bookstore

You are currently browsing the archive for the bookstore category.

Books on the Square – Providence, RI

November 4, 2011 in bookstore by Kim | No comments

The Award Wall

When I walked into this cozy community bookstore, I over heard a bookseller tell a child reading a book “it’s so nice to hear you laugh!”  The people working at Books on the Square love talking about books with everyone.  We chatted about the latest IndieBound Next List, one of my favorite monthly recommendation notifications.  This is a traditional independent bookstore involved in its community, the place many people dream about having in their lives.  There are several book clubs for the Providence resident and a list of author visits that could fill anyone’s calendar with literary events.  But for the 3,000 mile distance, I’d be there to hear Anthony Amore talk about his book Stealing Rembrandts next week.

I found one of my favorite displays at Books on the Square, a whole wall dedicated to award winners.  It’s not unusual for a bookstore to highlight the latest Pulitzer or National Book Award winner, but Books on the Square showed the current winners and those from several years in the past for the Pulitzer, the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner.  Just looking for trends in the winners was fascinating.  What award chose most new authors?  Females?  Which book fizzled despite the award?  Which ones were kind of boring?  Which ones made my sigh remembering how much I loved reading them?  I would add the Booker Award to the wall, it isn’t an American award, but certainly one that considers quality literature.

As for the child who was laughing?  His mother corralled him saying they’d been in the store “forever” and warning him “no walking while reading,” something I’ve said to my kids numerous times.  I left feeling I’d spent some time in a bookstore that works to be a member of the family in Providence.

Books on the Square

471 Angell St.

Providence, RI 02906

T:  401.331.9097

Share

Tags: ,

Old Harbor Books – Sitka, Alaska

October 26, 2011 in bookstore by Kim | No comments

I’m so sorry for the break in posts, the cold and flu season visited our home early this year and hit me the hardest, ugh!  Anyway, I’m hoping to get back in to the rhythm of two or three posts a week next month.  Until then, enjoy this post from my dear friend Leslie Boatwright.

Sitka, Alaska, is only accessible by boat or air but is the fourth largest city in Alaska. Unlike other similar cities such as Ketchikan and Juneau in Alaska’s inland waterway, Sitka does not have a deep water pier, which keeps many of the major cruise ships away. Most of the shops are owned and frequented by the locals, so they are open all year round, rather than just during the height of tourist season.

The Russian Orthodox church, dating back to when the Russians came to Alaska for the fur trade, is the focal point of the downtown area. Just down the street about one half block from the church is Old Harbor Books.

The bookstore is in a lovely wooden building that makes you immediately feel at home. I can easily imagine how cozy it is during the colder months, but even in the summer when this part of the state is misty and chilly, it is a welcome haven. If you are interested in learning about Alaska and Northwestern Canada, this is a terrific place to stop. Almost one wall of the store contains books about the history of Alaska and Canada, the animals, the flora and fauna, places to hike and information about local fishing.

Old Harbor Books is owned and run by eight local residents, six who have been owners since the bookstore opened in1976. The management has always taken a strong environmental position, including one of the owners chaining himself to the store in 1991 to protest local logging. You can find out much about the community including political and environmental issues by looking at the postings on the walls, shelves and center island.

There is an old functioning printing press in the center of the store, next to all of the New York Times bestsellers. My personal favorite when visiting bookstores is the employee recommendations and Old Harbor Books has lots of them. Clearly these folks are truly book lovers and heavy readers.

My daughters spent our entire visit in a corner nook with a really nice selection of both children’s books and YA books. While a small area, it had all their favorites, plus a few we weren’t familiar with yet.

And, if you just want to sit down, relax and peruse a book while enjoying coffee or tea, the Back Door Café opens up in the back of the store.

Old Harbor Books

201 Lincoln Street

Sitka, AK 99835

(907) 747-8808

 

Share

Tags: ,

Cottage Book Shop – Glen Arbor, MI

October 8, 2011 in bookstore by Kim | No comments

I love the canoe bookshelf in the front room

Cottage Book Shop reflects its community inside and out.  As independent bookstore lovers would expect, there are numerous books about the area.  Leelanau County is on the northern shore of Lake Michigan with a vibrant arts community and burgeoning vineyards.  The front section of the Cottage Book Shop is dedicated to these activities along with the history of the area, recreational activity books, and books by local authors.  Their bestseller is Historic Cottages of Glen Lake by Barbara Siepker which is appropriate since the store itself is an old log cabin with a quaint feel and Barbara Siepker is the owner of the store.  She certainly lives into her love of lake cottages.  In addition to books, there is lovely local artwork, maps, and drawings.

While the front room is largely dedicated to local interest books, the remainder of the store is divided into the rooms of the former cottage.  I like stores that are in re-purposed buildings that retain the feel of their original use.  Here, the logs used to build the cabin are exposed and the kitchen still feels like one, albeit with some books.  The book selection is obviously well thought out.  A multitude of genres are offered, each with a few choice selections.  The fiction section was larger and contained books frequently recommended by other independent bookstores, so a reader can’t go wrong.  While I didn’t look at the children’s section myself, I did see two girls with several books trying to convince their mother to buy them, I’ll accept that as an endorsement of the kids books.

With a warm, welcoming atmosphere and lots of interesting books to peruse, Cottage Book Shop a terrific store to leisurely meander through.

Cottage Book Shop

5989 Lake St.

Glen Arbor, MI

T:  231.334.4223

 

 

 

Share

Tags: , ,

Contemporary Art Museum Bookstores: Hirshhorn Museum and Dia:Beacon

October 3, 2011 in art, bookstore by Kim | No comments

Recently I was fortunate enough to visit Dia:Beacon and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden within days of each other.  In addition to viewing incredible art, I easily compared the difference between the bookstores for these two contemporary art museums.

A separate issue for each animal, vultures anyone?

Dia:Beacon’s bookstore is well stocked and fairly high brow.  There is an impressive collection of journals, monographs, criticism, and unique publications.  I was intrigued by the colorful shelf of journals in which each issue specialized in a specific type of animal.  Who knew there was enough interest in the crow to dedicate an entire journal to it.

The selections were challenging.  This isn’t the bookstore for the contemporary art novice, but what a treasure trove for people who are ready to go beyond The Shock of the New.  While the store is compact, the choices available for felt overwhelming at times.  I stared at the criticism shelves alternating between delighted and exhausted.  There is a children’s section that offers a variety of fun and educational options.  Even better, cases with actual art and art books are sprinkled through out the store.  I wish more museum bookstores offered more original current art and less reproductions.  While Dia:Beacon is a little remote for visit just for the bookstore, it is certainly worth carving out some time to peruse books about the art represented in the collection.  Moreover, the Dia Foundation hosts an online store that is a good place to start any foray into contemporary art books.

Some I already owned, some I've bought, and some are on my wish list

The experience at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is significantly different.  This is at a museum store, the space is divided fairly evenly between books and museum reproductions/jewelry/toys.  While there are significantly less offerings at the Hirshhorn than at Dia:Beacon, these books are geared toward the lay person.  In fact, there were so many books that I wanted that I couldn’t choose, so instead of buying any I just took a picture of the shelves to make a wish list for later.  On the one hand, the store overall is a lovely museum store, but the book section is fairly sparse and normally not worth stopping by unless you’re already at the museum.  On the other, I was surprised at how interested I was in the books that were on display.  Unlike Dia:Beacon, this isn’t a store to explore contemporary art in depth; the Hirshhorn store sells books that take a reader from a basic understanding of contemporary art to a deeper level.  If you’re walking down the Mall, meander over and drop by the art and maybe a book that will expand your understanding of contemporary art.

Dia:Beacon

3 Beekman St.

Beacon, NY 12508

T:  845.440.0100

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Independence Ave at 7th Street SW

Washington, DC

T:  202.357.1429

Share

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative – Madison, WI

September 26, 2011 in bookstore, politics by Kim | No comments

My son, Kyle Allen-Niesen, particularly enjoyed this bookstore during our summer vacation and agreed to write a review.  Thank you, Kyle!

Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin, is a lovely example of a community bonding together over literature.  Its placement, just off the main commercial street in Madison, is such that it still can attract the careful tourist or college student; yet mainly appeal to the local community and its own members.  The bookstore has two rooms, one entry where most of the new selections are displayed, and a second room with couches and gently used books sparely populating the shelves at substantial discounts.  It is extremely liberal, although the fact that it is a Co-Op might have given that away, (members pay 30 dollars to get a 10 percent discount on all their books as well as a vote in the direction and choices of the store).  The windows are festooned with “Recall-Walker” images and slogans, a common theme in the many bookstores of Madison.  Clearly, the literary types are with the unions (me too!).

The shop primarily deals in new books with a majority dedicated to and critical literature and various rights movement materials.  Never before have I seen entire sections dedicated to Empire, or Anarchy, and they had had more books on the Women’s Rights movement than stores with far more books.  I had just recently learned the debate topic for I will be debating for the next two months concerned animal rights, and straight away the staff were able to point me to Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation, one of the core works in support of a fundamental equality for animals.  The staff seemed knowledgeable, and fairly friendly, with extremely evident loyalty to their operation.  We learned that most of the people behind the counter are volunteers from the members, and that the paid staff are the minority in the rotation running the store.  All in all, with the incredible array of bookstores in Madison, it can sometimes be difficult to know which to visit.  Of those, however, Rainbow is one to stop at.  Its overt political leanings and interesting selection make for a unique perusing experience.

Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative

426 W. Gilman Street

Madison, WI

T:  608.257.6050

Share

Tags: , , ,

« Older entries § Newer entries »