Today I’m excited about Julie Valerie’s Fiction Writers Blog Hop. She chose the topic of bookstores. At first I wasn’t sure what to write about and then it came to me: my favorite things about bookstores.
I’m an author but first and foremost I’m a reader. I can’t remember a time I didn’t read. My interest torpedoed into obsessive levels once I hit sixth grade and started reading all of my mom’s Danielle Steel novels. My bus ride home was about forty minutes and I used to sit next to the window and read VC Andrews or Dean Koontz. I recall reading IT by Stephen King and discussing it with David who always tried to convince me fantasy was the best genre. (It’s not my favorite, but I do love to read it now. Thanks, David!)
As a kid I don’t recall going to bookstores often. I went to the library every single week and I went to the Scholastic Book Fair at school any chance I had. When I finally discovered stores filled with nothing but books the only option I had was a Half-Price Books. Even these days if I want to go to a physical bookstore my options are limited. Barnes and Noble is about thirty minutes from me but the musty, crowded bookstore that I can get lost in is over four hours away. Still, commercial or not, I love the bookstore. Here’s why:
- The coffee. I mean, if I can get coffee, I’m getting it. Not every bookstore offers a cafe of some sort, but if the one I’m in does, I’ll probably grab a cup.
- The big chairs. Sure, I can sit down in the cafe and enjoy a cup but if an oversized chair is offered up nestled within the bookstore I would rather sit there.
- The people-watching. The bookstore is filled with all types of people. My favorite thing is glancing at the books different people are buying.
- The smell of books. Is there anything better than the smell of printed page? No. I don’t think so.
- The bookmark spindle. You know the one … right as you’re checking out the rack is either spinning within the line or set on the cashier’s counter. I don’t usually buy them but I love to look.
- The books – duh. I mean an entire store with hundreds (or thousands) of books. I’ll admit to walking down the aisle and running my hand across the spines. I’m in my element. Bookstore, I am in you.
Tell me what your favorite thing about a bookstore is.
If you’re into books, my newest book Dating For Decades is now available in Kindle or paperback. This seasoned romance is a story of second chances and forgiveness.
