‘Cause there ain’t no place on earth to read your book in peace

Prathibha Ryali
Aug 25, 2017 · 5 min read

Once you’ve held a book and really loved it, you forever remember the feel of it, its specific weight, the way it sits in your hand… I may never again hold a book this old, or one with such a whisper in me.

Devonport was like that book. Real. In front of me. Present. It was not a picture postcard or an internet image. It was real place. I was standing in it. In this quaint little bookstore tucked by the sea and in the matchbox village. It really did not take much to get to this lovely volcanic village if you were staying in Auckland Central business district. 10 mins of ferry time and an hour off in the afternoon, almost like catching a bus to downtown.

Devonport

But what one took away from this little trip was an irreversible catch in your forward timeline. Once you went to this bookstore you could never forget or pretend it did not happen. You could never go back to living your life the way it was before this happened. And this was just the beginning of my irreversible timeline collectibles from Auckland.

Paradox books is more than a bookstore. It is an experience; a creative storehouse orchestrated by the lovely, warm and friendly Matthew who has been running it for last 3 years. It is a living breathing space of all lovely things an unfettered mind seeks and a hungry soul craves when it enters a bookstore- unhinged thinking, flow of ideas, wonderful people to talk to, trying something one never did before and to let the mind loose and be lost.

Theme is blue for this week!!

As I entered this book store through magic invisible curtains (as Matthew says) and started browsing through the local titles (I do this every time I travel), I hear a friendly voice popping in from the lovely living room set-up bang in the middle of the store. Matthew, introduces himself to me and starts discussing Sun Tzu which he gets to read in his store in the middle of the day on the couch (sigh!!).

Matthew in his living room set-up at Paradox books, the chess-set and coffee table at hand

A little banter and he invites me to join him and witness a magic trick with cards. As I make myself comfortable I notice a lovely coffee table with juicy titles and a tempting array of books all of which I instantly want to grab and rush home. Also set on the table is a lovely antique wooden chess set. Curious I ask who plays with him and pop comes the answer “ I play with my customers!”.

Already intrigued I start getting chatty and picking up the titles on the coffee table. That is when Matthew tells me that everything on the coffee table is handpicked because it either makes him laugh or makes him wonder. To that I see really funny books like “Garden Gnomes have issues”; “Sock Monkeys have issues” and a lovely picture book that says “But I wanted a Pony” for new moms!!

Coffee table picks

At this stage he pulls another rabbit out of the hat and asks me if I wanted to paint? I am bowled over. Yes- an actual canvas, easel, a bucket full of paints, brushes, washcloth and an unfinished paiting which someone else dabbled in. I have never ever painted on canvas in my life. And here I was thousands of miles away from home in a cosy bookstore tucked away in a volcanic village island furiously tugging away.

Matthew tells me that everyone leaves a part of themselves on these canvasses and he sells them to toursits and the money goes to charity.

Canvas painted by customers on display for charity sale
Trying my hand at canvas- cheers to the many firsts!! ( I drew the tree and tried to fix the stream :P)
Bucket full of paints and brushes.. creative haven!!

Matthew seems to be living the life I always dreamed of. He had his own creative space. He had books racked till the ceiling and all you can read days. He had a touristy store where all kinds of people from across the world walk in and he actually got to chat with these people. He had every bit of creative insight into humans across the globe and tons of meat to write on whatever the hell he wanted to.

He had no mobile phone. At one point of time when his landline started ringing non-stop in the middle of a conversation he refused to pick up the phone. “It’s a request not an order,” he quipped to an astonished me.

How does he make any money? Well it’s a touristy location, it takes one cruise to stop by and he ends up selling many of the standard New Zealand titles. Also the locals are pretty loyal to the store.

A few blocks down the street is a lovely public library with open glass windows and view of the sea. The gardens have wooden benches with seaview, fountains and tree shades. The walk up to Mount Victoria has a Writers’ Centre tucked into the hill with sharp drop onto sea view.

Devonport library bench with the sea and fountain views
Micheal King Writers’ centre- a cottage tucked in the trees on the climb top Mt. Victoria ( a dormant volcano over looking the sea)

Every ounce of this place is a book readers haven. Even strand of Matthews’s store is crafted with wonder. Wonder that once invigorates the insatiable apetitie of a book lover, it refuses to calm down. I have an urge to just pack my bags and move to this quaint paradise.

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Prathibha Ryali

Written by

Wandering Wordsmith

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