My oddest visit to a used bookstore

I remember that summer well. It was 2020, a time when nothing was normal and doing anything outside your house felt rebellious. The masks shoved into pockets, ready to be put on at a moment's notice. The odd respect for personal space that everyone had, which is literally the only thing I miss about that time, and the atmosphere of discord, isolation, and fear.

But some things were still the same. I still had friends, and one in particular who was ready to go on adventures involving coffee and books. Sarah and I have managed to maintain our friendship for over twenty years.

Yes, this Sarah:

The hour drive between use made it difficult for us to see each other regularly, which made our get-together that summer even more significant. We contemplated going to Barnes and Noble, which was one of our favorite spots. But Sarah had heard of this used bookstore that wasn't too far of a drive. It seemed like an excellent opportunity. At the time, I was working on moving out of my parents' house into an apartment. If I was going to be on my own, there were some books I needed to secure.

We opted in for the adventure, making sure to get coffee before we hit the road.

The place was called The Book Barn, and it was exactly what it sounded like. Well, to clarify, it was actually more than one barn, and the structures were all sort of shoved together.

Rustic. Very rustic.

An old cat greeted us at the entrance. It had long, fluffy, black fur with a few patches of white. Sarah stopped to pet it.

We took a selfie at the entrance, the trepidation building. What were we about to get ourselves into?

The fine line between intriguing treasure trove location and horror-story setting

The place was old and dusty, full of secrets hidden in books just waiting to be discovered.

It's the sort of place one pictures adventurers going to in search of information for their quest, seeking to find the answers that will mean the difference between success and failure. A place where a wizened, old figure will give critical exposition and all the characters finally have a moment to breathe from all the action that's been taking place up to that point.

But that's on a sunny afternoon in the middle of the summer when you have your best friend with you. As many people have pointed out online, it doesn't actually take much to switch genre settings.

Sarah and I agreed that it wouldn't take much to switch the setting from intriguing to creepy. It certainly wasn't the sort of place one would go alone and certainly not the place one would go alone at night. The setup felt almost claustrophobic because of the insane number of books. Add in the wrong lighting and an interaction with a black cat and one would be perfectly set up for a horror story.

I was thankful we had come when we did. Let the potential creepiness fade to the background. It was time to shop for books!

I had no idea you could fit that many books in one place!

It's hard to find the right words to describe the shop. Overflowing with books? Crammed from floor-to-celing? Bursting at the seams? Yes, all those things. The stacks of books and narrow aisles produced a cluttered look. You certainly wouldn't want to try to pass someone in one of the aisles, but it was reassuring to see a few other people browsing the crowded space. I snapped pictures as we walked along, attempting to capture the sheer number of books surrounding me in every direction.

You probably could have taken half of the books out of that place, and it still would have seemed full. Sarah and I discovered that the barn also had an upstairs, so even the initial impression did not reflect the number of books present.

It was a haven reminding the world how wonderful physical books are. There's just something about having a book or papers that you can touch that's different from viewing things on a screen or having digital files.

"Physical books are tough, hard to destroy, bath-resistant, solar operated, feel good in your hand: they are good at being books, and there will always be a place for them." ~ Neil Gaiman

There was a system and organization to the mess, but it wasn't all that easy to spot. How could one find anything in this chaos? We did figure out where the kid's books were. We also found that the upstairs was where the science fiction books and mysteries were with a little help from the cashier.

Quirky assistance

The guy working there was quite a character, an older man who would be the perfect fit for that fantasy exposition scene I mentioned earlier. I could picture the weary travelers coming in, searching for an ancient text on how to slay some monstrous creature, and this man producing volumes instantly.

He knew every inch of the store. So, while the place looked completely unorganized, the system clearly made perfect sense to him. He was helpful, bordering on pushy. When I asked for a book title, he brought it back in seconds and immediately asked "What else?" following each request. I was quickly in possession of the books I'd come in for and was left wishing I had come in with a longer list!

But because he knew where everything was, he was quite particular about where books ended up. I didn't put one book back exactly where I'd found it in the kid's section and from across the room he called out the book's title and told me to put it back in its proper place. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't blocking any of the other books. He was a bit uptight. But if I were responsible for keeping track of that many books, I'd probably be uptight too.

Would I go again?

If I lived closer, perhaps I would visit the spot again. But I'm inclined to say "no," unless I have a specific list of books I need. It's not a shop that fits the casual browsing style that I associate with book shopping. The shop is better for an in-and-out method, asking for copies of specific books that the assistant will locate for you. There is a time and a place for that, but maybe it isn't the day that you plan on catching up with a bestie.

Still, the experience is something I look back on with fondness. It was a little slice of happiness in the insanity that was 2020. It was a time spent with my good friend, and I'm reminded that friends can make all the difference in the experiences we have. The lesson? Don't go to creepy used bookstores alone. Bring a friend so you can hopefully laugh about the experience for years to come.

Thanks for reading! If you liked what you read, consider subscribing, leaving a heart or giving a tip. Tipping is an awesome addition to my coffee fund.

If you would like to receive regular updates on my work, please email me at [email protected] and ask to be added to my email list.