Support your local bookseller! It’s a dark time for small businesses, nowhere darker than for indie bookstores. Even so, they strive to provide positive experiences for their customers. I got a message from Bryan Uecker of The Book Nook and Java Shop in Montague, MI (just north of Muskegon on the shores of Lake Michigan). He was having a BYON (Bring Your Own Novel) book club at which the participants would apply some ideas from How to Read Novels Like a Professor to their chosen books. This would be a Zoom-y group in keeping with social distancing. If I would like to drop in as a special surprise for the members, that would be great.
Last night, I did just that, and while I can’t say how special it was for them, it was a lot of fun for me. We had a really good hour together. Bryan wasn’t making a penny from these gatherings, and this at a time when he has to be wondering if he can keep the Nook together. He is a great representative of his profession, one that we have to do what we can to help get beyond the current disaster. We’ll need them for the next one.
