A place is not really a place without a bookstore.

And then, despite the fact that A. J. does not believe in God, he closes his eyes and thanks whomever, the higher power, with all his porcupine heart.

I'm very privy to the way bookstores work, and I think a lot about the ecosystem that my books have been published in. I think it's great to be aware of how publishing works.

I just love the smell of an old book store and the feel of the crisp pages along my fingertips.

It is clear that the books owned the shop rather than the other way about. Everywhere they had run wild and taken possession of their habitat, breeding and multiplying, and clearly lacking any strong hand to keep them down.

Standing there, staring at the long shelves crammed with books, I felt myself relax and was suddenly at peace.