266 Bleecker Street, New York, NY

While hustling from Greenwich Village toward the Bowery section of Manhattan on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I stumbled across bookbook out of the blue. (Ed. Note: They spell their name lowercased, so that’s not a typo.) I hadn’t heard of it before, despite living in the city for about five years not long ago and having walked up and down Bleecker more times than I can count. Dumbstruck by my ignorance, I walked in and found a real gem of a bookshop. Whatever you do, don’t make my mistake and overlook this place.

My scribbled notes about this shop are nearly unreadable, which should indicate something about my excitement. The reason for this was the sheer volume of discounted books. There’s a large island right when you walk inside and it’s full of new and notable releases, but all around it are shelves and walls of remaindered fiction and nonfiction in hardcovers and paperbacks, loads and loads, and great titles too. There was also a section near the front for books about NYC, and I oh so nearly purchased a pair of books by writers talking about why they left/why they’ll never leave NYC. I have my own reasons for leaving and reasons for aching for a return, so I’m always interested in how other creatives feel about the quandary, but I already hit my book buying limit for the day so I earmarked them for my next pass through.

Further back there were plenty of other categories, topics, and genres, including a nice poetry section (with discounts), YA, lots of history, cookbooks, mysteries, journals, fashion, music, film, theater, cards and bags, and much more. But the real reasons to go is for the discounts, with much as 20% to 50% off the sticker price. For the cost-conscious bookworm, bookbook should be on your mind if you’re in the neighborhood and you’re on the hunt. Well worth it!

Atmosphere — A busy little shop loaded with discounted books, and they were really cranking the AC on a hot summer day, which was a true godsend.

Quality — The books were all in great shape, even the remainders.

Quantity — Loads of books for a moderately sized shop, with a nice selection of NYC-centric titles, children’s, and general fiction.

Diversity — They hit all the major topics. A nice array.

Affordability — This is the real clincher with bookbook, the discounts and remainders. There are loads and you should get browsing asap!

Amenities — Not many, it’s a smallish shop, but it’s in a busy section of Bleecker so there are places nearby to rest and relax.

Location — Between Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park, a great spot to wander and shop.

Customer Service — The staff were present but let me browse at my own pace.

Overall — This is a nice find if you want a recent bestseller at a great price. Plenty of remainders and discounted poetry and fiction too. Well worth a look!