Yes, I’m Hooked
Tucked in an odd little area of Michigan where it can’t decide if it’s Lansing or East Lansing is a bookstore, coffee shop, wine bar, and community center… It’s Hooked. A warm and inviting place that sits across from a local famed shopping center, it serves as a true community hub. This is one of my favorite places to visit, and I go often.
I watched the building Hooked is housed in being built. The excitement grew when I learned it was going to be a bookstore, then a coffee shop, and a wine bar?!?! I am in! I have been to Hooked many times. It is always busy—sometimes packed to the point where you just are not going to be able to park.
This visit, the inaugural "start" to The Itinerary, highlights my most recent trip in March. This is a true community space and exactly what an independent bookstore embodies. Is it books? Well, yeah, The Itinerary. But it is also game tournaments, book clubs, author discussions, and visits (which I missed by just one day). And it features what I deem Scholastic for adults. Yes, I mean a book fair. Hooked hosts a boozy book fair about monthly with different themes. I had the opportunity to win a book, got a discount on my purchases (because I wore green), and my travel buddy and I tasted some excellent adult beverages.
The store itself is not large, but it feels cozy rather than crowded or cramped. There are sections of fiction, self-help, and the usual other suspects. There is also a shelf devoted entirely to Michigan authors and books about Michigan. You can find handmade items by small cottage industries and everything you need to settle in with a good book: highlighters, bookmarks (quitter strips), lights, stickers, and candles for ambiance. There is a shelf of games to play while drinking your beverage of choice and visiting with friends. There are also plenty of outlets and tables to provide a workspace if you need it.
This is a place to lose yourself in books, immerse yourself in community, and sate the thirsty soul that entered through the gateway of peace.
