Ode to Crackskull's Coffee & Books

In a world dominated by corporate run coffee shops and bookstores cut from the cookie cutter mold of Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, Crackskull's Coffee & Books in bookstore in downtown Newmarket, New Hampshire is a breath of fresh air. Crackskull's is about as quirky and eclectic as it name indicates. In fact, its success has often puzzled me.

"How does one make a living selling coffee and used books?" I have often wondered while sitting in the shop, enjoying a warm caffeinated beverage on a cold fall afternoon

"Apparently by providing an appealing combination of local character, cheap used books, and high quality coffee and pastries," my mind answers.

The selection of used books at Crackskull's is impressive not for its size, but for its quality. Partly this may be due to the fact that New Market has always been home to a sizeable population of University of New Hampshire students - most of whom happen to be hippies.

These are swinging hepcats that crave good literature. They read the classics, from Tolstoy to Dickens. They dig the words of Kerouac and Vonnegut. Then they sell these books to Crackskull's so they can buy beer around back yard fires, make food for potluck dinners, and do laundry once each year.

The result is that Crackskull's collection of books contains some pretty unique editions of popular books like On the Road. These are the forgotten editions of books published sometime between the first editions collectors long and the newer editions currently available for briefly inflated prices at your average bookstore.

The value of these books lies partly in the uniqueness of their cover art - coming as it did from an forgotten era in publishing history. Their appeal also partly lies in the notes and doodles left by previous owners that one finds as you flip through yellowing pages.

These things make me feel a part of a book's life. After all the true value in a book has little to do with its cover price. It has everything to do with the story the book contains. I believe that when you read a story you become a part of its legend. Books influence us to think in new ways, to adopt new beliefs, and sometimes to take actions that will change our lives - and maybe even change our world.

Yes, these are the things I ponder over as I enjoy a second cup of steaming coffee and nod in a friendly manner to a customer who just walked in the door. Soon I will be playing chess with this new found friend, and chatting with the friendly employee behind the counter. In the end I'll buy a brownie and drop a dollar in the tip cup and leave satisfied as always at the pile of used books in my hand, the feeling of warm coffee in my belly, and the

I not so secretly envy of the owners of Crackskull's. Indeed as I pass my time laboring at whatever job I am lucky enough to have at the time, my thoughts often drift to Crackskull's. I dream of the time when a new day will dawn, and I too will awake to find myself the owner of used bookstore. On that day I will open up shop with a smile and a laugh, find a good book to read until my first customer arrives, and then enjoy my first of what is sure to be too many cups of coffee.

Crackskull's is located at 86 Main St in downtown Newmarket, NH 03857.