A number of Saturday nights ago, I was half awake as usual, still getting used to the drunken wailings echoing through the streets. Only I startled up this time at the sound of glass shattering below, at first wondering if it was someone smashing into the house (as that has already happened once), or if another bottle of homemade nettle beer had exploded in the middle of the night (that has also already happened once).

As I could hear voices shouting and running, a car eventually starting, unsure if it all related to one another, I would soon learn that Orb’s Book shop on the corner got an entire side of their front window smashed in, with nothing stolen, just smashed senseless.

While the initial act of violence doesn’t seem to be out of the ordinary, unfortunately, there can always be something positive made out of a mess, and as it goes, the Huntly Writers have been helping out at the shop in Annie’s absence including giving life into the curb side presence. 

As one of the gems in Huntly, Orb’s only sells books, specializing in a single item and therefore able to provide a higher quality rather than being watered down, ie. super stores that feature a bit of everything but giving you really nothing. Similar to other local specialized businesses such as Forbes Raeburn butchers or Whiskies of Scotland, there is a raised standard, only unlike these two businesses, the book shop relies more on foot traffic, which often come in the form of traveling book dealers and tourists. 

Entirely incomparable to the the lack lustre selection at the public library, whose only highlight exists in their George MacDonald collection, a good used book store goes a long way in any community, and here the community is certainly giving back.