The Genius Under the Table

I found today’s book while wandering through Labyrinth Books in Princeton.

Labyrinth is one of my favorite local bookstores to visit. I have a small, unrecognized until now, criteria I’m checking off while in an independent bookstore and Labyrinth meets them all:

1. An Eclectic Selection

Sometimes I want to go in a bookstore and not be bombarded with all the pop books* everyone is talking about. I want a mixture of books that have made their way to the bestsellers list, but also, books that are equally as good, just have not yet stumbled upon their deserved recognition.

*Note, I did not say bestsellers. I think there’s a very fine line of difference. There are books that are incredibly popular right now and while they are currently bestsellers, they might not be lifelong bestsellers.

2. Reasonable Prices

Yes, Amazon is the devil to any independent bookseller. I appreciate independent bookstores that recognize Amazon’s power and do their best to either match or offer some kind of deal or loyalty card. Because being obsessed with keeping every book you’ve ever read on display like a trophy means purchasing said books, and that is expensive.

3. A Used Book Section

This might be my biggest criterion. I love a used book section in an independent bookstore. I love my local used bookstores, too, but they are a different experience altogether. What I love about a used book section in a bookstore is that it gives me the chance to buy something old and new. Often, in such a used book section, I find not only deals, but also antique books which might not mean much to the average person, but have a significance to me or someone I purchase them for.

4. A Bookstore Feeling

Do I need to explain this one? Here are some words that contribute to building a bookstore feeling: Cozy. Quiet. Jazz. New book smell. Old book smell. Index cards with employee suggestions. Coffee. Greeting cards. Tables with selected books for the month. Leather chairs.

I purchased The Genius Under the Table because it fell into my first category: eclectic selection. I found it on an endcap at Labyrinth and was so intrigued by it, having never seen a middle-grade book on such a topic, I bought it. I haven’t seen it in another bookstore since—which is a shame.

The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin is a memoir—something you don’t often find for middle-grade readers—about growing up in Cold War Russia. Accompanied by Yelchin’s drawings, the story is eye-opening, thought provoking, and heart breaking.

Rating: 4/5 stars