They feel good in your hand. They purr and release a faint, pleasant scent when you fan the pages.
Yes – I’m talking about books again.
Today’s topic is bookstores. I stand in front of the shelves and sigh. Part dream. Part wish. Part reality. They look so inviting – like the dessert tray at a good restaurant. And while reading does not add pounds to the body. (Okay, okay, I don’t exercise while reading. Can we ignore that?) It does subtract pennies from my pocket.
Bookstores come in a rainbow of varieties. Do you want the new, bestseller? I suggest a new book retailer. The staff can either direct you to the proper shelf or place an order for prompt delivery.
Looking for an old favorite to re-read? Or gift to a friend? You might have good luck at a smaller shop with a mix of new and used books. They often feature a shelf of local interest or authors as a bonus.
Need it before payday? Take your time and browse the yards and yards of shelves at a used book store. Certain ones give discounts if you bring in volumes to trade. (Think – you need shelf space for the new-to-you.)
At some point in my life I’m been in all of these. The bright lights and wide aisles. The cramped space of a converted mobile home where you feared to explore where the light bulb was burned out.
Wide aisles. New books. Let me take my time.
Bookstore staff love to chat books. Ask them for suggestions.
I won’t forget that stuffed mobile home. I still smell mustiness of old pages. I worried, as I crept down a shadowy narrow aisle, if the floor would collapse. I hear, the soft drawl and “mountain talk” of the store’s owner .It’s allure was much more that a bright, wide aisled shop filled with brand new volumes.