Just Keep Reading

Bookstores, even if their doors are closed, are still here for you

BY ERICA THOITS

As this issue was just about to go to press, Gov. Sununu announced the Stay-at-Home 2.0 order, which included guidelines for reopening retail shops beginning May 11. The protection requirements — for both employees and customers — are strict and detailed, and while some shops may decide they are feasible, others are planning to keep their doors closed.

Fortunately, places we consider essential (especially when we all have much, much more forced free time on our hands) — bookstores — have been supplying both reading material and recommendations since the first stay-at-home order in March. While there’s no replacing the joys of browsing through a bookstore, rather than turning to impersonal Amazon and its mysterious book-choosing algorithms, you can still rely on a local bookseller for excellent recommendations. Happily, many independent bookstores are offering curbside pickup, shipping and, in some cases, home delivery. No, it’s not the same as walking among the shelves, but it keeps you reading and helps support local independent bookstores. A real win-win.

We’ve asked a few store owners to let us know what they’re reading, and to share how they were serving their customers at this time. As the governor’s 2.0 plan continues, it’s best to check with your local shop to see what’s potentially changed since this issue was published.

Katharine Nevins MainStreet BookEnds

“We closed the bookstore off to the public on March 17, and have worked hard to switch into full-throttle curbside delivery, taking orders online, through email and on the phone, and doing a tremendous amount of shipping. We receive daily requests to gather things for a birthday or graduation, holiday or anniversary, and as I am the only person in the store now, I often will FaceTime with customers to help them make selections. I never doubted that independent bookstores are an ‘essential service,’ and our community has responded with so much enthusiasm to keep us going. Bookstores have always been places to find solace and to counsel each other, and I feel our mission is stronger now more than ever.

What am I currently reading? ‘The Resisters,’ by Gish Jen and totally loving it. My favorite quote right now comes from Dave Hollis of Over Grow the System: ‘In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.’ Will we allow this pandemic and worldwide crisis to move us closer to authoritarianism, or open us up to the possibilities of healing the earth and our democracy? This wonderful book addresses these possibilities.

I also wish to congratulate one of my favorite small publishing houses Danielle Dufy Literary out of Brainerd, Minnesota, for their fifth small reader of poems, small fictions, and short essays, this one entitled ‘The Relevance of the Rural’ and dedicated to Wendell Berry. I go no further when needing to put just the right little inspiration into a friend’s hands.”

MainStreet BookEnds

16 E. Main St., Warner (603) 456-2700 mainstreetbookends.com Facebook info@mainstreetbookends.com

Michelle Taft Bayswater Books

“Bayswater has been staying busy by providing curbside pickup and direct-to-home deliveries. We are also offering some books for free, as many of our used books have come to us as patron donations. Until we are open for business as usual, these books are available 24 hours a day on our front porch.

What am I reading? ‘Station Eleven,’ by Emily St. John Mandel, the story of a swine flu pandemic that wipes out most of the world’s population, and how a group of artists and musicians travel together to newly established settlements to keep their art alive. The story spans decades exploring how humanity falls apart and ultimately comes back together.”

Bayswater Books

12 Main St., Center Harbor (603) 253-8858 bayswaterbooks.com Facebook

Want more great book recommendations and information on where to find independent bookshops around the state? Visit nhmagazine.com for a complete list.