Coffee, Books and a State of MInd

I recently visited my local Costa café for a lovely cup of coffee and a natter with a dear friend - one of my favourite things to do.

I noticed they had a bookcase where people can donate books and buy any that catch their eye - for a mere 50 pence.

What struck me most was the general genre.

Vampires, murder, espionage, forensic science… CSI-style everything.

What I would call - dark subjects.

Certainly not the sort of books that lift my spirits.

If I read one, I’d be looking over my shoulder - startled by mirrors, my own shadow, and the dark.

I’d be chewing whole bulbs of garlic, wearing a cross, and battening down the windows at night!

It did make me wonder…

are these books a reflection of our collective mindset?

Not that there’s anything wrong with reading them - each to their own.

But I do believe that what we fill our minds with affects the way we see the world.

Watching the news unsettles me - something I stopped doing a long time ago.

I realised I couldn’t help the people in those stories, and I needed something gentler to take in - especially before bedtime.

Now, before anyone thinks I’m being overly dramatic - I do understand that not everyone in my town drinks at Costa or reads these kinds of books!

And the money raised goes to the Costa Foundation - a very good cause.

As a self-confessed book addict - especially when it comes to second-hand books - I love the idea that someone before me has turned those pages, perhaps even found a nugget of wisdom tucked inside.

But I digress…

And to avoid disappointing any fellow bookathletes - (yes, I made that word up) - those who devour books by the dozen…

Have a little look and see if you have any pleasant reads you might like to donate.

I’m sure Costa isn’t the only place doing this, and it’s a wonderful way to circulate books while supporting a good cause.

As for me, next time I succumb to the call of a good coffee…

I’ll be donating something a little more light-hearted.

This is not a Costa advert, by the way -

I do visit other coffee shops too.