Great Books, Great Minds Bookstore Tour: 2020 By 2030 #2 — The BookBar, Denver Colorado

Having lived off and on in Denver for nearly ten years, I thought I’d visited every book haven in the city. But recently, I discovered the BookBar, in the Mile High City’s Berkeley Park/ Tennyson Street area and decided to make it the site of my second “Great Books, Great Minds” bookstore visit (my inaugural stop was in Boulder). 

An eclectic independent bookstore that doubles as a food and wine bar, its red brick structure gives it a distinct historic feel and ambiance. 

Despite being unable to enjoy the full store experience due to Covid restrictions, I was still able to reserve a table on their airy outdoor back patio. Upon arriving with my friend and creative muse Khrysti Veals, we immediately sauntered back to the rear of the store to secure our patron seating. Fortunately, a kind person who was slouched in a comfy outdoor chair redirected us to the front for our reservation check-in. 

At the front window, the staff seated inside immediately perked up when I gave them my name, Michael Scott.

“Oh, we wanted to see if you were really the guy from the show ‘The Office’,” one chimed in amid muffled chuckles from the others. 

We were then directed back to the patio where a staff member seated us at our assigned table. The perfect setting for eating, drinking, reading, and book browsing, a staff member named Rachel came to greet us and take our order. 

When I inquired about whether I could order a book from the table, Rachel immediately informed me that she could bring out a stack of selections for me to peruse. 

I shared with her some brief details about the “Great Books, Great Minds” bookstore tour and asked if she could bring out some non-fiction bestsellers for my review. I then inquired about her favorite genres. With raised eyebrows, she excitedly responded “poetry and fantasy. Would you be interested in taking a look at a few of my favorites as well”?  “I’m game,” I responded back knowing full well that neither of those two themes was particularly appealing. 

The next thing I know, our drinks arrived along with a robust stack of books to take a look at. While I was in my element, Khrysti took pictures in between sips of her drink. 

In the spirit of purchasing one book at each store I visit, I chose the book Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. I dunno, that book just spoke to me — don’t know why. In any event, I’ll write a review of it soon.