Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Hi, my name is Cat, and I can’t be trusted in bookstores.

Oh, the Temptation

Everyone has that one friend who can’t be trusted alone in a particular store. For my friend group, that’s me, and it’s bookstores. I can’t be unleashed in a bookstore. I will instantly do two things. First, I’ll get lost/lose the group. Second, I’ll start adding books to my cart. It’s really that simple.

Okay, it’s not that simple. I actually don’t go to bookstores all that often (shocking, I know, but bear with me). There aren’t any indie bookstores within a comfortable driving distance, so when I want to get a specific book, I usually order it online (not Amazon, I promise).

So when I go to a physical bookstore, it’s a treat! Take this winter. I went to one of my favorite places in New Hampshire, and it just so happens to have two indie bookstores. (I swear this isn’t the reason why I love this place…but it helps.)

I was like a kid in a candy shop. We went to both bookstores back-to-back, and I spent the same amount in both shops (too much). It’s hard to feel guilty when you know it’s helping a small business. That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.

Libraries Count Too

The truth is, this rule should also apply to libraries. I love my local library—I’m there so often that the librarians know me by sight/name. Don’t believe me? I hurt my hand over the summer, and it impacted my reading. I didn’t really tell anybody this, not thinking much of it, until one of the librarians asked if I was okay. She noticed that my reading habits had changed.

Yeah. That says a lot about me, I know. It also says a lot about how kind and amazing libraries can be, so it’s now one of my favorite stories.

Anyway, I lost the thread there for a moment. I’m trying to say that I will pick up too many books even when going to my local library. Honestly, I love borrowing library books because they come with a deadline. These books can’t be relegated to one of my TBR shelves and left for ages. They have to be read and returned in a polite amount of time.

What about you? Are you allowed to be unsupervised in a bookstore? Or is there another store you can’t be trusted in?

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