Reviews of independent bookstores because buying and reading books is an adventure
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I’ve been in a bit of a posting slump, but I’m working my way out and what better way to start the new year than with this lovely stop action video, “The Joy of Books,” about what happens in Type bookstore at night. I can’t wait to visit Toronto just to stop by Type Books to thank them for bringing a smile to so many people, and to buy books.
883 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON Canada
T: 416.366.8973
Farhad Manjoo ignited the latest round of ‘will the local bookstore survive’ with his “Don’t Support Your Local Bookstore” tirade on Slate. (I couldn’t fail to notice that while Salon promotes a campaign to support local bookstores, Slate is bashing them.) Numerous responses Manjoo were published, twitter feeds with special hashtags popped up, and even Manjoo wrote a second article advising bookstores to change their tactics in order to survive. Not sure how many are waiting to listen to his advice. I’ve started several posts to describe the uproar, but life has been a bit hectic in the Allen-Niesen household lately. So here’s the upshot:
Bookstore are doing great this holiday season. Stores across the nation are consistently reporting an uptick in sales starting in the fall. It’s hard to give an ebook as a gift. Over Thanksgiving weekend, possibly with some help from Small Business Saturday, sales were brisk. I was in my local bookstore, Diesel, yesterday and it was packed. I asked how business was going and the owner said good, they’re sure to stay open another year. That is a holiday present for our entire area.
And here’s what Manjoo can’t do on Amazon. He can’t ask a live person for a tailored recommendation. My son likes Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Bryson, and Chuck Klosterman, what new author would he enjoy? Mia led me all over the store pointing out good choices. (Sorry, can’t tell you the answers, they’re wrapped under the Christmas tree.) Sure, Amazon would give recommendations based on my purchases, but I don’t have any problems knowing what I want, ever. And when we were done with my son, I moved onto my daughter with her own set of favorites. In 20 minutes I had a stack of books, all wrapped. As a bonus, I enjoyed talking to the staff and the other customers about books and the holidays.
I highly recommend that you do the same. Drop by your local bookstore in the next two days and challenge the bookseller to find the perfect book for the person you have yet to buy a gift.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
I'm a fan of a bookstore that has a Europa display
57th Street, the actual street, is perfect for the meandering bookworm. We started with lunch at the graffiti clad Medici Restaurant. Famous for its burgers and scribbled upon walls and furnishings, we filled the time waiting for our food by adding our own “tags” to the table top. More importantly, within blocks there are three excellent bookstores: 57th Street Books, O’Gara & Wilson, Ltd., and Powell’s (no, not the Portland one). We started at 57th Street Books and had a hard time ever wanting to leave.
57th Street Books is one of three bookstores that comprise a co-op, the other two being Seminary Co-op and the Newberry Library Bookstore. We were in the neighborhood to look at the University of Chicago. When I learned that 57th Street Books gives a 10% discount for co-op members, I immediately started adding up how much money we would save if Kyle bought his textbooks through it–another plus for Chicago. Regardless of the discount, this is an engrossing store. It goes on and on, just when I thought I was heading to the back, I realized I was just entering a new room. It’s a full service store with depth in a wide variety of genres. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with lots of exposed brick and worn wooden shelving. The staff is chatty and welcoming. We talked about books, the university, what it’s like to live in Hyde Park, in some ways they were just as informative as the school tour.
I love bookstores that introduce me to new books and given how many bookstores I visit in a year, it’s not aways easy to do. 57th Street stocks shelves next to the cash register for books recommended by excellent sources: NPR, the NYT, the Economist, the NYRB, the New Yorker. Need to know what literary people are reading but don’t have time to read all the reviews, just stop by the store and you’re set. Throughout the store I found sheets tacked up with clever titles listing recommended books. My favorite was “Suffering from P.H.P.S?” (For that uninitiated, that would be the Post Harry Potter Syndrome.) The cure included reading The Magicians by Lev Grossman, Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (Keith recently started reading the Game of Thrones series, I think we will see him again sometime later in the decade), and a few other options that all seemed to have the word Chronicle in the title. I love a bookstore that takes care of its customers withdrawal symptoms.
In the science section, one of those areas I usually breeze through, The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean caught my eye. I don’t know much about science so I usually try to read one book on the subject a year; this is going to be my 2012 choice. Plus, I’ll try to get Kelsey to read it before she takes chemistry next year, I’m sure it’s full of tidbits she can sprinkle throughout her work.
57th Street Store is worth stopping by and hanging out, who knows what you’ll find.
1301 E. 57th Street
Chicago, IL
T: 773.684.1300
I spent just over 24 hours last week at St. Andrews Abbey. I’m not Catholic, but I enjoy joining the monks in the Daily Office. For those of you new to that term (and that would’ve been me a couple of years ago), it’s the practice of pausing at several set times through out the day for prayer and scripture reading. It’s also sometimes called the hours (no, not the book by Michael Cunningham). The monks meet in the chapel at 6AM, 7:30AM, noon, 6PM and 8:30PM. In between, they work at assigned jobs. I joined them three times, participated in my own retreat but, of course, found time to visit the Abbey bookstore.
St. Andrews Ceramics
As with the rest of the grounds, the bookstore is a soothing location with beautiful music, a quiet atmosphere, and inviting surroundings. Abbey Books & Gifts shelves a wide variety of books on spirituality. I expected to see only Catholic themed texts, but the store provides resources for several different faith traditions, specifically including Judaism and Buddhism. This is a fairly intellectual store, the options aren’t for the lightweight reader. The store is well-organized, shelves are clearly marked by saint, author, or type of spirituality. The emphasis is on Catholic theology. There are shelves of texts about each of the well-known saints and the writings of said saints. (Actually, I’m making a bit of an assumption. I don’t know many saints, but there were shelves for all that I did know and if I know them, they are, by definition, well known.) Plus, deep collections of books by Catholic theologians, i.e. Nouwen (my favorite), Merton, and Bonhoeffer. Various types of Catholic theology have entire sections: Cistercian, Benedictine, Eastern, and modern.
The topics I’ve seen in other general Christian stores were offered here also. Books on prayer, scripture studies, Bibles, and church history. There was a special section for children and young adult readers. Fiction is available, but it weighs toward the intellectual side. Think Flannery O’Connor and Penguin classics. The fantasy world is well represented with several shelves of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein.
While the store devotes most of its space to books, what it is most famous for is the ceramics made at the Abbey. The original monks created ceramic ornaments and decorative wall plaques using a specific angel figure and it is a tradition that continues. It’s not uncommon to see them represented on Southern California Christmas trees. After visiting the store, I realized there is an ornament for just about every occasion, profession, hobby, or sports activity.
For a chance to delve in serious spirituality, drop by the store in this beautiful high desert location or give the monks a call, they’d be happy to help you.
31001 N Valyermo Road
Valyermo, CA 93563
T: 661.944.2178
Tags: CA bookstore, Catholic bookstore, Christian bookstore, Valyermo bookstore
Alexander Book Co. is a traditional independent bookstore tucked around a corner in downtown San Francisco. Wedged between office towers and the Academy of Arts complex, it’s a cozy respite from steel, glass, and marble. The store even smells like good books waiting to be discovered.
The first time I tried to visit the store, I arrived just after closing time. The store keeps business hours and shuts down with the surrounding offices. However, the second time I dropped by I dashed in just before 6PM and found that if there are customers meandering through the store, the staff won’t shoo them out right at 6PM, but give them time to find their favorite book. I heard one bookseller say “take your time, I don’t have anywhere to rush off to.” Now that is a level of customer service that is incredibly welcoming.
The store had me when I found displays of books from my three favorite publishers: Europa, NYRB, and Archipelago Books. Literary fiction is heavily emphasized and well represented, I could’ve purchased an armload of books. What I found especially intriguing was a wide selection of African-American fiction prominently displayed (rather than given its own section in a wall bookcase). This is a genre I’m not as familiar with and one I haven’t seen placed front and center. I flipped through several new titles.
Alexander Book Co. is three stories of books offering a full selection of most genres. Given that the Academy of Arts is in the neighborhood, there is a terrific selection of design books. In fact, Alexander Book Co. stocks texts for the school, something I noticed in stores by east coast schools but for the first time on the west coast. I wish more universities and independent bookstores would work together, it’s a lovely partnership where it exists.
If you’re in the SOMA area, drop by. I found the store a peaceful interlude from the hustle and bustle outside, but remember to go during business hours.
50 Second St.
(Between Market & Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415.495.2992
Claire
Kim
