My niece Emily’s wedding shower the other day had a brilliant theme: The books that captivated her over the years and the books she – a fledgling pediatrician – hopes to find time to read in the near future.
She, like me, has been a book lover all her life. I smiled when I saw the theme: By chance I’d chosen a Kate Spade purse shaped like the original “Secret Garden” to carry that day.
Books transport us – to places and times we may only dream of. They’re like an adventure we can enter and exit at will.
People like Emily and me – and there are plenty of us out there – crave all the literary moments we can find. Which is great news if you live in the northeast. Opportunities abound to deep dive into literature, from readings to historic visits to special events.
There are a million ways to up your literary ante. Here are just a few to consider.
Get in Line for Madeline: What child – or adult – isn’t instantly captivated by all things “Madeline?” The book’s cover, characters and storylines are instantly recognizable, no matter your generation.
The Ocean House (https://www.oceanhouseri.com/), perched high on Watch Hill in Rhode Island, is going all in on the classic on June 1 when they host “Tea With Madeline,” an afternoon of classic tea offerings with whimsical twists like Nutella finger sandwiches, in the resort’s Seaside Ballroom and The Bemelmans Gallery, home to much art by “Madeline” illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans.
The Tea runs from 2-4 p.m. and is appropriate for all ages. Read the book first and then celebrate your appreciation. Reservations are required, and to really amp it up, book an overnight. Bonus points: The hotel looks directly out to Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island manse, another level of cool that adds to the day.
Trip to Transcendentalism: Who doesn’t know greater Concord was home to many of the most influential writers of the 19th century? Henry David Thoreau wrote “Walden” there; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller and others also called it home. And of course, Louisa May Alcott was at the center of it all.
A day visit to Concord is easy to make special for the literary lover. Tours of the Alcott family’s Orchard House (https://louisamayalcott.org/) bring her stories, particularly “Little Women,” to life. So, too do tours of Emerson’s home, Thoreau’s lyceum and other spots in town.
There’s also Author’s Ridge, the section of the town’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where many of those famed authors were laid to rest, and the walking trail around Walden Pond, where it’s easy to imagine Thoreau losing himself in the study of nature.
Visit first and then reread the classics that were created there. Or discover a book that dives into some of the history of those writers and that time and place. There are two fabulous, independently owned bookstores in town. The Concord Book Shop (https://www.concordbookshop.com/) has been operating since 1940 and can guide you to classics and new works. The Barrow Book Store (https://www.barrowbookstore.com/) is home to rare and gently used books, many focusing on the region.
Booking it in Boston: Boston, famed for its universities, homegrown authors and history, has always been a breeding ground for great literature. Walking the Freedom Trail or meandering through the city, it’s not unusual to come across an historic literary spot.
Thanks to Boston By Foot (https://bostonbyfoot.org/), you can see, learn and experience many of them. Their “Hub of American Literary America” tour takes you to places where writers lived as well as where they gathered, giving you insights into how and why they wrote, and lots of little extras, like why Edgar Allen Poe just could not make Boston his forever home.
