Books as a Great Connector
So many books, so little time.
A love for books strikes me as a pretty universal feeling, a common denominator amongst peers. Reading books helps us reflect on our personal values and beliefs. It also exposes us to unique experiences and emotions so we can better connect to the world around us.
No matter our economic, political, cultural, or generational backgrounds, I rarely meet a person who doesn't have some thoughts to share about something they've recently read. Those discussions—even with people of varied interests—decrease our isolation and increase our empathy for one another.
"The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read." —Mark Twain
I always have multiple books scattered around my house that I'm reading, as well as stacks waiting to be read.
I used to think it probably wasn't ideal to read multiple at the same time, that I should stick to reading one book before beginning another. But the list of great books is long and the time to read them all is short. For me, reading multiple at once just works.
The titles that are currently on my active reading list:
- Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
- A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
- Still Writing by Dani Shapiro
- The Bookshop by Evan Friss
- Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday
Along with a love for all things books goes a love of unique locations where I can spot books I otherwise would have never discovered.
When I enter a business and see a display of available books tucked into a nook, I'm naturally drawn to searching the titles, the designs, the blurbs on the covers. Take, for example, this simple shelving unit of used books for sale that caught my attention at Emerson Ave Coffee in Utica.
More often than not, another human is browsing as well. The books become a great connector, a place where familiar titles in the stack initiate a discussion of our reviews.
"As every reader knows, the social contract between you and a book you love is not complete until you can hand that book to someone else and say, Here, you’re going to love this." —Ann Patchett, These Precious Days, page 201
Other book displays I'm slightly obsessed with are the Little Free Library book-exchange boxes installed in neighborhood yards, often built to resemble each owner's personal home. It's fun to seek out the boxes, to admire the creativity.
These privately owned and maintained boxes are "a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access." They're book swaps set within our communities, great places to discover what local people have been reading and to share a little piece from our own home libraries.
And, of course, there are the local book shops themselves. I remember visiting Park Row Booksellers when I first moved to my little village in New York. At the time, the shop had been here a little more than twenty years. This particular shop was especially lovely, set in a historic building, trimmed throughout with solid, dark-stained woodwork. In the rear were steps that led to a small children's section where I took my own kids to browse.
We'd barely lived here a year when Park Row Booksellers went up for sale. I longed to take over that shop and continue the tradition of small-town book shop ownership. I wasn't able to do that. And unfortunately no one else took it over either. The space transitioned into the hands of a restauranteur. Fifteen years later, I still regret having missed that opportunity.
I know small business ownership isn't easy. Books in particular are a tough sell when patrons can get them online for a significantly lower price. But I think nothing builds community quite like common spaces for sharing book recommendations and new ideas. I'd love to witness a resurgence of the local book shop and the connections built within them.
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