2010 was a hard year for The Reading Chair Bookstore. I find solace in knowing The Reading Chair was not alone when it comes to hard times in recent years, but it still made for a glum outlook for the future of this dream of mine. On the personal side, 2010 was an eventful year. My family grew and I was finally able to leave my accidental engineering career. Yet, the remnants of my attempt to enter the bookselling world plagued me all year long.
2011 has brought promise and a glimmer of hope. I have returned to school to - hopefully - complete my literature degree. I am amazed at how much my school has changed in the six years since I was last a student there. However, I am thankful Dr. Robin Keehn, one of the most influential teachers I have ever had, is still teaching there. Returning to her classroom has been inspiring. Being her student again has helped me begin exploring what I want to do with my life. I have begun to allow myself the freedom of wandering through the countless possibilities my degree will afford. Slowly, ever so slowly, I am allowing myself to reconsider the dreams of my youth; the ones shattered by a harsh decade.
I have also begun exploring the future of The Reading Chair. In fact, I was walking back to my car after Dr. Keehn’s class a few weeks ago when it hit me: Summer Reading with The Reading Chair. That was the window, just barely cracked open, I needed to compensate for the many doors slammed shut for The Reading Chair. Towards the end of 2009, just before The Reading Chair’s harsh year, I had had this idea of the “Book Party.” It has been done with Tupperware, make up, candles, cookware, the list goes on, so why not with books? I do not have the best track record when it comes to organizing my own personal book groups, but I know a lot of people who have. So I asked myself, what can I do to help support those book groups, and possibly inspire people to form new ones of their own? And thus, The Reading Chair Book Party was born!
The mission of The Reading Chair Bookstore, and the primary goal of the book parties, is to promote literary discussion and spread the joy of reading throughout the community. The book parties are structured simply enough with The Reading Chair’s current inventory displayed for sale, and as a conversation starter. Guests are invited to mingle, enjoy a cup of coffee (freshly roasted by my husband and myself), share reflections upon their personal reading preferences, share thoughts about their favorite books, and explore new stories as recommended by friends and fellow book party attendees.
I don’t have any numbers or statistics to relate the decline in reading, yet I know they’re out there. I only have anecdotal experience that makes me worry for the future of reading in our society. As a parent, I hope to pass on my love of literature to my children. As summer vacation quickly approaches, I am gearing up for my son’s summer reading lists and projects, which has ended up becoming the inspiration for a few of my kid and family themed book party ideas. I want to bring together kids of varying ages and have them write and share stories. I want to gather kids together and have them share their favorite books, even give them a chance to read their favorite stories to their friends. I want to inspire families to read together and foster inter-generational book groups.
The Reading Chair’s first book parties are being hosted at my home for my friends. Bring The Reading Chair to your home and share the joy of reading with your friends! Email me at readingchairbooks@gmail.com to schedule your book party and help The Reading Chair Bookstore grow.
0 comments:
Post a Comment