Joyce and Bob Gaskin love books. Literature classes at Lamar University served as the setting of their initial courtship which was sometimes punctuated by arguments over book interpretations.

It is only natural that Bob's description of his wife of 25 years is through a metaphor inspired from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream."

"They put a potion in the female lead so when she opens up her eyes she's in a dream and loved the first person she sees," said Bob, 78. "I think Joyce has some Puck's potion in her."

The Gaskins - characters in their own right - are the owners of Red B4 Books, an independent used book seller in Beaumont.

Joyce, 73, says what sets them apart from chain retailers online and in neighborhoods is their personal touch.

"I think it's the difference between Walmart and going to Market Basket. In Market Basket, I could ask for a seasoning for a certain thing and they'll know what I'm talking about," she said. "At Walmart, they'll hardly know I'm there much less I have a question."

A Thriving Independent

Although the 1990s saw many independent book stores succumb to encroaching large chains, tables seemed to have turned in recent years. While big box stores like Borders shuttered with the growing popularity of e-readers, independent book sellers are gaining customers.

"Independent book sellers excel at hand selling in terms of helping readers find the next great read," said Dan Cullen of the American Booksellers Association. "These are not titles that the consumer has in mind when they come into the book store."

Over the holidays in 2011, independent book sales increased by 15.5 percent from the previous year, according to the association.

John Roberts, owner of Book Bazaar in Beaumont, does not believe independent book stores face the same challenges as larger chains. With the onset of e-readers, books are becoming more rare, making older print books more in demand, according to Roberts.

"People thought I was crazy for opening a used book store," said Roberts. "Publishers are going to stop printing books because they're all going to the Kindles. They're going to make the books rare."

He also said that chain retailers have too much diverse inventory and thus high overhead. Used booksellers keep their stock low and cater to what they know the readership is more prone to buying, he said.

Southeast Texas interests

At the Gaskins' Red B4 Books, there is a selection of engineering books standing atop shelves, reflecting the interests of the refinery-heavy Golden Triangle. Meanwhile, the back room of Book Bazaar houses voodoo books and shoppers can find Texana books near the store entrance - marks of the Louisiana influence in the area.

Used book stores usually amass inventory from estate and library sales and whatever the community sells or donates to them, offering customers a collection that is especially representative of Southeast Texas.

"Southeast Texas is probably more culturally mixed in terms of refinery worker readers, types of readers and Louisiana influence," said Bob Gaskin.

Still, the popularity of work and travel reads pall compared to romance novels. Among the genres offered at Reader's Choice in Orange are shelves of romance reads that range from contemporary and historical to paranormal, which owner Celeste Spring says has become very popular.

Spring said both male and female readers have continued to seek out the romance books, even in a tough economy. "(It's) stress relief," said Spring. "You'd be surprised how many people come in and say, 'Give me something that's going to make me laugh.'"

Getting clever

Spring, who is an avid reader of romance novels, is no stranger to hard times. Since opening 11 years ago, the 50-year-old says she's seen her monthly revenue go down by half. Unlike her peers, part of her revenue comes from new books, which e-readers have hurt. On top of that, the ailing economy and hurricanes have also affected her business.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged business so badly in 2005 that the American Booksellers Association established a relief fund for independent booksellers affected by natural disasters.

"To be in the book business, you have to love books," Spring said. "You're not going to get rich. It's a labor of love."

But Spring knows that a little creativity can carry a business. Spring sells books, movies and music online, reflecting a growing trend toward digitization among local book stores across the country.

Roberts from Book Bazaar has also modified his business to attract knew customers, rotating an art gallery through his store every three months.

The Gaskins' business model remains more traditional. The couple maintains their business logs with pencil on paper and don't accept credit cards.

They rely on their love for traditional paper books to drive sales.

"How sterile. It's just this piece of plastic - no personality," Joyce said of e-readers. "To me, that's kind of sad."

JXChang@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/JulieChang1

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Independent book stores find success in crowded e-reader market