Almost every time I go into NYC, a quirky hole-in-the-wall bookstore just calls my name. The on-sale display outside is like a beacon, a calling I can’t control. So, instead of fighting it, I go inside to buy one book. One book turns into one too many. Then, I am stuck with a huge (and overpriced) totebag of books, lugging them all over Manhattan.
And it’s not like there is just one bookstore stealing my time and space. Go to Midtown, there’s an amazing bookstore. Union Square, tens of thousands of $1 books sitting outside on a rack, drawing you in. No matter where I go, I always end up buying a book.
So, why oh why must New York City have the best bookstores known to man? Is it too much to ask to have a mediocre bookstore, with only one or two books that are in the slightest bit appealing. My shoulder– and my wallet– can no longer handle the new collection of books I have after returning from a day in the city.
Jensen L
