Oliver’s childhood has been blessed by the presence of the excellent local toy store Owl’s Hollow in his life. Owl’s Hollow is the sort of toy store you want to have in your life: broad and eclectic selection, friendly and helpful staff, and the kinds of toys and games you just won’t find stacked up at Walmart.

The store has always had a tiny books section at the back of the upper level; last year this expanded significantly and got a new place in the store just behind the cash. And over the last few months the selection of books has expanded even more.

So now in addition to Dr. Seuss and Goodnight Moon you will find everything ever written by David Sedaris, the Moosewood Cookbook, books about parenting, a chocolate exposé, a good selection of books on “children from other lands” and a nice cross-section of the sort of “middle school fiction” that Oliver’s just starting to get interested in.

I’ve slowly come to the realization that what I need in my life is not a bigger selection of books (or music, or movies, or …), but a smaller and better-curated selection.

That’s what the Owl’s Hollow book section is: packed into less than 100 square feet a rich, well-tended collection of books that means I emerge having purchased two or three every time I visit.