Scent of Books in the Air

I love bookstores. No that's not adequate. I absolutely, positively ADORE bookstores; always have, always will. Surrounding yourself with towering shelves of books of all colours, shapes and sizes. Slowly ambling down the aisles, picking out a title here, a cover image there; pausing to reminisce with old favourites and curiously investigating potential new reads. The stores call to you like an alluring siren's song, impossible to resist.

While trendy chain stores like Chapters/Indigo offer a wide and reliable selection, easily accessible locations and the convenience of online shopping, there is still something slightly sterile about them. Maybe it's the sheer size of the stores which tend to be rather large, maybe it is the addition of household goods and knicknacks meant to boost profits, or the presence of the overtly commercial Starbucks or even the upselling techniques of the staff. What that "something" is, it detracts from the books themselves and prevents a truly homey environment. That's why I really enjoy perusing used bookstores.

Used and independent bookstores are fantastic. Firstly, I'm a sucker for indie stores and establishments; they are so quaint and personable, you get talk to the owners one-on-one and experience their passion for what they do. When "what they do" is run a bookstore, you can talk excitedly about authors and stories with a fellow bookworm which is always a wonderful experience. Secondly, used bookstores always have that glorious "book-smell" to them, it fills the air like some heady perfume. Additionally, the books are generally stacked in teetering piles, and crammed onto shelves with narrow passageways - it's like a labyrinth of books. Then there is the fact that nearly all the books have been previously loved; you start thinking of all the people who have shared the same literary journey as you, how they came upon the book, their thoughts and feelings as they read it. I like that aspect, speculating about the previous readers, inventing back stories, trying to imagine whether they felt the same way as you as they read. Lastly, used/indie bookstores always have a delicious selection of classic works; thick unabridged tomes with gorgeous bindings, gold foiling and publishing dates well into the past. For a bookworm it's like finding buried treasure.

Stumbling upon one of these adorable little gems is certainly adds to the accidental poetry of life.

All best,

H