On Missing Bookstore Browsing
On Missing Bookstore Browsing
(and some of my local faves)
What I’m missing most during this strange time is routine. In my daily life, I thrive on order, consistency, and the comfort of a schedule. Certainly not the Groundhog’s Day type of routine we’ve all slipped into now. Almost every Saturday morning after therapy I would stroll a few blocks over to The Strand to walk around and perhaps pick up a book or two. There’s a reason The Strand is so famous, and I love taking visitors there. My father has to be almost forcibly extricated after I bring him there, he gets so absorbed! There are floors and floors of new and used books, and even in the fifteen years or so since I first went there, they have reorganized and worked on their displays such that it is super navigable. They also have used copies or discount copies of even new releases, which is great—$30 for a new hardback every week…would add up.
Books are Magic is a local-ish to me bookstore in Cobble HIll. It has a famous mural that is very fun to pose in front of, and is owned by the wonderful Emma Straub and her husband. It is very adorable inside, and you can spot the cutest Brooklyn families ever there. They are delivering via Postmates these days in case you need your hands on a book posthaste!
Greenlight is very close to my apartment, and has such a clean and lovely layout. My co-bloggers and some other sweet friends chipped in for a gift card for my 31st birthday (pretty much the day the sh*t hit the fan in NYC), so I placed a large order at the beginning of the quarantine. They are currently shipping from a warehouse, so orders are a bit slow: I’m also not loving that shipping is only free over $100…But still: they’re a favorite, and I can’t wait to go back in person.
Spoonbill and Sugartown in Williamsburg is another great one—if I can find it in myself to brave the crowds on Bedford Ave. The street has some of the best shopping in Brooklyn, but it’s also right next to a Whole Foods…I mean, need I say more? This one is pretty traditional, but has an excellent selection. Also, it’s featured in the episode of Girls with Donald Glover!
While I know a slow reopening is the best way to stay safe for all of us, I’m itching for the phase of reopening when I can take a leisurely walk around a bookstore, coffee in hand. I’m realizing what a big piece of my own normal, and what a meditative and restoring experience it is for me.
Please, if you can, support small bookstores either directly through their websites or by using Bookshop.org (more on that in the coming days!). Small businesses are what make every town and city special, and we need to help as we are able (also cool with giving Jeff Bezos less money)
