books Etc, the town centre stores which Borders had acquired to gain its entry into the UK market.

The good news is that the Books Etc brand was acquired by private capital and has re-opened as an online store. The website looks clear and usable, the opening prices are attractive. I'll certainly test drive it for its features and service quality. Amazon is terrific but it will be good to have some additional competition.

Actually, bricks and mortar bookselling is in better state than one might have feared as the recession added to the structural pressure from online competition. I don't know what profit margins are like at the moment, but I like the Blackwells stores (haven't tried the website), Foyles has become an attractive competitor albeit on a small scale once again (certainly compared to my youth when it felt like shopping in the Soviet Union), and the marvellous Daunt Books – my favourite – has expanded again. It's a lovely place to be – see the Marylebone store below – and Daunts bookbags have even become a fashion accessory.