By Jayden Kimpel, Staff Writer, Copy Editor
For book lovers worldwide, there’s nothing more magical than going to the local bookstore and spending hours in their own wordy wonderland. The smell of fresh books fill your nostrils as you flip through the pages of any book that you can get your hands on.
For someone like me, a trip to the bookstore is both a blessing and a curse.
The bright colors and pretty covers of every book taunt me on the shelf, causing me to pick one up and flip through the pages before eventually discovering the price and putting it back almost immediately. As per usual, this cycle of flipping through hundreds of books only extends my time at the bookstore, causing me to have either an entire paycheck’s worth of books or no books in my arms.
The age old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” is a complete and total lie. Sometimes, the graphics can lure a reader completely in. Well, that’s what usually happens to me. And sometimes the book doesn’t live up to its masterful cover.
But there is a solution. After mindlessly scrolling through America’s favorite app, TikTok, I was shown a few videos regarding a “blind date with a book.” The videos feature a number of bookstores wrapping books up in wrapping paper, then writing a few details about said book that would pull the reader in. After a few hours of watching various strangers on social media rave about the newest “underground” trend, I had to try it myself.
The very next day, I found myself staring at the bright packaging of my possible new-favorite book. I spent almost an hour comparing 12 books, looking through every description and then proceeding to buy four of the 12 books, resulting in a grand total of $56.48.
Since this series of events happened around the holidays, I had gotten two holiday romance books and two other books that fit my favorite genre. After almost two hours in the bookstore, I had gotten into my car and immediately ripped open the wrapping paper like a 3-year-old on Christmas morning.
That very same night, I stayed up all night reading the books. Surprisingly enough, the workers who penned the teasers were true to detail without revealing any harsh spoilers. Overall, my “blind date with a book” was a success and I’m looking forward to our next encounter.