Indie Infidelity #SOLC18

I can’t help but feel I’m cheating. I’ve had a true love in my life for 14 years, but now there’s someone new. Is there room in my life for two…

independent bookstores? I am a devoted supporter of The Concord Bookshop in Concord, MA, not far from where I live. My husband and I give them as much business as we can throughout the year, often knowing we could probably get books for a bit less online and maybe faster if they aren’t currently in stock. But they know our names and the types of books we are often looking for. They have great author talks (I’ll be going to one this afternoon) and I’ve met some wonderful local children’s authors/illustrators there who I have stayed in touch with. To me, all of that is priceless. And we want to support the little guys, the Indies, as they are called. They add so much character to our communities.

And now there’s a new Indie on the scene, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore. Why did I feel like I was cheating on Concord when I walked through the Unicorn’s door yesterday during their soft opening? The smell of fresh paint still wafted through the breeze as I opened the front door. Boxes of unshelved books were scattered here and there on the floor, but there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Men, women, and children came and wished the shopkeeper well and shared their hopes for much success. A bookstore will add so much to the village of West Acton. I couldn’t leave emptied handed! As luck would have it, a book I had been looking for, A Seed is the Start by Melissa Stewart, was one of the few unpacked and shelved children’s books. I was thrilled to be able to purchase that from the Unicorn and support Melissa, who lives locally, too. I have also always wanted a Decomposition Book to use as a writing notebook, so I grabbed one of those. And a little something for my husband, McCrea’s Single Malt Scotch Caramels, also made locally.

So is this cheating? Or am I just sharing the love?

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This post is part of the annual month-long Slice of Life writing challenge organized by Two Writing Teachers. Join us! It’s my second year of Slicing in the challenge.  (If you want to take a peek at the Padlet of writing ideas I’ve created, I’m happy to share. Click here! It grows every day.)