翻譯/ bookmanta 這個週末，我們去了沙加緬度的 Time Tested Books。原本只是隨意出門晃晃，結果變成一場既簡單又特別的小旅行。這家書店很低調，我們差點就錯過了，要不是人行道上那台擺滿書的推車吸引了目光。就那麼一眼，我們被拉了進去，而我好慶幸有走進去。 書店裡的氛圍很舒服：紅磚牆、高聳的書架塞滿了書，櫃檯旁還有隨意堆放的書本，整間店散發出一種「書迷優先」的氣息。它不是為了拍照或打卡而精心設計，也沒刻意跟風，而是很自然地存在著，讓人一走進來就想多待一會。 我們的孩子一下子就很自在的跑來跑去，馬上跑到前方的童書區，那裡有玩具和剛好符合他身高的圖畫書。更棒的是，他還遇見了親切的店主和他的狗——對他來說，這兩位新朋友超級新奇。 他最後挑了兩本我們家其實早就有的書。說真的，我也覺得這樣剛剛好。其中一本是《逃家小兔》，我們之前有平裝版，但這次他找到了更耐用的硬頁書，對他這種會大力翻頁甚至啃書的小讀者來說，實用很多。另一個選擇是《晚安月亮》的超大尺寸版本，他一看到那張巨大的繪本就愛不釋手，簡直無法將他與書分開。我們立刻知道：這本書，一定要帶回家。他最喜歡找裡面的小老鼠了，現在在這巨大版，要尋找每一頁的小老鼠，應該會更容易吧！ 他在角落翻書時，我也開始自己逛起來。但我發現自己有點猶豫不決——我不自覺地去尋找那些熟悉的書名，被有趣的封面吸引，卻無法真正下手翻開一本陌生的書。我好像在等一種保證，一種「這本你會喜歡」的確定感。這種微小的不安，讓我在書架之間不停打轉，卻遲遲無法決定。 不過最後，我還是挑了兩本書。一本是《馬拉松人》，我高中時看過，記得當時很喜歡，這次就當作重新回到小說世界的一個溫柔開場。另一本是《龍紋身的女孩》，這本書我已經猶豫好多年了，每次都放回書架，這次終於決定給它一個機會。希望這回我真的能沉下心來讀，甚至一路讀完整個三部曲。就算還沒開始翻閱，能帶它回家，就已經是個小小的勝利了。 我們總共帶走四本書：兩本是孩子早就熟悉的舊愛，兩本則是我給自己的小冒險。那天下午靜靜的、溫溫的，卻在心裡留下些什麼。看著孩子毫不猶豫地投入他熱愛的故事，也讓我再次想起——閱讀沒有正確的方式。有時候你會重讀，有時候你會慢慢來，有時候你會冒一點險，期待一本書把你拉進它的世界。 也許下次，我會試著更像他一點。 ✍️投稿原文/ Stanley: We visited Time Tested Books in Sacramento this weekend, and it turned into one of those outings that felt simple and special all at once. The store’s pretty unassuming—we almost missed it entirely if it hadn’t been for a cart of books set out on the sidewalk. That little cart pulled us in, and I’m so glad it did. Inside, the store has this easy, relaxed vibe. Exposed brick walls, tall shelves packed to the brim, and scattered stacks of books by the counter that give it a lived-in, reader-first feel. It’s not curated for photos or built for trends—it just is, and it makes you want to stay awhile. Our toddler was immediately at home. He wandered straight to the children’s section near the front, where there were toys and picture books just at his height. He also got to meet the friendly owner and their dog—two very exciting discoveries for him. He ended up choosing two books he already owns, which I honestly found kind of perfect. One was The Runaway Bunny, which we’ve had in paperback for a while—but this time we finally found the sturdier board book version. At his age, board books are a much better match for enthusiastic page-turning (and chewing). The second was a giant edition of Goodnight Moon, one of his all-time favorites. It was basically impossible to separate him from it once he saw the oversized images. We knew instantly it was coming home with us. And honestly, spotting that little mouse on every page is going to be way easier now. While he was happily flipping through pages, I found myself browsing, but kind of stuck. I kept scanning for titles I already knew. I was drawn to witty covers and intriguing spines, but couldn’t quite commit to anything unfamiliar. I realized I was waiting for some kind of certainty, some assurance that I’d enjoy what I picked. It reminded me of something I wrote recently about tsundoku. In this case, it wasn’t over-collecting that held me back; it was the hesitation to take a risk on something new. I was afraid of wasting time on a book I wouldn’t like. That little fear, quiet as it was, kept me circling the shelves instead of diving in. Still, I did manage to pick two books. One was Marathon Man, which I read back in high school and remember enjoying. It felt like a safe way to ease back into reading fiction again. The other was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a book I’ve thought about reading for years but always passed over. I’m hoping this is the time I finally read it; dive into it, enjoy the ride, and maybe even make it through the whole trilogy. For now, just picking it up felt like a small win. We left the store with four books total: two “repeats” for our son, and two small leaps of faith for me. It was a quiet, cozy afternoon, and something about it just stuck with me. Watching my son dive headfirst into stories he already loves reminded me that there’s no right way to be a reader. Sometimes you re-read. Sometimes you start slow. Sometimes you take a chance on something unfamiliar and hope it pulls you in. Next time, maybe I’ll try to be a little more like him.