Flying Books at Neverland

A journey to find independent bookstores in Toronto

Flying Books at Neverland is positioned on the corner of Queen St W and Peter St amidst narrow sidewalks and live music. When you walk through the door, you will see a wall of books positioned precariously on thin shelves to give the effect of them literally flying off the wall. This display faces a coffee bar where you can order a beverage while you sit down at the communal table.

I walk in and ask for a hot chocolate (my go to order at a coffee shop, since I only drink tea and coffee shops never make the kind of tea I like) and I am shut down by the barista and pointed at the menu on the wall behind her. The number of items on the menu are fewer than the number of seconds it takes me to order a latte (my go to order when my anxiety of holding up a line due to indecision reaches its peak).

This is very much a grab and go store despite the long table for patrons. The cups are the same paper cups you could get at a Tim’s even if you decide to sit down for a while. I remember walking into a coffee shop in Cobourg with my friends. Cobourg is a small town, a few hours east of Toronto. We were served coffee in cute mugs which added to the shops’ hospitality. The couches were warm and the sun gleamed into the room through the foliage on the windowsill.

Flying Books at Neverland however has a small collection of books you can purchase at retail price stacked alongside a collection of wines. My friend remarks wanting to learn more about wine and aging as she examines the price of the bottles positioned inches away from falling off a cliff overlooking an uncarpeted floor.

Chekov’s wine bottle?

The tiny collection of books drives home the point that this is very much a shop where you are encouraged to sit down for a while and enjoy the atmosphere. While I am not a coffee drinker, I appreciate the existence of this establishment in a city losing its indie bookstores. I remember speaking to the owner of an establishment on Bloor Street about the number of independent bookstores still left in Toronto. He told me how there used to be dozens of stores all over Queen, College and Bloor street around 20 years ago. With rental prices in the downtown area increasing and the business practices of big box stores like Indigo, this number has gone down significantly. He mentioned in passing that he pays $10,000 in rent for his business. We share a look that suggests we both know the store does not generate that much revenue in a month which means he probably has to rely on grants and investment from patrons. I walk out with a $5 Stephen King paperback.

The dwindling of bookstores may be true but I do get a warm feeling when I’m walking down Toronto’s gridlines and come across a bookshop I haven’t seen before. This has been happening more often. I don’t know if there is a sudden influx of investment in independent bookstores and record stores or if I’m just opening my eyes to them. One of my favourite discount bookstores, BMV, just reopened a fourth location on Queen Street. My friends and I organize a bookstore crawl every six months and find new places to visit. My hope is to always walk down these streets and come across a nook I haven’t noticed before. A wedge between an ocean of patios and convenience stores that holds the promise of something new. Beckoning me with its paper fingers. I’m inching closer to find the next adventure that will take me to a time and place where someone sits down in his poorly lit break room between shifts to spin a tale just for me.