081: A trip to the bookstore

Theres nothing quite like it. Shelves after shelves of penned thoughts and ideas. If there was a single word to describe the act of browsing books like "shopping" is to browsing items in stores, I would have that as a hobby. We visited Waterstones near Piccadilly Circus today. Just what I needed to boost my mood - 5 floors of books to explore. I love how physical stores classify their items not just by genre (which is so been here, done that) but by interesting themes like "Armchair books", "Exploring British crime" and "Books of the Decade".

Walking through a physical bookstore gets my heart pumping and my mind racing, something that online stores (although I do love them too because of their ridiculously low prices) have yet to achieve for me. I love holding books in my hands, smelling their new printed pages, and experiencing each book cover design to even the smallest embossed letter. Classics by the greats like Charles Dickens and Jane Eyre are reprinted with Penguin rebranding with breathtaking beautiful covers to attract new and old readers alike. Honestly, if not read, they can just be framed for their beauty. Some of the older bookstores have been there for so long that the act of visiting them also feels like you're going back in time. Evident from the creaky stairs and haphazard book arrangements, and not forgetting the smell of old musk. In contrast, there is the newly renovated 6 storey Foyles located in Soho. It was closed for so long due to construction work. I pass that area often to get my customary cup of bubble tea. And when it finally opened, I was starstruck by the enormity of its size. Upon my first visit, I spent hours browsing aisle after aisle without committing to any purchase in the end because of my loyalty to Amazon.

But sometimes, although not often, I would purchase a few items to add to the library from physical bookstores. I must admit it is really hard not to just go on Amazon's app and be enticed by its hard to beat prices. But today, I thought I should do my part in keeping bookstores alive and in business - so two books did I buy. I shudder to think of a time when my children, or I for that matter, may not be able to experience the thrills of bookstores anymore. I cannot imagine not getting lost in the endless aisles, running my fingers through the spines until there is a cover, a quote or a title that would catch my eye.

If I could go anywhere in the world, I would choose to dive into the scenes of my favourite books. I would duel with Malfoy at Hogwarts, run a marathon with Murakami, roam Amsterdam with Hazel Grace and eat chocolates in the chocolate factory. But since I can't do that, I find solace knowing that there are special places where these adventures are kept safe and treasured. And that bookstores are always a place where I can physically inch nearer to the stories that have been great companions of mine throughout the years.