Indie Rising

My downstairs To-Be-Read pile.  Yes, there's an upstairs pile too.

It's been a dispiriting few years for book lovers.  With Borders out of business and Barnes & Noble ailing, there are far fewer spots for the leisurely browsing sessions that let a reader stumble onto new books and authors to love.  

The upside?  A desert into which indie bookstores can bloom.  And one just burst into blossom on Philadelphia's Main Line.

Today was the grand opening of Main Point Books. We wandered in and were greeted by friendly staff members, cupcakes, sunshine, and the delicious smell of new books.





































Yes: reading is the point.  But there's a bonus: Main Point Books happens to be standing on the site of THE Main Point, a name that will be familiar to Springsteen fans, as he played a legendary show there in 1975. Here's audio from what may be the best version ever of "Incident on 57th Street," from that very show.  Listen to the end for the serendipitous, perfectly timed siren.

Here's the store's Facebook page.  Maybe I'll bump into you there someday.