Philadelphia

Following the closure of Robin’s Book Store in Philadelphia, Jakob Dorof of the Philadelphia City Paper did a health check on some of the remaining independents in the area.  Below is a summary of what he found and in my quest for great books, where possible I’ve looked at the books each store recommends to find one that catches my eye.  I’m still celebrating my find from the Columbus bookstore roundup.  The Third Annual Philadelphia Book Festival is on April 18th and 19th, if you’re in the area drop by and look for some of these stores.

Joseph Fox Bookshop - owner Joseph Fox credits some of their success to the many off-site events the store participates in, over 200 a year.  These events give exposure to Joseph Fox Bookshop and if it is an author event, it stocks him with signed editions he continues to sell from the store.  Mr. Fox has noticed a slight slow down in sales, but he is confident that store will stay in business for years to come.  The store recommendation that caught my eye is Karnak Cafe by Naquib Mahfouz.  It’s underlying topic of state sanctioned torture is timely and I like the portions of Mahfouz’s publishing history that I’ve heard.

House of Our Own – another venerable establishment, it sells new books downstairs and used upstairs.  Co-owner Deborah Sanford said to stay financially flexible the store dropped author events because calendars are Read the rest of this entry »