Storyscapes

Every year it’s important, if you own an independent bookstore, to have at least one title to recommend to everyone who enters and says “What should I read?”

A few years ago, Stephen found just the right book, Little Chapel on the River, by Gwendolyn Bounds. It is a non-fiction title about a small, general store/coffee shop/pub on the Hudson River, upstate from New York City. It is a sanctuary from the busy world of high-powered New York workers, who live elsewhere and commute daily to the Big Apple. Garrison, New York is the town and Guinan’s is the place. Across from West Point, it is the focal point for this small community and it may soon close. The original proprietor, Joe Guinan, is in his 80s and retired; it’s since been run by his son John. John’s ill health forced his sister, Margaret a police officer, to take over along with a cadre of volunteer regulars, who pitched in wherever needed. But times change, people age and The Little Chapel on the River may soon close for good. But like the book, the memories will never die, for all who have experienced the joy and fellowship found within those doors, whether in person or within the pages of the book, none will forget this sanctuary on the Hudson.

Over our 30 years there have been many books that we have felt deserved to be recommended as the ‘summer read’: Alice Hoffman’s Turtle Moon; Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns; Clyde Edgerton’s Walking Across Egypt; Whistling Season by Ivan Doig; and when in danger or in doubt, any title by Wallace Stegner.

My favorite Stegner story involves a young man in his late 20s who came in, looked around, glanced at me and said, “I like Hemingway and Steinbeck, so tell me, what should I read – and it better be better than either of those authors.” I sold him, Stegner’s Angle of Repose. I also told him that if he didn’t agree that Stegner was better than both Hemingway and Steinbeck he could bring the book back for a refund. The next morning he was waiting outside the bookstore when I opened and my heart fell. He dashed through the door and said, “Lady you are so right. Where has this man been all my life and how many other books has he written?” What a way to start a day in the bookstore!

It’s what makes independent bookselling so special. Hand selling – explaining why a title is worth reading, sharing favorite authors with customers; and I’ve learned lots over 30 years from customers. Their interests have piqued my curiosity and have led me to reading authors and carrying titles I would not have known. I trust the readers who enter the store, they have rarely steered me wrong.

I am not convinced that Americans are reading less. I think they are reading more than ever. We are bombarded by information in a manner that has never before happened in our country’s history. The Internet alone demands reading and comprehending. And reading is reading. I remember when the only thing my son read was the backs of baseball cards, and heaven help anyone who questioned his knowledge gained from that reading. He knew the statistics, facts and the players.

I also remember when Classic Comics were the rage and that’s what my children enjoyed. They were reading, and any reading is better than no reading at all. Reading baseball cards can lead to reading sports magazines and eventually books on sports. Reading piques curiosity and curiosity requires further exploration, which often leads to a good book.

In my other life I taught first graders to read, and I still remember the excitement on their faces when they read that very first sentence on their own. Their joy in the discovery that there was meaning in those alphabet letters was pure delight. In 21 years I know a lot of youngsters shared that delight with me and I know they all learned to read. What I don’t know is how many of them became “readers.” Because there is a difference between knowing how to read and being a “reader.” I believe everyone can be taught to read, but I don’t think anyone can teach someone to be a “reader.” The passion to read comes from the personal experience of reading itself.

A single book can make a reader, just ask my son about Wrinkle in Time, or one of my daughter’s about James and the Giant Peach. There was young man who last year complained about being assigned To Kill a Mockingbird and then returned to ask me to recommend a book as good. Not an easy request to fulfill, but Separate Peace came close. He’s now a regular in the store – a newly hatched “reader.”

So what will the book be this summer, we’re debating. Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland is a strong contender. But then there is Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief. Originally marketed as a young adult novel, it has crossed over and become a book for adults, too. But then there’s a new Henning Mankel and Louise Erdrich’s new one. Too many contenders but we’ll have some fun debating and come up with The One and look forward to selling it to both those who read and those who are readers.