Responding to various stories yesterday about bookstores both thriving and suffering in a difficult economy, Karen Emmerling of Beach Books, Seaside, Ore., writes:

I want to report that we are in the midst of our best month ever--even topping our Harry Potter month. Being in a small resort community on the Oregon coast, our concern was that people wouldn't be travelling. Well, we've seen more folks from across the country, Canada and Europe than ever before. And those people are definitely buying books. I know it's not happening everywhere, but at least there are bright spots.