"If you're short on hope or in need of a mood lift--and, oh boy, who's not?--I offer a suggestion: Go to an independent bookstore. If you think we live in a society where people don't talk with their neighbors or no one puts their phone down to read an actual book, I beg of you: Go to an independent bookstore....
"The strength of a community is about the strength of its connections and the power of its ideas; both are in ample supply at indie bookstores. Visiting one may not save the world, but it can help you feel connected to your little corner of it."
--From Jen McGivney's op-ed piece "The hopeful reason behind Charlotte's indie bookstore boom," in the Charlotte Observer