What if there as a warm, welcoming neighbohood bookstore offering a fireside reading lounge, with exceptional coffee and milkshakes and sandwiches, that featured the finest in contemporary and classic literature and downplayed the cheezy, pop-lit, flash-in-the-pan stuff,
and then…
upstairs…
next to the childrens’ reading-and-playing area… there were comfortable reading chairs arranged alongside shelves featuring the works of Thomas Merton, G.K. Chesterton, Henri Nouwen, C.S. Lewis, Phillip Yancey, Eugene Peterson, Donald Miller, Madeleine L’Engle, Dick Staub, Luci Shaw…
It’s not a dream.
It’s called The Next Chapter, and it’s in La Conner, Washington. It’s the model of a perfect neighborhood bookstore. It’s the kind of bookstore I’ve dreamed about. John and Sharon Connell have been quietly offering this wonderful little shop for eight years. Check it out.
Why are all the cool places no where near me! I live near Philadelphia. you’d figure a huge area like that would have something like that. But no, they don’t.
Jen and I stumbled on this one a couple of years ago when up to La Conner for the Tulip Fest — very cool — loved the fact that I could stumble into Chesterton.
Poo, it’s on the wrong side of the Sound (just kidding). We get up there every once in awhile, and now we have a better reason to!
It just so happened that during my vacation to the Northwest, I had planned on touring Whidbey Island today. After reading your blog, I decided to stop by this bookstore. I was very impressed, it was a really neat place with a wonderful atmosphere. Thanks for letting me know about it!
I think Conan would be great at it. He understands the Hollywood life and knows how to make clever, satirical remarks without being overly controversial. Plus, it’d get him some prime time coverage and publicity before he takes over for Jay in a few years.
Jack Black would do well, too. I’m not a huge two-host guy, though, so I’d prefer either Black or Ferrell.
Eddie Izzard would be perfect! The executive transvestite!!!
I second Conan to host.