Heath Wilder
Not only are books magic but "Book are Magic" is magic, as are the coven curating the creative compositions there. You can tell a lot about a person by browsing the shelves in someone's home - what's on display and what's been repeatedly used and lent and dog-eared for reference. But I was keanly aware that the books there are carefully considered recommendations for the benefit of the person walking through the door. There are the big hits with substance, and they sit alongside the books of big impact with a smaller distribution. The range is impressive - rather than 90 copies of this seasons "Eat Pray Love" they'll have 2 copies and a dozen + titles speaking to a broad range. They have recommendation cards a plenty so you know they know the library. You can tell books are a personal love language here. As a middle-aged/Autistic/Aboriginal/Jewish/Australian I felt uncommonly welcome here. I may have helped that the music was in one of the many playlists I've had over the years, like a sound track across the epocs of my history. I bought two books - Katherine May's "Enchantment" I bought in virtual version for a book club, ) and a unlike me a manga that made me take it like the face of a puppy looking up at me from an animal shelter, after I flipped a few pages. The staff are attentive and happy to facilitate as if you are a house guest rather than a target for financial transaction. Loved Books are Magic. Well worth a 23 hour flight.
