& help your favorite bookstore.

After many weeks sheltering in place, some of us are getting just a little stir-crazy. So here’s the current rescue plan for our restless blues:

First, a few lists. Back in January, The New York Times published a list of books being published in 2020 that are based in and written by authors from countries around the world. There is also A Year of Reading the World, and a few years back Book Riot put together a list they call Around the World in 80 Books. It won’t be hard to find other lists to meander through.

Step one: Dream-travel through the book lists
Step two: Pick one or two books based in a country you’d love to get to know
Step three: Order them from an independent bookstore (Amazon does not need our help, local bookstores do!) (personal opinion)

In the US, Bookshop.org and Libro.fm are two ways to find and order books from a store near you.

Also, a shout out to a favorite SF East Bay bookstore, Moe’s Books They are taking orders and shipping books and also have a Go Fund Me page.

Then all we have to do is curl up in a favorite spot, and let the pages of a good book lead us through a new country.

Photo by  Janko Ferlič on Unsplash