I can’t pass a bookstore without at least glancing in the window, and if I’m not careful, I’m likely to wander inside and just plain forget where I was headed in such a hurry.

Lately, I’ve become convinced that I’m not the only one with this problem — even though you wouldn’t know it from the nation’s newspapers. The weekly books page is endangered. And it’s understandable when such visionaries as Apple’s Steve Jobs says no one reads books any more. If you’re a newspaper editor, and you’ve been charged with cutting the fat out of your newspaper, the books page is likely to undergo a little editorial liposuction.

Well, when I read a newspaper, I like a little fat on my meat. So, welcome to the Review’s first page dedicated exclusively to books. One reason for my optimism about an endeavor that flies in the face of journalistic convention is perhaps Half Moon Bay’s best-kept secret. You may have noticed that there are five independent bookstores within walking distance of one another downtown. While they are under the gun these days, each is a treasure worth preserving. We hope this page helps area booksellers get out the word about their unique offerings.

On the page today, you’ll find a report from the appearance of Bay Area journalist Brian Murphy, who has written a book big enough to hold 50 years of San Francisco Giants’ memories. Our own sportswriter Mark Foyer wandered over to the Bay Book Company to hear Murphy speak on Friday.

We also were lucky enough to get the bestseller list from Moon News. What you see here are the top sellers — fiction, nonfiction and children’s selections — for the week of June 8. You can always find the New York Times list on the Web; we thought you would like to see what your neighbors are reading.

We’ll have a books page about every other week — let’s say the second and fourth weeks every month — and how it evolves is largely up to you. Would you like to see reviews from local readers? Happenings at the library? A calendar of events at area bookstores? A book club? Let me hear from you. And while you’re at it, tell me what you are reading.

Book lover and Review Managing Editor Clay Lambert can be reached at clay@hmbreview.com