Independent Bookstore Day

     It was the last day of April. What made this day special was that it is Independent Bookstore Day. Ann Marie, Kelle, Frank and I were going to visit a couple of our favorite stores and hopefully we would be coming back with lots to read.

    Getting on the road early we had some time before the stores opened, so we did a geocache in a small local park. I had attempted this cache several times before, Frank found it almost immediately. It helps to have someone with a good set of eyes to help you search! Since it was found so quickly, we still had time before our bookstore adventures started. We took a short hike in Riverview Park to see the ruins of the zoo.

    When Riverview Park was first built, it had a small zoo with an elk paddock, a bear enclosure along with some other small cages. A merry-go-round was also set in the park. 

    All that remains today are the brick foundations of some of the cages, set along a large stone wall. They are situated on what used to be a road, now it is only a simple dirt trail going past what used to entertain the people of Pittsburgh.

    Our first bookstore was City Books located in the city’s Northside. Arlan, the owner was already busy handling customers when we arrived. (Masks were required at all the shops we visited.) I can’t remember seeing this many people in her shop in the past 2 years. It was great seeing all these people out and buying books. This is my favorite book store in the city! (As if you didn’t know!)

    We shot the breeze for a bit and browsed for awhile and then continued on, allowing other customers access to Arlan. We all left with books under our arms. The day was definitely off to a good start.

    Next on our itinerary was a quick stop at White Whale Books and Coffee in Bloomfield. After leaving, we went across the street to Paddy Cake Bakery for some Chocolate Chip Cookies to fuel us on as we headed into Oakland.

    People in the college section of town were happy to be outside, window shopping and eating at tables on the sidewalk. Students were laughing and talking with each other, families strolled hand in hand enjoying the warm temperatures and the fresh smelling air. These things all added to the beauty of the day. In the middle of the block we saw shelves of books sitting outside our next stop, the Caliban Book Shop.

    One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about this shop is the tight aisles. Books are stacked on the floor in places and the shelves are set in odd angles. Though I never have, I always have a sense of possibly getting lost in this store, and where would a better place to be lost than a book shop?

    I gravitated towards the Books on Books shelves. Squeezing past a couple patrons to get there, I scanned the racks looking for “that” book, the one that needed to come home with me. 

    There is a certain joy to wandering through a bookstore. There are always books I haven’t seen before and I’m always on the look-out for that “special” book, the one just sitting on its shelf, waiting for me to walk past. Sometimes it sits there for years until I happen to stroll by and it can grab my eye. Jumping out at me, it lets me know it needs to come home with me. I know this makes books sound alive…but you have to remember, they are! They have taken me along on adventures, taught me things which helped me through life, they have made me laugh, cry and love. I admit that I have a passion for new books, never certain as to where they will lead me. I am constantly looking for my next affair with these multi-paged lovers!

    We all made some purchases and then returned to the car. Frank and Kelle headed home and Ann Marie and I settled in and started leafing through our new books, happy and content.

    *Remember; always support your local bookstores. These stores are very important city resources. The people who run them will help you find the books that you didn’t realize that you needed!

 Be sure to thank them when you leave!