The City That Reads (Among Other Things)

Last semester, I worked my way slowly through The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I bought it the day it hit the shelves mostly because of the hype, if I’m being honest. It took me several months to read, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Anyone who has loved a book will know what I mean when I say I felt somewhat empty afterwards. I missed having something handy to fill awkward slices of time between classes, but nothing new in the Bestsellers section tempted me.

Located not far from campus around E 31st and Greenmount Ave., Normal’s Books & Records offers a wide collection of used books, CDs, vinyl records and tapes in a cozy setting. I visited on a Sunday afternoon with a $10 bill in my pocket and the hope that I’d get lucky with a neat find.

Big bookstores and libraries have always held a church-like quality for me with their high ceilings and cultured character. Normal’s atmosphere — by comparison — has a warm feel, and the serious silence is interrupted periodically by the sound of conversation or boot soles shuffling over hardwood floors.

The walls are covered, floor to ceiling, with books. Normal’s offerings include airport crime novels, Buddhist philosophy, celebrity biographies and dozens more quirky niche genres. There’s something for everyone, trite as that sounds.

I settled on a copy of The False Friend by Myla Goldberg. At $6, it cost a fraction of what I might have paid for it elsewhere.

Before leaving, I paused to admire the densely populated corkboard near the front of the entrance. Flyers for local bands, business cards and event posters vied for attention.

In addition to used books, Normal’s carries a lot of work from local writers and literary magazines and has its own performance venue. The Red Room is run by a volunteer collective and features experimental acts.

A few weeks later I tried out another bookstore, Atomic Books near W 36th St. and Falls Rd.

I was immediately struck by the space’s bright, colorful appearance. Atomic Books’ eclectic selection of books, comics, zines, magazines, novelty items and art offers hours of potential exploration. There’s a focus on alternative and underground works, but as a non-expert on all things indie I found the store and its staff to be quite accessible.

Like Normal’s, Atomic Books also does used books, but they are next door at Celebrated Summer Records. Celebrated Summer is owned separately and focuses on hardcore and punk music but also sells used books for their neighbor. I chatted with owner Tony Pence while he rang up my purchase. We bonded briefly over our shared appreciation of punk bands, and I asked Pence for his recommendations.

All of the independent bookstores I visited seem to double as community hubs for culture. Between the in-house bar, the book signings and release parties and a monthly book club (March’s selection: Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac), I wondered how Atomic Books has the time to actually sell books.

My original quest was humble enough: I wanted something to read after the end of a long affair with a good book. What I found fulfilled that and more; I left Hampden with the distinct impression that there was a lot left to explore, things that I had missed.