This was a great weekend read for me on so many levels: The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch.

What drew me to this book:

First of all, I love books (obviously) and I have always had the interest in little bookshops and libraries.

Second, this memoir takes place in a small town in western Virginia, and reminds me of the small town I lived in in Eastern Kentucky.

What kept me reading:

Wendy is a great storyteller. I laughed at their escapades as they learned how to keep shop and how to relate to their new community. Yes, out loud giggles. I also almost cried at some of the stories she shared of people she had met through the store.

Wendy is right when she said “Don’t open a used bookstore unless you love people.” Wendy’s love for both people and books exudes from this book.

Wendy included a great quotation from the play The History Boys:

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – that you’d thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you’ve never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it’s as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.”