Bookstore Redux

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere.

The Ivy

A dear niece’s birthday approaches next week. I had a brief moment of panic as I brainstormed a gift that could be easily mailed, and then calmed as I remembered the independent bookstore five minutes away. The Ivy Bookshop has been part of my life—my neighborhood bookstore—since the early days of my writing career. During the pandemic, the current owner shifted the business from within a mall to a Victorian building she purchased that is full of light and good vibrations, and that’s surrounded by green acreage and even has a roofed terrace perfect for outdoor signings. today, I browsed for a half hour and came away with something I hadn’t known would be there—but that was just right for a birthday gift. Ooh, and a copy of Spare for myself! The experience led me to share what I wrote about my love for bookstores a couple of years ago.