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Nov. 21st, 2019 11:32 amI am a sponsor for Borderlands Books. We've been fortunate to be in a position where I can donate a relatively small amount to them yearly, which when combined with all the other sponsors, is a sufficient amount to keep them in business despite San Francisco's and the bookseller industry's problems.
I used to buy new books regularly. These days, not so much (in fact the reverse; I've been actively culling my hoard). There just aren't that many books that I want to re-read to the point of purchasing and taking up space. I think the last time I bought a book there for myself was 2016... and that was one that I ended up purging because I was never going to read it again. (Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, for those who are curious.)
Anyway, the sponsorship is one way I can support the bookstore since my purchasing habits are unlikely to change. And I do get some benefits beyond their staying in business: they host a number of sponsor events (which I generally don't attend). I did get to have a beer with Charlie "Ranty" Stross and his wife, which was fun. I get a reserved seat at author readings (if I remember to call it in, which I didn't last time I attended one).
The one I really have taken advantage of is SFF movie sneak previews. Not always, but often they host a limited preview the night before the film opens. We get soup dumplings beforehand and go see the film in an art deco theatre. We saw Last Jedi, Ready Player One, Wonder Woman, Solo, and Blade Runner 2049 this way. Also Bubba Ho-Tep, which wasn't a preview but did have a Q&A with Joe Lansdale.
And next month, we'll also go see Rise of Skywalker the night before it opens with a full house of Star Wars fans. Yeah, totally worth it.
I used to buy new books regularly. These days, not so much (in fact the reverse; I've been actively culling my hoard). There just aren't that many books that I want to re-read to the point of purchasing and taking up space. I think the last time I bought a book there for myself was 2016... and that was one that I ended up purging because I was never going to read it again. (Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, for those who are curious.)
Anyway, the sponsorship is one way I can support the bookstore since my purchasing habits are unlikely to change. And I do get some benefits beyond their staying in business: they host a number of sponsor events (which I generally don't attend). I did get to have a beer with Charlie "Ranty" Stross and his wife, which was fun. I get a reserved seat at author readings (if I remember to call it in, which I didn't last time I attended one).
The one I really have taken advantage of is SFF movie sneak previews. Not always, but often they host a limited preview the night before the film opens. We get soup dumplings beforehand and go see the film in an art deco theatre. We saw Last Jedi, Ready Player One, Wonder Woman, Solo, and Blade Runner 2049 this way. Also Bubba Ho-Tep, which wasn't a preview but did have a Q&A with Joe Lansdale.
And next month, we'll also go see Rise of Skywalker the night before it opens with a full house of Star Wars fans. Yeah, totally worth it.
