Books, in their portable, low-tech, humble stacks of paper, can transport you instantly; not just to another time or place, but into the minds of their authors.

Stepping into the Owl’s Nest Bookstore in downtown Fredericton is a little like this. From the moment you grasp the peculiarly-low-to-the-ground handle of the inner door, its as though you’ve been absorbed into the mind of another person.

The Owl’s Nest is a bookworm, for sure: the books piled high to the ceiling, scattered on the floor, and stacked on every available surface give that much away instantly.

She’s not glamorous. No flashy displays or lighting here, and certainly no “Home Decor” section à la Chapters.

The Owl’s Nest is an omnivore. You’ll find every kind of book you can imagine here, from romance to Sci-Fi, history to sheet music. There are relatively new releases, and some books that look like they were published in 1880.

All those books take up two long floors of this building.

Upstairs

You’re going to want to take your time here.

Having a sense of humour and a helpful spirit, the Owl’s Nest provides you with ample signage to help you find your way to your literary treasure.

A benevolent overlord, the Owl’s Nest not only tolerates the “lippy customer” but encourages them. So long as they’re grammarians.

Not one to waste a perfectly good stereotype, the Owl’s Nest is also a Cat Lady.

Venturing past the section on royalty (current crop), past the “really, really old books,” and between the hardcover fiction stacks to the very back of the second floor, you’ll find something I’ve always longed to have in my own home: the bookshelf ladder.

The Owl’s Nest is an apt moniker, actually, because this store feels like a nest. It feels like a business that grew organically, becoming an ever more perfect realization of the owner’s dream and a mirror of his or her personality.

There are drawbacks, though.

Unfortunately, between the cat and the books, those afflicted by allergies or asthma (like me) will find it difficult to spend as much time as they’d like perusing the shelves. I desperately wanted to open all the windows and air out the Owl’s Nest Bookstore, an inclination I instantly regretted.

Who am I to mess with the inside of someone’s mind?

Owl’s Nest Book Store