Dear Barnes & Noble,

From a very young age, we became best friends, and to this day, you remain the one store I can spend hours in and never get bored. Reading has always been such an important part of my life, so I want to write a letter thanking you for all you have done for me.

Thank you for your big squishy armchairs. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve spending the day at Barnes & Noble, curled up in one of your chairs reading book after book while my mom shopped. I could disappear among the towering shelves of books and enter my own reading world in those chairs. Since I occasionally dozed off, thank you for never waking me up when I would happen to fall asleep with 15 books around me.

Thank you for your bookmark merchandise. I absolutely loved looking through all of them while waiting to check out, and every time I would ask my mom for one and she always said no. When I had my own money to pay for one though thank you for having the best selection of bookmarks, and thank you to your employees for being patient with me while I changed my choice 50 times before I was ready to make a purchase.

Thank you for the midnight releases of the new Harry Potter books. Being in my favorite store waiting for the new book of my favorite series pushed me entirely over the top with excitement, and it still remains one of my favorite memories today. I anxiously counted down the hours until "The Cursed Child" was released, so I could relive those midnight experiences again.

Thank you for your reading suggestions. One of my favorite things to browse is the tables marked "Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime" or "Books That Make You Think." Since I often struggle with what to read next, these tables help me feel much less overwhelmed and include many classic titles that I have heard of, but have never gotten the chance to read.

Barnes and Noble really does feel like a home to me. I've found myself walking through your doors when I'm having a bad day or when I need to clear my head. There is something about the atmosphere of knowledge and creativity that I just thoroughly enjoy being a part of. Even (though it is a very rare occasion) if I never purchase anything, just a trip to your store makes me happy. So as my final and biggest appreciation, I thank you for not only maintaining my love of reading but cultivating and expanding it. Without you, my love of reading would never be what it is today, and therefore I wouldn't be the person I am today. I hope you can someday do for my kids what you did for me. I am positive you will be seeing me soon.

Love,

Kristine