“Stories you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you'll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit.” ― Neil Gaiman, M Is for Magic
The bookstore on the main street of the town I grew up in haunts my mind, still. The bell that jangled when the door opened, the labyrinth of wooden shelves lined with multi-coloured spines, the possibility of undiscovered worlds between endpapers, and that new book smell, of course, the scent that makes people who truly love books sigh with contentment. I was a shy, awkward child who hid behind oversized eyeglasses, who lived in her imagination, who never knew quite what to say but almost always knew what to write (which is why I felt more comfortable communing with my journal than other human beings). I spent my allowance on a new book almost every week, and John Lord’s was the store where I found novels to read at the right ages and the right moments: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret; A Wrinkle In Time; Bridge to Terabithia; The Princess Bride; and all the Anne books, naturally.
I still remember the sound of the old cash register, and I still remember the bookseller himself: John, grey haired and bespectacled and truly at home with his books. He especially liked aviation and military history volumes, which didn’t interest me much, but he was happy to recommend something if I asked (and I sensed his disapproval if I defaulted to Sweet Valley High or The Babysitter’s Club).
John closed the store in 2001 but still sells books out of his home. You can buy online, but are also encouraged to stop by. “Customers are always welcome,” his website reads. “But if you are coming any distance it is worthwhile to call in advance to make sure I will be there.”
When I think about independent booksellers – people like John – I often say a silent prayer that there will always be people like him, and places like his old store, in the world. I believe there will be—because as a writer, I must always believe that people will exist who love books because they understand what they are: personal, for both the reader and the writer; important, because of what they say about now and about the future; vital, because they contain worlds and words that will haunt the places in our minds that we rarely visit, forever. I know it’s easy to download books these days, or order them online. I know the times are changing. But I also know that independent bookstores are rising in numbers, here in Canada and in the US. And I think that’s because there’s just something about a room full of books, and person who knows where to find the perfect one for you, or your child, or your friend, at just the right moment, that feels like home. We all need to find a place like this sometimes, which is why I support independent bookstores and booksellers, and always will.
(c) 2016 Marissa Stapley.
Marissa Stapley is the author of the bestselling novel Mating For Life (Simon & Schuster Canada; Atria Books). Her second novel, Things To Do When It’s Raining, will be released in February 2017. Marissa is also a National Magazine Award-nominated journalist and book reviewer who writes the Shelf Love column for The Globe and Mail. She lives in Toronto with her family and her books.