Can we talk about that old bookshop in Portland that banned genre labels?

I walked into Powell's Books last month and noticed they don't sort fiction into mystery, romance, or sci-fi racks. The owner told me they think labels limit what people pick up. Half of me thinks it forces readers to try new things but the other half says I just want to find my next crime novel fast. Does this approach help creativity or just make browsing a headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_martin15h ago

Wait, so now I have to wander through the entire crime section just to find one with a body count I can handle? That's like going to the grocery store and them hiding the coffee next to the dish soap because "maybe you'll try cereal." I like the idea of accidentally bumping into a good fantasy book, but mostly I just spent thirty minutes looking for a simple murder mystery while a guy next to me argued with his girlfriend about whether a book about a baker solving murders was romance or cozy. The owner probably gets a kick out of watching us all confused.

emma_baker6115h ago

My mate spent forty minutes in there once looking for a book with a blue cover, could not find it.

emery1013h ago

Wow @emma_baker61 really that's the real problem here?