📚 The Bookstore That Opens at Night 🌔 | Cozy Bedtime Story for Sleep & Relaxation | Soothe Anxiety

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00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:07,620
Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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00:00:07,660 --> 00:00:12,070
narrate, and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,840
cozy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,230
Each week I share an original
story.

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00:00:20,340 --> 00:00:25,380
Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I also create micro experiences

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inspired by the stories you
hear.

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These are short, gentle reading
moments designed to help you

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slow down and rest in the
village for as long as you like.

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They're available now to enjoy
on screen or on paper,

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individually or in small bundles
through the slow life.ca under

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the Shop tab.
Let's settle in with some easy

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breathing at your own pace.
With each inhale, let fresh air

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00:01:11,970 --> 00:01:14,420
fill the space around your
heart.

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00:01:15,970 --> 00:01:21,860
With each exhale, feel the calm
air spread through your body and

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flow out through your arms and
legs, gently in through your

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heart.
Gently out through your body, in

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00:01:36,790 --> 00:01:42,470
through your heart, out through
your body.

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And now let's begin.
This story is called The

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Bookstore That Opens at Night,
and it's about quiet streets,

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00:01:59,410 --> 00:02:03,210
happy dogs, and a plush green
chair.

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00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,380
By the time I leave the house
for a stroll, evening has

23
00:02:11,390 --> 00:02:13,950
already settled over the
village.

24
00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:20,450
A few minutes earlier, I had
been rinsing my tea cup at the

25
00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:25,730
kitchen sink when I saw my
neighbor and her dog starting

26
00:02:25,740 --> 00:02:28,310
out on their final walk for the
day.

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00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,980
It made me want to be owed under
the glowing lights too.

28
00:02:35,710 --> 00:02:38,460
The streets are quieter at this
hour.

29
00:02:38,930 --> 00:02:44,770
Cars pass now and then, but the
usual daytime rhythm has slowed.

30
00:02:46,490 --> 00:02:51,890
A few windows are lit softly
along the way, their curtains

31
00:02:51,900 --> 00:02:57,200
drawn for the evening.
I see a couple of others who

32
00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:00,560
have their dogs out now.
When there are fewer

33
00:03:00,570 --> 00:03:08,070
distractions, I find myself on a
side street where up ahead a

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00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:13,340
warm light spills from a store
front window onto the sidewalk.

35
00:03:15,150 --> 00:03:20,330
I'm not often out for a walk at
this time, and I smile when I

36
00:03:20,340 --> 00:03:22,980
realize where the light is
coming from.

37
00:03:24,810 --> 00:03:30,760
The bookstore that only opens at
night sits tucked between two

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00:03:30,770 --> 00:03:36,660
darkened buildings, its windows
glowing and its sign flipped to

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00:03:36,670 --> 00:03:43,780
open, welcoming me in.
Anyone passing by would notice

40
00:03:43,790 --> 00:03:49,190
it immediately.
From the street, it looks almost

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00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,410
like a small stage set for
readers, its velvet curtains

42
00:03:54,420 --> 00:03:58,000
pulled open for this evening's
quiet performance.

43
00:03:59,450 --> 00:04:05,280
A couple walking arm in arm
approaches the door, and I hear

44
00:04:05,290 --> 00:04:09,530
one tell the other that they'd
heard about this bookstore from

45
00:04:09,540 --> 00:04:14,000
a friend who had visited the
village a few years back.

46
00:04:15,330 --> 00:04:21,100
He hoped it would still be here.
Whenever I stop by.

47
00:04:21,170 --> 00:04:25,540
A visitor wanders in after
hearing about the shop that

48
00:04:25,550 --> 00:04:30,110
opens only at night.
Curious to see it for

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00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:37,280
themselves, I follow them in a
small bell ringing overhead.

50
00:04:39,090 --> 00:04:43,960
The air inside carries the
familiar scent of paper and

51
00:04:43,970 --> 00:04:47,960
wood.
Shelves line the walls from

52
00:04:47,970 --> 00:04:52,620
floor to ceiling, and a few
narrow tables run through the

53
00:04:52,630 --> 00:04:58,210
centre of the space, stacked
with uneven piles of books

54
00:04:58,260 --> 00:05:05,180
waiting to be discovered again.
Used bookstores always feel a

55
00:05:05,190 --> 00:05:08,530
little different from those that
sell new ones.

56
00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,790
The books have already lived
part of their lives somewhere

57
00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,340
else.
Some lean slightly on the

58
00:05:17,350 --> 00:05:21,080
shelves, as though they've
relaxed into place.

59
00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:28,350
Others are stacked 2 rows deep,
hiding for who knows how long.

60
00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:34,470
Behind the first row, a lamp
stands in the corner beside a

61
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:39,950
comfortable chair, and another
hangs low over a table where

62
00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:46,270
several small piles have formed.
I take a slow walk down the

63
00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:52,180
first aisle, letting my fingers
drift along the softened spines.

64
00:05:53,890 --> 00:05:59,060
The books are arranged in loose
sections, though the categories

65
00:05:59,070 --> 00:06:04,520
blend easily into one another so
that wandering becomes part of

66
00:06:04,530 --> 00:06:09,850
the experience.
Travel sits beside memoir.

67
00:06:10,530 --> 00:06:13,570
History leans into nature
writing.

68
00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:20,350
I pull one book from the shelf
and open it briefly, reading the

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00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,620
first few lines before sliding
it back into place.

70
00:06:26,390 --> 00:06:31,080
A few steps later, another
catches my attention.

71
00:06:32,350 --> 00:06:36,980
I carry this one with me for a
moment before setting it on a

72
00:06:36,990 --> 00:06:40,060
nearby table to start my
collection.

73
00:06:41,660 --> 00:06:47,790
The rhythm becomes simple.
A few steps, a pause, a book

74
00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:52,910
lifted from the shelf.
Soon there are two books resting

75
00:06:52,980 --> 00:07:00,030
in a growing stack on the table.
Then three near the middle of

76
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,420
the shop.
A few low boxes hold comic books

77
00:07:04,470 --> 00:07:08,870
in protective sleeves.
They're colourful covers,

78
00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:16,070
standing up right in neat rows.
Someone flips through them.

79
00:07:16,340 --> 00:07:20,930
The soft sound of the plastic
sleeves marking the passing

80
00:07:20,940 --> 00:07:27,570
pages are comforting sound, like
flipping through old records.

81
00:07:29,370 --> 00:07:34,480
Beyond that, a narrow shelf
holds a row of slim essay

82
00:07:34,490 --> 00:07:39,500
collections.
I pull one free and flip through

83
00:07:39,510 --> 00:07:44,030
the pages, pausing over a
paragraph that seems

84
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,800
interesting.
This one joins the others on the

85
00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:54,610
table as well.
I gather the books into my arms

86
00:07:54,840 --> 00:08:00,210
and, feeling lucky that it's
vacant, sit in the comfy plush

87
00:08:00,220 --> 00:08:04,450
green chair to have a closer
look at my pile.

88
00:08:06,340 --> 00:08:11,920
I place the stack on the small
table beside me, feeling quite

89
00:08:11,930 --> 00:08:16,760
at home.
Outside the window, the night

90
00:08:16,770 --> 00:08:22,000
has grown even darker, the glass
reflecting the warm light.

91
00:08:22,090 --> 00:08:28,830
From inside the shop, I pick up
the first book and read for a

92
00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,809
few minutes.
The words are pleasant, though

93
00:08:32,820 --> 00:08:35,760
my attention drifts after a
short while.

94
00:08:37,299 --> 00:08:40,789
I close it gently and place it
to the side.

95
00:08:42,370 --> 00:08:45,620
The second book holds my focus
longer.

96
00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,130
A few more pages pass before I
pause again.

97
00:08:51,900 --> 00:08:55,990
One by one, I move through the
small pile I've gathered,

98
00:08:56,220 --> 00:08:59,970
reading just enough to feel the
shape of each one.

99
00:09:01,460 --> 00:09:06,970
Some invite a longer stay,
others seem content to remain on

100
00:09:06,980 --> 00:09:13,410
the shelf for someone else.
Eventually two books stay in my

101
00:09:13,420 --> 00:09:17,360
lap which tells me I don't want
to let them go.

102
00:09:19,020 --> 00:09:23,500
I hear the couple had entered
the shop with asking the man

103
00:09:23,510 --> 00:09:28,540
behind the low counter with
interest why the hours are 8:00

104
00:09:28,550 --> 00:09:36,130
PM to midnight ish.
I already know the story myself,

105
00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:41,610
but can't help but hear as he
tells them this is just the time

106
00:09:41,620 --> 00:09:44,860
of day when he's not busy with
other things.

107
00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:51,530
He likes the quiet of the night
and the mystery of a bookstore.

108
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:58,740
At this hour, I read a few more
pages from one of my choices

109
00:09:59,050 --> 00:10:03,420
than the other.
There's no rush, so I stay a bit

110
00:10:03,430 --> 00:10:07,840
longer just to notice what else
I hear around me.

111
00:10:09,210 --> 00:10:14,610
The soft movements of other
browsers continue, A book

112
00:10:14,620 --> 00:10:21,160
sliding from a shelf, the faint
rustle of pages turning, the

113
00:10:21,170 --> 00:10:26,000
quiet conversation of someone
discussing a title across the

114
00:10:26,010 --> 00:10:30,790
room.
The two books sit side by side

115
00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:36,240
for a moment while I consider
them, then I pick one up again

116
00:10:36,330 --> 00:10:38,900
and read a little farther than
before.

117
00:10:40,590 --> 00:10:43,250
I'll take them both home with me
tonight.

118
00:10:44,820 --> 00:10:50,430
Heading towards the counter, I
ran my hand along more titles,

119
00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:56,190
the chosen books feeling soft in
my hand as though they've

120
00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,080
already been mine since they
were new.

121
00:11:00,770 --> 00:11:06,040
I set them on the counter and he
nods as if knowing that I made

122
00:11:06,050 --> 00:11:12,390
the right choice.
We share a quiet exchange before

123
00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,610
I go home from the bookstore
that opens at night.

124
00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:24,020
The bookstore that opens at
night.

125
00:11:27,530 --> 00:11:32,230
By the time I leave the house
for a stroll, evening has

126
00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,800
already settled over the
village.

127
00:11:36,410 --> 00:11:41,300
A few minutes earlier, I had
been rinsing my tea cup at the

128
00:11:41,310 --> 00:11:46,580
kitchen sink when I saw my
neighbor and her dog starting

129
00:11:46,590 --> 00:11:49,150
out on their final walk for the
day.

130
00:11:50,890 --> 00:11:54,830
It made me want to be owed under
the glowing lights too.

131
00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:59,330
The streets are quieter at this
hour.

132
00:11:59,780 --> 00:12:05,620
Cars pass now and then, but the
usual daytime rhythm has slowed.

133
00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:12,730
A few windows are lit softly
along the way, their curtains

134
00:12:12,740 --> 00:12:18,040
drawn for the evening.
I see a couple of others who

135
00:12:18,050 --> 00:12:21,400
have their dogs out now.
When there are fewer

136
00:12:21,410 --> 00:12:28,910
distractions, I find myself on a
side street where up ahead a

137
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:34,190
warm light spills from a store
front window onto the sidewalk.

138
00:12:35,990 --> 00:12:41,180
I'm not often out for a walk at
this time, and I smile when I

139
00:12:41,190 --> 00:12:43,810
realize where the light is
coming from.

140
00:12:45,660 --> 00:12:51,610
The bookstore that only opens at
night sits tucked between two

141
00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:57,510
darkened buildings, its windows
glowing and its sign flipped to

142
00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:04,630
open, welcoming me in.
Anyone passing by would notice

143
00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:10,040
it immediately.
From the street, it looks almost

144
00:13:10,050 --> 00:13:15,250
like a small stage set for
readers, its velvet curtains

145
00:13:15,260 --> 00:13:18,860
pulled open for this evening's
quiet performance.

146
00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:26,110
A couple walking arm in arm
approaches the door, and I hear

147
00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,370
one tell the other that they'd
heard about this bookstore from

148
00:13:30,380 --> 00:13:34,850
a friend who had visited the
village a few years back.

149
00:13:36,180 --> 00:13:41,960
He hoped it would still be here.
Whenever I stop by.

150
00:13:42,010 --> 00:13:46,400
A visitor wanders in after
hearing about the shop that

151
00:13:46,410 --> 00:13:50,960
opens only at night.
Curious to see it for

152
00:13:50,970 --> 00:13:58,120
themselves, I follow them in a
small bell ringing overhead.

153
00:13:59,940 --> 00:14:04,810
The air inside carries the
familiar scent of paper and

154
00:14:04,820 --> 00:14:08,810
wood.
Shelves line the walls from

155
00:14:08,820 --> 00:14:13,470
floor to ceiling, and a few
narrow tables run through the

156
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:19,060
centre of the space, stacked
with uneven piles of books

157
00:14:19,110 --> 00:14:26,030
waiting to be discovered again.
Used bookstores always feel a

158
00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,370
little different from those that
sell new ones.

159
00:14:30,730 --> 00:14:34,640
The books have already lived
part of their lives somewhere

160
00:14:34,650 --> 00:14:38,190
else.
Some lean slightly on the

161
00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,930
shelves, as though they've
relaxed into place.

162
00:14:43,510 --> 00:14:49,200
Others are stacked 2 rows deep,
hiding for who knows how long.

163
00:14:49,210 --> 00:14:55,320
Behind the first row, a lamp
stands in the corner beside a

164
00:14:55,330 --> 00:15:00,800
comfortable chair, and another
hangs low over a table where

165
00:15:00,810 --> 00:15:07,120
several small piles have formed.
I take a slow walk down the

166
00:15:07,130 --> 00:15:13,030
first aisle, letting my fingers
drift along the softened spines.

167
00:15:14,740 --> 00:15:19,910
The books are arranged in loose
sections, though the categories

168
00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:25,360
blend easily into one another so
that wandering becomes part of

169
00:15:25,370 --> 00:15:30,700
the experience.
Travel sits beside memoir.

170
00:15:31,370 --> 00:15:34,420
History leans into nature
writing.

171
00:15:35,950 --> 00:15:41,200
I pull one book from the shelf
and open it briefly, reading the

172
00:15:41,210 --> 00:15:45,470
first few lines before sliding
it back into place.

173
00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:51,910
A few steps later, another
catches my attention.

174
00:15:53,190 --> 00:15:57,820
I carry this one with me for a
moment before setting it on a

175
00:15:57,830 --> 00:16:00,910
nearby table to start my
collection.

176
00:16:02,510 --> 00:16:08,640
The rhythm becomes simple.
A few steps, a pause, a book

177
00:16:08,650 --> 00:16:13,760
lifted from the shelf.
Soon there are two books resting

178
00:16:13,820 --> 00:16:20,870
in a growing stack on the table,
then three near the middle of

179
00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,260
the shop.
A few low boxes hold comic books

180
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,720
in protective sleeves.
They're colourful covers,

181
00:16:29,730 --> 00:16:37,380
standing up right in neat rows.
Someone flips through them, the

182
00:16:37,390 --> 00:16:41,780
soft sound of the plastic
sleeves marking the passing

183
00:16:41,790 --> 00:16:48,420
pages a comforting sound, like
flipping through old records.

184
00:16:50,220 --> 00:16:55,330
Beyond that, a narrow shelf
holds a row of slim essay

185
00:16:55,340 --> 00:17:00,350
collections.
I pull one free and flip through

186
00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:04,880
the pages, pausing over a
paragraph that seems

187
00:17:04,890 --> 00:17:09,650
interesting.
This one joins the others on the

188
00:17:09,660 --> 00:17:15,440
table as well.
I gather the books into my arms

189
00:17:15,690 --> 00:17:21,060
and, feeling lucky that it's
vacant, sit in the comfy plush

190
00:17:21,069 --> 00:17:25,300
green chair to have a closer
look at my pile.

191
00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:32,760
I place the stack on the small
table beside me, feeling quite

192
00:17:32,770 --> 00:17:37,610
at home.
Outside the window, the night

193
00:17:37,620 --> 00:17:42,850
has grown even darker, the glass
reflecting the warm light.

194
00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:49,680
From inside the shop, I pick up
the first book and read for a

195
00:17:49,690 --> 00:17:53,660
few minutes.
The words are pleasant, though

196
00:17:53,670 --> 00:17:56,610
my attention drifts after a
short while.

197
00:17:58,150 --> 00:18:01,630
I close it gently and place it
to the side.

198
00:18:03,220 --> 00:18:06,460
The second book holds my focus
longer.

199
00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,970
A few more pages passed before I
pause again.

200
00:18:12,740 --> 00:18:16,830
One by one, I move through the
small pile I've gathered,

201
00:18:17,060 --> 00:18:20,810
reading just enough to feel the
shape of each one.

202
00:18:22,310 --> 00:18:27,820
Some invite a longer stay,
others seem content to remain on

203
00:18:27,830 --> 00:18:34,260
the shelf for someone else.
Eventually two books stay in my

204
00:18:34,270 --> 00:18:38,210
lap which tells me I don't want
to let them go.

205
00:18:39,860 --> 00:18:44,350
I hear the couple had entered
the shop with asking the man

206
00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:49,370
behind the low counter with
interest why the hours are 8:00

207
00:18:49,380 --> 00:18:56,980
PM to midnight ish.
I already know the story myself,

208
00:18:57,370 --> 00:19:02,460
but can't help but hear as he
tells them this is just the time

209
00:19:02,470 --> 00:19:05,710
of day when he's not busy with
other things.

210
00:19:07,180 --> 00:19:12,370
He likes the quiet of the night
and the mystery of a bookstore.

211
00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:19,590
At this hour, I read a few more
pages from one of my choices

212
00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:24,260
than the other.
There's no rush, so I stay a bit

213
00:19:24,270 --> 00:19:28,680
longer just to notice what else
I hear around me.

214
00:19:30,050 --> 00:19:35,460
The soft movements of other
browsers continue, A book

215
00:19:35,470 --> 00:19:42,010
sliding from a shelf, the faint
rustle of pages turning, the

216
00:19:42,020 --> 00:19:46,850
quiet conversation of someone
discussing a title across the

217
00:19:46,860 --> 00:19:51,660
room.
The two books sit side by side

218
00:19:51,670 --> 00:19:57,080
for a moment while I consider
them, then I pick one up again

219
00:19:57,170 --> 00:19:59,740
and read a little farther than
before.

220
00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,100
I'll take them both home with me
tonight.

221
00:20:05,670 --> 00:20:11,280
Heading towards the counter, I
ran my hand along more titles,

222
00:20:11,810 --> 00:20:17,040
the chosen books feeling soft in
my hand as though they've

223
00:20:17,050 --> 00:20:19,920
already been mine since they
were new.

224
00:20:21,610 --> 00:20:26,890
I set them on the counter and he
nods as if knowing that I made

225
00:20:26,900 --> 00:20:33,230
the right choice.
We share a quiet exchange before

226
00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,410
I go home from the bookstore
that opens at night.

227
00:20:39,940 --> 00:20:42,350
I wish you sweet dreams.