A Moment of Serendipity: Why I Love Recycle Bookstore

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. I recall many lazy days where I would take a seat in some corner of my home and read for hours. Whether it was the Sunday "funnies," or a Robert Louis Stevenson book (he's one of my favorites), I loved to read just about anything. More than any of my friends, I had shelves around my room filled with hundreds of books. When I was younger, I always purchased my books brand new, from a bookstore or a school book sale. But as I got older, this changed. I would often rent books from the library or purchase them from a garage sale or recycle bookstore. I began to find it important that the actual book have as much history as the story the lines told inside.

I accredit this to my love of the film Serendipity. If you have yet to see the film, it is a story of a man, played by John Cusack (another favorite), and a woman, played by Kate Beckinsale, who believe that if they are meant to be, fate will eventually bring them together. In one scene of the movie, Kate Beckinsale's character writes her number in a book, and promises to drop it off at a used bookstore that next day. If John Cusack's character finds the book, it was destiny. Throughout much of the movie, Cusack's character stops in to every used bookstore he finds—hoping that the copy they carry is the one he has been looking for. The book itself has as much history as what the author has placed on the pages.

When I first moved to Campbell, I remember stumbling upon Recycle Bookstore in Downtown Campbell. It was the ultimate used bookstore. The walls and bookshelves were covered with thousands upon thousands of books. There was even a bookstore cat. From the writings of C.S. Lewis to those of Edgar Allan Poe—it was all there. There was not one book I could think of that could not be found.

In a moment of serendipity, I took a book off the shelf, and took a spot in the corner. It felt like home. If you have yet to experience Recycle Bookstore for yourself, I hope that you take the time to do so. Perhaps you will find a piece of your childhood, or even create a brand new memory. 

The opinions expressed here are the blogger's and not necessarily those of the local editor's or anyone affiliated with Patch.