Commonplace Reader

This year, our wall calendar features an honorary New Jersey bookstore: our beloved Commonplace Reader. A quick drive across the bridge, this bookstore is based in Yardley, PA and has been a treasured community partner for Read Furiously for years. Last year, during our ten-year anniversary event with Commonplace Reader, Bill Hemmig and Margaret Montet came up with the idea to create a NJ bookstore calendar which is just one example of how much inspiration we get from stepping inside this bookstore. We’ve called Commonplace Reader the official bookstore for Read Furiously because so many of us call it our community bookstore and you can find many Read Furiously titles throughout the shop.

I don’t have enough space to talk about how much we love Commonplace Reader, owner Liz Young, and her amazing team of booksellers, but I hope what I can share will inspire everyone to pay this beautiful bookstore a visit. Liz Young is a champion of all things literary. She supports local authors, small publishers (like us!), literacy causes, and the bookstore’s own book club members. When you walk into this historical house where each room is filled with books and treasures, it’s the feeling of entering a sacred space. Aside from the amazing collection of books, there are signs everywhere detailing book club information, how to get involved in different forms of literary activism, and information on community events outside the store and on the Yardley main street. The wraparound porch is a place for author signings, book readings, and children’s events. The upstairs features the best collection of children’s titles and a smaller room of eclectic titles and books from local authors.

While putting together this calendar, I had the privilege of shadowing two of the monthly book clubs: the Women’s literature fiction book club called The Bluebirds and the mystery book club called The Ravens. Upon entering both of these book club spaces, I was immediately welcomed by the members who were kind enough to share their experiences about the book clubs at Commonplace Reader. Both groups had similar thoughts: they loved the work and care that Liz put into these meetings; even if they weren’t keen on the book choices, they were grateful to have read them; and these clubs help them get more reading done. During the Bluebirds meeting, we discussed The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo with Liz serving as book club moderator. The meeting was an hour, but, like all great book clubs, we could have gone longer in the discussion. We discussed fairy tales, folklore, the concept of humanity, the nuance of the feminine POV, location, imagery, and the idea of revenge in fiction (IYKYK). At the Ravens meeting, we discussed Butter by Asako Yuzuki and translated by Polly Barton. As someone who isn’t a mystery reader, this meeting was a bit intimidating. However, once again, everyone was welcoming and happy to share their tips for mystery reading (take a lot of notes while reading, which made this professor’s heart very glad). With Liz serving as our trusted moderator yet again, we dove into the gender social construct, the cultural collective, issues of weight, work/life pressure, food, and obsession, and our thoughts on “based on a true story” narratives. 

For both of these meetings, I took pages and pages of notes that covered previous books, thoughts on the choices each month, and the reason why everyone keeps coming back. This reason was unanimous: it’s the environment at Commonplace Reader and the passion for books and reading that Liz and her team instill in everyone who walks into the shop. It’s a feeling of home, localized in a community bookstore. For years, we have been proud to call Commonplace Reader our community partner, Read Furiously’s “official” bookstore, and our favorite place to shop. They may be based in PA, but NJ heart and soul is mixed right in. 

Bookstore Specialty:
A bookstore for all readers specializing in books for adults, young adults, children, book clubs, and writers

There’s lots to love at the award-winning Commonplace Reader (Bucks County Herald “Best of the Region” three years in a row!), but the book clubs are the most fun. There are so many options to choose from and they meet at different times to accommodate different schedules. You can find the full list along with past reads on their website. However, if you’re a serial book club member, you can also check out African American Museum of Bucks County Book Club, the Gather Place Book Club celebrating America’s 250th, and a writers group. 

Learn More:
You can find more information about Commonplace Reader through their extensive website. You can purchase books, check out upcoming events, information about each book club, browse the staff picks, and learn more about community literacy projects, including donating to BookSmiles (over 25,000 books collected!). We also highly recommend the “Book Nook Picks” and “10 Second Reviews” which helps readers filter the many titles that come out every week. Following Commonplace Reader on Instagram also gives you a front row seat to local author news, displays, and their community projects. 

We are so excited to feature Commonplace Reader in our upcoming Indie Bookshops of New Jersey 2027 wall calendar. Preorders are open now. Calendars are printed with a limited print run, so preordering ensures you get a copy before they sell out. Calendars will ship out on August 25th. Or you can contact the store directly to get your copy!