Curl up with a good bookstore

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Few things in life are so soothingly cosy as a combination of a comfortable couch or chair, a cup of tea or coffee — or a glass of wine, if that be your preference — and a good book. 

These days, most people get their books from Amazon, and many of those come in digital formats, to be read on the screen of a Kindle or a tablet. Convenient as Amazon is with its discount prices, reader reviews, and the speed of shipping that ranges from reasonably quick to immediate in case of e-books, browsing its website does not quite match browsing in an actual bookstore. Online shopping just does not feel the same as passing through the aisles, taking in the colorful — or subdued — book spines, thumbing through the pages and inhaling the incomparable smell of a freshly printed book. 

Nor is it a match for wandering through the labyrinthine and slightly musty passages of a used-book store, where many volumes are a little worse for wear, but, having lived through years or even decades, often carry their own secret stories, beside those printed between their covers. Amazon’s online reviews are helpful, but they do not offer the personal and interactive feeling of talking with a used-book store owner, who will often speak of each volume as of an old friend or at least a favored acquaintance. 

But bookstores are vanishing, apparently destined to go the way of home pianos, vinyl players and horse-drawn buggies. Quite a few of those are still around, if one looks closely enough, but it is not like many people are likely to stumble upon a vinyl player, or a book store, on a typical day, as was the case some years or decades ago. 

The northwest Bronx does not have a single independent bookstore, nor even a big chain one, like Barnes and Noble. The last independent one, Paperbacks Plus, went out of business in 2008. Its owner, Fern Jaffe, said she was retiring after 38 years. 

No one came to fill the void left by the closing of her store — a sad outcome for a neighborhood that is home to scores of college students and professors, and one where many residents are likely to mention reading as a favorite pastime. 

Books of the traditional, paper variety are still popular in Riverdale and the nearby neighborhoods of the northwest Bronx. The Unique Thrift Store on W. 234th Street near Broadway features a few shelves stocked with donated books, and most volumes go fast. Part of the store’s appeal, however, lies in its prices: A paperback typically sells for about $1.50 and a hardcover for $2.50, although a few books — apparently those that store employees deem likely to be particularly sought-after – carry higher price tags. 

But a few bookshelves amid racks of thrift clothes, kitchen utensils, a few pieces of furniture and stacks of children toys in a noisy store filled with pop music hardly qualify as a bookstore. And while an independent bookstore could hardly compete with thrift-store prices, perhaps a book cafe might.

New York City already has a few of those, and cities in Europe and Asia have many more, along with a number of book wine bars. The outfits differ in design and their owners’ literary preferences, but many are decorated like comfortable living rooms, with bookshelves lining the walls around armchairs and cafe tables. Customers order a cup of coffee or a meal, browse the shelves and take a book – or an armful – to read at their tables. Those who want to finish reading at home can pay for their books as they leave. 

If a book cafe were to open in Riverdale, it might just restore some of the charm that many felt was lost with the disappearance of the last bookstore. After all, a combination of a cup of coffee – or a glass of wine, if that be your preference – and a good book are among life’s most enjoyable things. 

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