A bookstore of my own

Lately, I’ve had bookstores on the brain.

While doing one of my monthly real estate porn searches, I stumbled upon an awesome property in Bangor, Maine. It’s an affordable 3-story townhouse on Main Street, right next door to the local opera house. The top floor features a huge master bedroom that opens out to a lovely roof deck. The second floor contains the living areas (family room, kitchen, bathrooms, extra bedrooms), and the ground floor is empty commercial space.

Now, if I purchased this property, I could easily convert the ground floor into an office or additional living space. Or I could use it for its intended purpose, and open a used bookstore. This fantasy has been on my mind in both the dreaming and the waking realms.

So what would a Jade Walker-owned bookstore be like?

Well, my dream bookstore would sell a lot of genre fiction. That’s what I like. That’s what I read. That’s what I know. The stock would be used, and stacked vertically on the shelves, thus saving the avid book browser from developing a nasty case of neck crick. An entire shelf would be dedicated to staff and reader recommendations, but there would also be a themed shelf to celebrate certain holidays/moods.

Decor would highlight other things that I like: ravens, old typewriters, gargoyles, bats, tombstones, moons, hourglasses, black and white photography and cats. I’d also post quotations on book ends and shelf sides, then change the signs every month or so.

Comfortable chairs and small reading tables would be positioned throughout the store, and in the back would be a small cafe that serves coffee, tea, water and various baked goods. Internet access would be free, of course. And I’d put the center shelves on wheels so they could be pushed aside for author events.

Under the cash register, I’d keep a box of intriguing bookmarks (old photos, Metro cards, snippets of poetry, dollar bills). Each customer would receive one of these treasures for free, as a token of my appreciation.

Despite these fantasies, I’m fully aware that running a used bookstore is no easy task nowadays. For the past 30 years, the big chains — and their deep discounts — have put hundreds of smaller, independent bookstores out of business. The Internet has also claimed a huge chunk of customers. Online retailers offer a wealth of information (back cover blurbs, critical reviews, customer reviews, access to other books by the same author), and deliver purchases right to your home or office. Plus, online retailers are open 24/7, which matters a great deal to vampires like me.

So yes, I love Amazon just as much as the next person. Why my Kindle has over 250 titles on it, and I’m always adding more. But I still believe there’s a place for the humble bookstore. Much like the local library, it can be an outlet for interaction with favorite writers, a quiet spot to discover new ones and an oasis for bibliophiles who simply prefer to read/buy books in the printed form.

Perhaps someday, I will own one. A girl can dream.