Since becoming an author, I’ve dived headfirst into the book world.
And I’ve discovered something that probably won’t surprise anyone: besides writing books, authors really do love reading them.
I’ve always loved libraries, book clubs, bookstores, and all the places—both real and virtual—where readers gather to talk about stories, recommend books, and share the magic of reading.
But there’s another place I’ve come to love.
It’s a little blue house on a tiny pole at the corner of Reed and 2 South in Chino Valley.
It’s a Little Free Library.
I’ve stopped there many times, and opening that little door always feels a bit like opening a present. I never know what I’m going to find.
There might be an older book I somehow missed years ago. A fairly new release. An author I know. An author I’ve never heard of. A mystery, a romance, historical fiction, nonfiction—whatever happens to be waiting there that day.
And you know what? I’ve found some really good reads in that little blue box.
The idea behind Little Free Libraries is wonderfully simple:
Take a book. Share a book.
What I didn’t realize for quite a while was that there is an entire organization behind many of these little neighborhood libraries.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a mission centered on building community, inspiring readers, and expanding access to books. Volunteer “stewards” establish and care for registered Little Free Libraries, and readers can use an online map to find them around the world.
And no two seem to be quite alike.
Some have books for both children and adults. Some specialize in particular genres. Some contain whatever books happen to come their way. And some stewards add little surprises—bookmarks, stickers, dog treats, or other goodies.
Then there are the libraries themselves.
People have transformed old filing cabinets, grandfather clocks, model ships, and all sorts of wonderfully imaginative things into book exchanges. Once you start noticing them, finding the next one becomes part of the fun.
But what I love most isn’t really the little houses.
It’s the idea behind them.
Someone puts a book into a box because they’re finished with it. Someone else comes along, opens the door, and discovers a story they might never have chosen otherwise.
Maybe they read it and love it.
Maybe they pass it along.
Maybe they replace it with another book for the next person.
It’s such a small thing—and yet there is something lovely about that quiet exchange between complete strangers.
Here in Chino Valley, I’ve found at least five Little Free Libraries so far, and about the same number in nearby Prescott and Prescott Valley. I’ve also stumbled across a few independent book-exchange boxes that aren’t officially registered Little Free Libraries.
Registered or not, I consider every one of them a tiny treasure chest.
Now when I see one, I have a hard time passing it without stopping.
Because you just never know what might be waiting behind that little door.
How about you?
Do you have a Little Free Library you visit? Have you ever discovered a wonderful book in one? Or—better yet—are you one of those marvelous people who hosts one?
I’d love to hear what treasures you’ve found.
