Reading can be an incredible experience. It transports you to strange, new worlds, allows you to slip into the shoes of a great hero or crafty protagonist, and can evoke every possible emotion. For the residents of Emerson Valley, the wonderful bookstore known as “Cassie’s Corner” is the perfect place to go when looking for an escape.

They carry books from all different kinds of genres, from romance to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, as well as plenty of non-fiction books like biographies, guidebooks, and historical chronicles. However, with the advent of Amazon and e-readers, many people have decided to leave physical books behind.

“It’s a bit sad that not many people buy actual books anymore,” said Cassandra “Cassie” Tate, the owner and proprietor of Cassie’s Corner. “There’s nothing like the feel of a physical copy in your hands. There’s a weight to it, especially those with a large page count, and you get a familiar scent from the paper that always takes me back to my childhood, which was mainly spent in libraries.”

Even though people aren’t coming into the shop as often to purchase new reading material, Cassie isn’t concerned about her financial situation. “When my uncle died, he left me a pretty nice inheritance,” she explained. “Honestly, I’ve never been too worried about turning a profit. I do this because I’m passionate about books, and I want to encourage others to find a passion for reading like I did. If the store makes money, great. If it breaks even, fine. If I’m operating at a loss, oh well. As long as I’m still alive and kicking, Cassie’s Corner will be too.”

Her “laissez faire” attitude toward the business side of the bookstore belies a very deep and genuine fear that books may become obsolete in the near future. “At some point, I might just start giving my books away for free,” she stated, and it sounded like she was only half-joking. “I guess if that happens, and people still stop coming into the shop, that’s when I’ll shut it all down. But I really hope that time never comes. ‘Retro’ things like vinyl records and VHS tapes have managed to find a niche, so maybe books will too.”

If you find yourself having a hankering to read, and you want to feel a real, solid book in your hand with pages you can physically turn, come on down to Cassie’s Corner. Her shop is located in downtown Emerson Valley, right on the corner of Main and 8th Street. As an avid fan of the HBO show Game of Thrones, I ended up buying all the A Song of Ice and Fire novels from author George R. R. Martin that are currently available. He should be releasing the next one soon, so I’ll be swinging by Cassie’s Corner the moment it’s released.

-William Cooper, Human Interest, Emerson Valley Gazette