Tired of the old dinner and a movie trope? Me too. Turns out, there are a lot of boring and played out dates that don’t actually give you and your date a chance to interact in any meaningful way. Of course, there’s a time and a place for all kinds of dates, but bookstore dates are a lost art in these trying modern times. Add some real magic and charm into your life. Take your partner out on local bookstore dates for some of the most meaningful and romantic outings you could hope for.

Reasons To Bring Back Local Bookstore Dates:
Grab a Drink
Instead of hitting up a bar, head to your local bookstore’s cafe and get coffee or a tea (or some wine) while you peruse together. If you’d like, you can even pick up a few books to check out and share with your partner over drinks. Tell them why you picked each book, and what you’re excited about. See what you can learn about each other.

Photo by Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels
Examine Each Other’s Tastes
There’s no better way to see what your sweetie likes and dislikes than observing what kinds of reads they gravitate towards. Would you read your partner’s book? Would they read yours? Even if your tastes are completely opposite of each other, you can unite over your differences, too. Do you like how passionate they are about their interests? Would you be able to pick out a book for your partner? Try it!
Show Them Some of Your Favorite Books
Are some of the books you loved as a child or a young adult still for sale? Show your partner! It helps to know what stories shaped a person you care about and helps you understand how they became who they are now. Honor the books that nourished your younger self and get to know your partner’s inner child, too.
Intellectual Chemistry
At the end of the day, you don’t want a partner who can’t talk to you about ideas or books, do you? You want someone to hold their own in a witty conversation that engages you. Try to guess the plot of the book from the cover. Is your partner pretty spot on, or are they great at making up silly answers? If they aren’t interested in anything whatsoever or they aren’t able to be playful with you, they might not be your match.
Build Intimacy
The best dates are ones that allow you and your partner to speak and create intimacy. A promising relationship means lots of mutual curiosity in each other’s interests. It’s all about give and take. Learning what the other likes and how they think really gives you an idea what they’re all about. Going on a local bookstore date is like getting the Cliff’s Notes to your partner’s interests in real time. They’re trusting you with theirs, and hopefully you’re trusting them with yours, too.
Get Creative
You don’t just have to shop for books on your local bookstore dates. Shake it up a little and get creative. Set up a few ideas for a Scavenger Hunt. Look for a recipe you want to make each other for the next date night. Show each other pictures of your next vacation spot on your bucket list. With the sum of human knowledge at your finger tips, the sky’s the limit.
Future Gift Ideas
While it’s entirely possible you’ll both be going home with at least one book each, be sure to take notice of the books your partner gravitates towards. One of the perks of going on a book shopping excursion means you can keep tabs on which books catch your partner’s eye and surprise them with it later. Pay attention to book titles and authors they gravitate towards and treat them to a book when they least expect it.
Do you know where your closest indie bookstore is? Chances are there’s at least one near you. Pay it a visit soon!