The Magic of the Bookstore

There has been a growing trend of people buying physical books from physical bookstores. This seems to be in contrast to what many experts believed would happen. The paper book would go the way of the dinosaur, and the bookstore would leave before that. However, there is something appealing about holding a physical book. The look. The feel. The smell. The taste (just kidding). But there is a larger sensory experience that occurs when you read a physical book than when you read a digital book.

But beyond the physical book, there is the experience of buying a book from a bookstore. You can't easily browse on Amazon without an algorithm telling you what you will like and what you should be reading next. The bookstore doesn't know, nor does it care. When you shop online, there is no mystery, there is no intrigue, and there is no sense of "what might I find." To put it simply, there is no magic.

When you go to a bookstore, you are at the mercy of the bookstore owner.

What have they curated?

What have they collected?

How have they organized their store?

How have they arranged their categories?

Each bookstore has its own feel and its own essence. Some have giant stacks of used books, some have carefully selected books on display, some have recommendations, and some don't. Every visit to a bookstore (even if it is the same bookstore) holds the promise of finding something unexpected.

One of my favorite parts of the bookstore is seeing what the employees recommend. It offers a little insight into a stranger and what they enjoy. In turn, it shows me something new or something that I might enjoy. Or it makes me think one of two things, "I can't believe someone likes that book," or "I can't believe someone else likes that book." The "else" in that sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The "else" completely changes the meaning of the sentence, but both sentences elicit emotion, which is a part of the magic.

When you can share magic, you are setting yourself apart from a world that, in many ways, has become predictable. The thrill of stumbling upon the unknown is replaced by the familiarity of clicking a button and receiving a product on your doorstep in 2-3 business days.

The bookstore's resurgence is a reminder that amidst the noise of modern life, there is still room for surprise, delight, and, most importantly, magic.