It is the Holidays...

Before the most recent semester started (said semester is now over, thank FSM), I called my husband on his way home from work—when we’ve been apart all day, sometimes waiting until he gets home is just too long of a wait—and gave him a quick list of the day’s events.

“Cleaned out the fridge, did laundry, started two loaves of bread, ran errands. Oh, I bought eight-hundred dollars’ worth of books at the bookstore.”

In hindsight, it would’ve been wiser for me to haven extended that sentence: “I bought eight-hundred dollars’ worth of textbooks at the Northern Michigan University bookstore.” But I did not.

“You bought eight-hundred dollars’ worth of books?” Kyle asked, his tone fearful but without an indication of shock.

“Books for school! Jeez, Kyle, do you think I would empty our savings account at Snowbound?”

A moment of silence.

“I wouldn’t!”

When I think about it, I might have a problem. It’s nearly impossible for me to walk through the doors of our town’s greatest locally owned bookstore, Snowbound Books without purchasing something, and I’m fairly certain that I’ve never left there empty handed. The store clerks are well-versed, kind, and, after hearing a sampling of your favorite books, very talented at matching books to your interest; is it my fault that they are always able to help me pick out the perfect next read?

The shop itself is small; there are books in every visible space. Something about the close quarters magnifies all of the love and hard-work that surrounds every piece of paper in their shop. When I walk through Snowbound, which is always cozily warm,—I theorize this is due to the great insulation all the books along the walls provide—I always leave feeling inspired.

I have finished my first semester of nursing school, and although I still read books during the semester, albeit at a seriously slow pace, I don’t read nearly enough as I’d like. My stack of books to read on break has grown tall and wide, and, in truth, there’s no way I will get to them all in four short weeks. The bookshelves at home are overflowing with well-loved books I have read and refuse to part with as well as new books I plan to get to. Someday. If not during this break, perhaps I’ll come down with some sort of disease in which I am bedridden and have nothing to do but read. I’m not saying that I wish it would happen, I’m just saying a person’s got to be prepared. What if we get invaded by aliens and the mail stops coming? I’m going to need enough new books to keep me preoccupied while the world rebuilds itself!

But, though my shelves are crammed two books deep, and falling off with even the slightest clumsy touch, I still cannot seem to keep myself away from Snowbound. I guess I feel like the local bookstore is the cornerstone of a town and since I live by the adage that we all vote with our money, I vote to keep their business around, as long as possible. My thoughts on this “cornerstone” idea were confirmed when I read Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and one of his characters said that a town simply isn’t a town without a bookstore. If Neil says it, it must be true. Right?

Now, Marquette Michigan has more than one bookshop, but the others just don’t cut it. They’re chain stores, brightly lit and cold. I fear it may be rude of me to make that judgment, but I simply don’t get the same connection anywhere else than I do from walking into Snowbound.

If you are looking for something to do on these chilly winter days, or if you are anything like my husband and I and have yet to purchase a gift for someone dear to you, stay warm and stop by the shop. There are books to peak all interests and gift cards too. There is truly no better gift than sharing with someone a window into another world.

Happy Holidays, my dear readers!