In my little suburb of Detroit, the closest Barnes & Noble is 30 minutes away. The nearest indie bookstore is nearly an hour. I love where I live, it's true, but as a passionate writer and a voracious reader, the lack of bookstores in my area is cause for distress. Maybe I'll open my own one day and solve the problem! It's certainly a dream of mine. But in the meantime, I'll take any opportunity I get to visit a bookstore - such as this month while I was on vacation up north and stopped by the lovely Between the Covers in Harbor Springs, Michigan!
What made the biggest impression on me when I walked into this bookstore (and I think any of my writers out there will agree) was the sign they had hung by the inner door. It basically walks the average person through the REAL process of getting a book published, from the writing to the rewriting to the years querying agents to submitting to publishers and revising, revising, revising. I read it in awe because so few people actually understand and appreciate this process, but here is a bookstore proudly educating the innocently unaware readers walking through its doors! Amazing.
"Amazing" is definitely the word that kept coming to mind as I perused Between the Covers. The staff is kind and friendly, and the store has such a clean, cozy, welcoming feel with wonderful pops of creativity! Take the book folded into flowers above. How cool is that?! (It was actually made by Alison DeCamp, MG author of My Near-Death Adventures, who works at the store. You can read my Mitten Authors interview with her here!) Of course, I beelined for their Middle Grade section, and it's gorgeous! I love how the staff puts little notes in some of the books, alerting readers to their personal favorites. What a lovely selection and beautifully set up! I even found The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah J. Horwitz, which I've been excited to read.
Between the Covers is everything a good bookstore should be, and it makes me wish I had more in my area! If you're ever near Harbor Springs, Michigan, Between the Covers is a treat for any bookworm, and I highly recommend stopping by.
