Community Corner
A Literary Lark at Townhouse Books: A Great Escape
Take an afternoon to escape with literature, great coffee and delicious homemade eats.
Bookstores are one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon. I am a kinesthetic person—neither the Kindle nor the iPad do anything to satisfy my desire to see, touch and smell a real book. There's a sense of real peace the moment I walk into a good bookstore—I can lose myself as I devour all the new literature and check on offerings from favorite authors. The artfully arranged book displays may turn me on to trying a new book or author that I may have never considered otherwise.
That's why I love Townhouse Books, 105 N. Second Avenue, St. Charles. Set inside a quaint Victorian building, this independently owned shop also offers a yummy cafe featuring a comprehensive menu for breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch. The cafe is committed to using fresh and simple ingredients, and it makes everything from scratch.
The cafe has a literary ambiance, with authors' pictures gracing the walls. And there's a lovely outdoor courtyard with seating available to enjoy java and a book on a warm spring day.
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It also offers an assortment of coffee and tea drinks, along with wine and beer. The menu contains a variety of soups, sandwiches, quiches, freshly baked breads, luscious desserts and more.
Owner David Hunt and his friendly staff coordinate interesting events at the bookstore, such as author meet and greets and a monthly book discussion group. They have hosted various popular authors at their "Dinner with an Author" series, including Elizabeth Berg, Jane Hamilton and Scott Turow. Their next upcoming author dinner features Brigid Pasulka, author of A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True, on Thursday, April 28th.
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Afterward, check out the rest of the unique retailers also housed in the Century Corners historic mall, including antique shops, clothing stores and a spa.
Yes, St. Charles may be a bit of a drive, but the uniqueness, knowledge and interesting events of this bookstore/cafe can't be found in your big box book retailer. And what better way to enjoy a great escape than by expanding your mind?
