The basement bookstore

Your eyes open to a blue sky on a Sunday morning. Laying in bed, under the softest of covers, you think about the day ahead. “What could I do today?” The most wonderful of questions. With your eyes becoming less heavy as the minutes pass, an idea emerges: I could go to the bookstore. I wonder what new books they have in store. you say to yourself. With wonder, the thought of leaving the warm sheets to go outdoors feels less tiring. Today is a day for a tiny adventure.

The bookstore invites you in with a collection of colourful covers visible through the windows. This store, built with the kind of stone you one day dream to make up the house in which you live, has been around for years. In the reflection of the window, you see a castle and for a moment you imagine a world of folklore with the castle at the centre. Your imagination is delighted by folklore then, after a few moments pass, you open the door into a familiar and comforting world: your favourite bookstore.

On the stand at the door rests the newest of books. With its rotating selection of books, your experience walking into the store is always different. The new books do not intrigue you today, but that is okay. For ahead of you is your favourite arrangement: the place where the popular fiction books are kept. With peaceful paces that match the slow, elegant pace of the bookstore, you make your way toward the fiction. Here, new worlds.

This feels like my kind of book, you say to yourself about one title on the fiction shelf. The title caught your eye as soon as you walked over to the stand. You pick up the book with wonder, then flip over to read the blurb. You see yourself in a new world. Within the pages, a new story. You flick open to the first page, eager to start reading. The worries of the last week fade away. Excited, you keep hold of the book while browsing the other stands nearby.

You came to the bookstore today for a particular book that a friend recommended. You read the store directory and see that the place you need to go is the floor below ground. You look down the wooden stairs, besides which there is a mahogany bannister, and see a vast collection of shelves. More books! you remark to yourself excitedly. There is a smile on your face, as you prepare for a new adventure: to explore a new part of the store.

The basement is cosy, quiet, and well-lit. You walk past contemporary history novels, then business, then travel. A travel book catches your eye. You think of all the places there are to see in the world. As you imagine, you realise that the place you want to be now is right here, in this bookstore. A bookseller stacking a nearby shelf says “Good morning!” and offers their assistance if you need a book. You politely decline, as you are wonder-struck by all of the titles around.

On your way to the book for which you are looking, another title catches your eye. You put down the book you saw earlier to skim through this new book. Within the pages, ideas that may be useful in a project you work on in the future. You hold onto that book too, this one heavier than the last. Your eyes skim the shelves nearby, eager to see if any other books take your fancy. This is the best part of shopping for books. You never know what you will find.

The book for which you are looking is on a nearby shelf. You take the last copy off the shelf and think about the discussion with your friend earlier that week that motivated you to see if you could find a copy for yourself. Next time the book comes up, you will have the same book, ready to reference.

You saunter through the shelves, eyes captivated by cover after cover. You make your way back upstairs, then approach one of the booksellers. It is the same lady from before who offered their assistance. You chat about the day: the lovely weather, the goings on of the town. Good choice, the bookseller remarks as she scans the fiction book you saw earlier. It’s a page-turner., she says.

WIth your books paid for, you go upstairs to the store cafe, open one of your books, and are taken into a new world. Every so often, you look up to see the trees and the castle outside. It is a lovely day., you say to yourself as the wind calmly blows through the trees. You sit for hours as you read your book. In books, joy.