Book: "Billy the Kid, His Real Name Was..."

Above, the grave of Billy the Kid. Or is it? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year, I paid a visit to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Fort Sumner is famous as where outlaw Billy the Kid met his end at the hands of Pat Garrett and is buried there. 

Or was he?

I came across a book by Jim Johnson titled, "Billy the Kid, His Real Name Was..." 

Here's the Barnes & Noble summary:

He was gunned down at the tender age of twenty- or was he? You've probably heard the legend of William H. Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid, at one time or another. Most folks have. But when it comes to the Kid, few things are completely certain - not his real name, not his parents' names, not even where he was born or just how many people he killed. Sheriff Pat Garrett is commonly credited with killing Billy. He even wrote a wildly popular and somewhat sensational book about it. But there are many scholars who dispute the claim of this bartender and former buffalo hunter because the details of Garrett's story just don't add up. Add to this the fact that throughout the following decades old men from Mexico all the way to England were declaring themselves to be the real Billy the Kid, having cheated death that warm night in New Mexico. Among these many claimants, however, are two men with somewhat credible stories: John Miller and Brushy Bill. Both men seemed to be the right age, the right size, and had stories that certainly sounded authentic. But only one of these men could possibly be the real Billy the Kid. Author Jim Johnson has made an in-depth study of the outlaw's life, and presents here two very plausible accounts. Did Billy the Kid grow to be an old man, or was he killed by Pat Garrett? Read the evidence, and judge for yourself.

When I was in Fort Sumner, I visited Billy's grave and toured the Billy the Kid Museum. Was Billy actually buried there or was someone else (claimed to be Billy) buried there. The book sounds interesting enough. I just might get the book and see.

A Little Book Run

Above, inside Barnes & Noble in Calabasas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This evening, I was tasked by my former roommate, Jessica, who is currently hospitalized, to pick up a book for her.

She wanted to read James Patterson's Crazy House. The "problem" was, there are no bookstores that I could think of nearby. B. Dalton Booksellers and Border's Books are no more. I have been buying books through Amazon.com lately. So I checked online and found that there's a Barnes & Noble still open in Calabasas at The Commons shopping center, eight miles away.

I called and asked them to hold a copy for me. I was going to go there tomorrow morning, but decided to go there this evening. So I went.

When I got to Barnes & Noble, I went looking for Paul Kengor's A Pope and A President, about the collaboration between Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan that brought down the Iron Curtain, for myself. It was located in the World History section.

Once I got a copy, I headed to the cashier where the Crazy House book was being held for me. Sure enough, they got it right away and I was soon on the way to the hospital to give Jes her book.

It is nice to see a bookstore with new books is still around in the San Fernando Valley. It looks like I'll be going there more often.

The Japan News: "The Challenges and Charms of Real Bookstores"

Above, Books Kinokuniya in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It wasn't too long ago that if I wanted to go buy a book, I'd just head over to the local Barnes & Noble, Borders Books or B. Dalton Bookstore.

Sadly, none of those bookstores are around anymore (at least in my neck of the woods in the San Fernando Valley). Amazon and other online dealers have practically killed off the old reliable bookstore.

These days, if I want to buy a recently-released book, I would order it from Amazon. If I want to get a used or rare book, I have several favorite used bookstores to choose from. I can spend hours browsing through the aisles of books. Or, I can go to a specialty bookstore like Distant Lands Travel Bookstore in Pasadena (who, by the way, carries The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan).

Above, Distant Lands Travel Bookstore. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The situation is the same in Japan. Amazon and other online dealers have but major dents into Japan's bookstore industry. But, they are fighting back.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

Brick-and-mortar bookstores are facing hard times as Amazon and other online retailers offer convenience and lower prices. Nevertheless, many real bookstores are making serious efforts to win customers’ hearts and make their life and work more fulfilling by offering good book selections and well-devised displays in addition to store clerks’ sincere assistance. Foreign book departments in Japan are no exception.

 To see what steps some of Japan's bookstores are taking to win back and keep customers, go here.

Borders Books Nearing Chapter 11

Borders Books is close to filing Chapter 11 bankruptsy according to The Wall Street Journal:

Borders Group Inc. is in the final stages of preparing a bankruptcy filing after failing to persuade publishers and others to go along with a plan to refinance the troubled bookstore chain's debt.

The Ann Arbor, Mich., bookseller could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as Monday or Tuesday, said people familiar with the matter, paving the way for the closure of about 200 stores and thousands of job losses.

The people cautioned the filing could be delayed a few days. But Borders has pivoted from focusing on refinancing efforts and is preparing bankruptcy papers and seeking financing agreements that would keep it afloat during the Chapter 11 reorganization process, those people said.

"There have been constant inquiries by reporters, and stories written, regarding whether Borders is considering a Chapter 11 filing," a Borders spokesman said. "Borders is not prepared at this time to report on the course of action it will pursue."

Borders initially plans to close about 200 of its 674 stores, the people said. Liquidators have been bidding for the right to run the store closures, with an option to close an additional 50 stores or so under similar terms, the people said.

Borders Books is one of my favorite booksellers (along with Barnes and Noble). I hope the local stores aren't part of the planned store closures.

Chapter 11 bankruptsy is used to reorganize a company in financial trouble and Chapter 7 bankruptsy is used to liquidate a company.

To read the full Wall Street Journal article, go here.