"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." - Jorge Luis Borges
A few weeks ago, on a gorgeous summer day, Coco and I got in my convertible and did something I haven't done since we were last in Paris, went in search of an undiscovered brick and mortar bookstore. I had a few errands to run in the area and was looking for a Coco-friendly place to have lunch. So I consulted my trusty BringFido.com app. and the Town House Bookstore & Cafe was at the top of the list. It was perfect, especially since one of my errands was to pick up a book my daughter has to read for her English class in the fall: The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime. Serendipity.
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"Feels right. So fine...like paradise." - Sade (1988)
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We drove down a treelined Indian trail, then along the sun-dappled Fox River until we reached the picturesque and charming Saint Charles. Our final destination was a few blocks past Main Street, one block from the river.
The Town House Book Store & Cafe is in an actual house - actually, I think, it's a connected set of two or three town houses. Each room leads to the next. And they all house a maze of floor to ceiling bookshelves. There are two or three tiny nooks - reading corners - with a cushioned chair nestled against a huge picture window. And everywhere - high, low and in-between are books and more books.
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"A bookstore is somewhat of a sacred place to people, especially readers." Donna Paz Kaufman
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"Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere." Mae West
I had almost forgotten: the thrill of stepping into a room filled, floor to ceiling, with books. Intriguing titles on their spines, colorful covers, tantalizing blurbs on the back. Wandering up and down the aisles, briefly stopping to grab an interesting title, then moving on - only to grab another. Taking my treasure pile to a sunny spot, sitting on the floor, with my pile of books beside me. Thumbing through crisp paper pages. Discovering new places and adventures. If you do it right, your middle finger gets smudged ;-}
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"A brick & mortar bookstore is a comfortable hangout away from home, a welcoming spot where people can go grab a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. A meeting ground where one can read or talk with others about what's happening in the world."
- Donna Paz Kaufman, my paraphrasing.
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The bookstore is bisected by an entryway/hallway that has a tiny greeting station at the front, a four stool wine bar behind it. On one side is room after room of books. On the other is a sweet little cafe. A wraparound porch leads to a small cobblestoned courtyard, with table and chairs set beneath a copse of trees. The menu is simple: handcrafted salads, cold and warm sandwiches, quiche, cold and hot teas. There's a small but comprehensive wine and beer list, Sangria and Mimosas. I had a most delicious Apricot Chicken Salad; Coco had a plate of Turkey (roasted on site). Coco curled at my feet, softly snoring while I sipped, nibbled and...read. Paradise.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
For the last two decades, corporate brick & mortar bookstores have steadily strangled mom & pop/independent brick & mortar bookstores - E-books and online book retailers were as complicit. And I freely admit that ease of purchasing bestsellers, the ready availability of cheap E-books, and the thrilling pace of motherhood rendered me a willing accomplice. Because of these factors, I was able to overlook (read: ignore) that 'Big Box' bookstores and online retailers are, by nature and design, transactional and impersonal, rather than intimate and unique. But there has always been a small, mighty contingent of diligent independent booksellers who have steadfastly catered to the intimate and unique experience that all bookworms refuse to live without, even if they've forgotten. As I strolled through Town House Books' rooms; meandered up and down its aisles; sat for an hour, reading (with Coco curled up on my lap), I was a young girl again: discovering new worlds and knowledge, having small conversations with fellow bookworms; nibbling and sipping while getting lost in a new adventure - in a garden. And it was so good. I'm not giving up E-Books - there's everything heavenly wonderful about being able to carry and have access to hundreds of books (everywhere!). But I will begin to regularly visit brick & mortar bookstores, and bring Mr. G, our kids. And I can't wait to visit again, with Coco, and read, read, read...
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Temple Tip: get (pro)active at your local independent bookstore.
In addition to books and more books, your neibhorhood brick & mortar bookstore is the perfect place to meet all sorts of people, get involved with your community, and move beyond your boundaries - all while supporting a small business. It's the perfect place to take your children (curl up in the kids' book section; start a monthly children's reading corner; volunteer to read, reach out to authors to come and read). If your local bookseller has a cafe, start a book club with a group of girlfriends that exclusively meets there (talk to the owner/manager; I'm sure they'll arrange a special table for you to monthly gather around). Start a meet and greet reader/doggie night.
The possibilities are endless!
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~ "A reader lives a thousand lives...The man who never reads lives only one." - George R. R. Martin ~
Vivre! Rire! Aimer!
Temple
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