I have never once walked into a bookstore and left with only what I came for. Not once. Well, maybe once but that’s it. There’s just something about being surrounded by books, seeing other people carrying armfuls of them, and browsing carefully arranged displays that completely negates my willpower. If you’ve ever done the same, this one is for you.
Here are the 10 things at the bookstore that get me every time:
The new releases table
It’s the first thing you see when you walk in and the store knows what it’s doing. The new releases table is basically a welcome mat that says, “abandon all self-control, ye who enter here.” I tell myself I’m just going to look. I am never just looking.
The staff picks display
I cannot resist a handwritten recommendation card. A real person, who works surrounded by books all day, loved this book enough to tell strangers about it? That’s as big an endorsement as you can get. I will squint and decipher the handwriting on that card every single time.
Seasonal displays
Is it spooky season? The holidays? Are the summer beach reads arranged around a tiny fake umbrella? I am in. I am a sucker for reading the exact right book at the exact right time of year.
A beautiful cover
I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But I confess, I do. If a cover catches my eye from across the room, I am already thinking about buying it. I support all the beautiful covers.
A book I’ve already read but don’t own yet
This is reserved for books that I’ve loved that I borrowed from the library, or got a copy from a friend, or maybe read on my kindle. But then I see it sitting on a shelf and all I can think is, I should own this book. What if I want to reread it? What if I just want to look at it on my bookshelf? It needs a permanent home.
A book I own but in a prettier edition
Maybe the book I own is fine, or the spine is broken, or the cover is just a bit faded. And then I see a new edition with a new cover and maybe spayed edges (although I am still on the fence about those), and maybe it’s a trade paperback and I own the mass market paperback. Then I can have two copies of a favorite book on my bookshelf.
The trinkets near the register
You know what I’m talking about – the small, palm-sized books, the book plates, the games, the pens – they are all calling my name when I’m standing in line waiting to pay.
Journals
I have so many journals at home. Some of them are full of my thoughts. Some of them are barely started. Some are too pretty to write in. And yet, when I see a beautiful journal in a bookstore, it somehow finds its way into my hands. Maybe this time I’ll really use it.
A tote bag
Everyone needs a bookstore tote bag. They are functional, they are literary, and they let everyone know at the farmers market exactly what kind of person you are. You can never have too many bookish tote bags. Plus, you’re going to need something to carry all these new books home in, right?
The second book in a series
Even though I haven’t finished the first one yet, if I see the second book in a series sitting on a shelf, it might make its way into my hand. What if I finish the first one and want to start reading the next right away, and it’s 10 o’clock at night? What if I come back to the bookstore and the second one is gone? I’m just being responsible and being prepared.
Final thoughts: the bookstore always wins. The only thing I can do is accept it and make sure I’ve brought a big enough tote bag.
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