As some of you know, it has long been a goal of mine to shop in a bookstore after hours. The very idea of having all those shelves of books to myself, late at night (my preferred time of day), is just so enchanting.
April 30 is Independent Bookstore Day and I intend to celebrate by crossing this item off my bucket list.
In an effort to highlight the wonderful contributions independent bookstores provide to communities, more than 400 shops across the U.S. will hold sales, giveaways, contests, author signings and other special events. One such festivity will take place at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., and I’ve already purchased our tickets.
At 11 p.m. on Saturday night, M and I will attend “After Hours at the Bookstore,” an event that involves the staff locking us inside the store for two hours. During that time, we’ll be offered refreshments, entertained by readings from Samantha Hunt and Kelly Link and given free rein of the shop for some late-night browsing. We’ll also receive a Harvard Book Store flashlight and a 20% discount on all purchases. I only wish I could pick up Joe Hill’s latest novel, “The Fireman,” but alas, it doesn’t come out until the middle of May.
