That weekend, the road initially led to Sculptor’s Way, in Hamilton, NJ, for a summer tour of Grounds for Sculpture, a park created in 1992 by J. Seward Johnson. Sometimes decidedly kitschy with its many three-dimensional reproduction of Impressionists paintings, the place is still quite charming thanks to its Giverny-like atmosphere, reminiscent of Monet’s garden.

Naturally, the road could not end there; it had to lead to a bookstore… It was Farley’s Bookshop, in the nearby town of New Hope, PA.

No sign of any book by Tournier – but, yes, as I enter the store, it is just there, on my right: a Staff Pick for “Conspiracy of Dunces”. There is clearly no escape from John Kennedy Toole. Farley’s, however, turns out to be a lovely find. As promised, it offers “great books for young and old”, with an original selection for children, youth, and young adult literature. Most interestingly, Farley’s has established a strong connection to small press and advertizes their production with care and warmth. It is difficult to resist the appeal of the many works well represented here. I nearly fell for a novel about bibliophiles – but the fact that it was entirely written in emails ultimately discouraged me. Poetry and translation shine in this small press catalogue; I was particularly intrigued with the choices from Black Widow Press, and the recommendation for Perec’s Void amongst a nice selection of translated works.

And, at this bookshop, the bookstore animal has his own recommendation list: find Butter-the-cat’s Staff Picks here. In a recent interview to LitHub, one of the booksellers is miffed that some people seem to care more about the cat that they seem to care about the book – let me propose that this may be because he has slightly more original suggestions than “A Confederacy of Dunces”? 

Farley’s Bookshop window, and Butter’s backyard in New Hope, PA.