1313 Madison Ave., New York, NY
This shop has been on my list for a long time, and I saved it for a special occasion. You see, I frequently travel to the upper east side area of NYC from upstate NY for cancer tests and treatments at Sloan Kettering, and sometimes after I leave an MRI or CT/PET scan, I’m exhausted, shaken, and feeling really low. So after a particularly hard morning of scans, I decide it was time to treat myself. I wandered over toward the Carnegie Hill neighborhood as the aftereffects of my valium wore off, and I sat myself down inside this shop for a bit, taking in its simple beauty. It’s only one room, but with its excellent selection and a subtle classiness that matches the neighborhood, it’s the perfect shop to have “right around the corner.”
Read more453 S Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA
Among the canyons of downtown Los Angeles on an autumn evening, the last remains of light fading to a monochrome blue against skyscrapers and sidewalk, the shadows turning black, the neon lights apoplectic up and down South Main Street. We’d only been in town for a few hours but we decided not to wait. I really wanted to make sure I crossed this bookshop off my bucket list, and when we turned the corner and saw the little red neon sign flowing in the distance, my steps quickened past panhandlers dancing to boomboxes on sidewalks as wide as streets in other cities. We were close, closer, and then we walked through the door, past the doorman keeping an eye on those coming and going, and into a vast open room sprawling out into other floors and wings and nooks, revealing one of the greatest bookstores I’ve ever stepped into.
Read moreMonument Square, Portland, ME
Portland, Maine is one of my favorite places to go book hunting, and not just because I can grab one of the best milkshakes in the universe at Duck Fat while I do it, but also because there are so many bookstore options available, from those exclusively selling brand new releases to those specializing in secondhand and hard-to-find vintage titles. Longfellow Books has a perfect balance between them, with all the best new bestsellers as well as loads of discounted books, new and old, and plenty of gifts too.
Read more3806 Main Street, Culver City, CA
We took the coastal highway south all along Big Sur, Morro Bay, and down through Malibu, heading to Los Angeles on a road trip we’d been planning for years. After a quick stop at the beach just outside the city, where we carefully edged down a steep trail to bask in the cold waters of the Pacific as houses clung to cliffs overhead, Amelia and I finally entered Los Angeles proper and headed to one very specific bookshop she was very excited to visit. Before the hotel, before we ate, before anything else, we wanted to see The Ripped Bodice, a shop renowned for celebrating all things romance. And wow, did we made the right choice.
Read more261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA
City Lights has loomed large in my literary memory for decades, and as far as bookshop hunting goes it has been a sort of great white whale for me, waiting out beyond the horizon for some future visit. Well, this autumn I finally had the opportunity to stop in and wander the same aisles so many of my early literary inspirations roamed and see the impressive space for myself. And what can I say about this shop that hasn’t already been said by countless others? It’s legendary for a reason, not the least of which their extensive, wide-reaching selection over multiple floors.
Read more316 Main Street, Rockland, ME
Since some dear friends moved to Maine a decade ago, I’ve had the great pleasure going to visit them and exploring the coastal towns and villages, especially the Boothbay, Damariscotta, and Rockland areas, and this shop might be the real gem of this entire stretch. Right in the heart of Rockland and paired with a coffee shop, this bookstore is vibrant, thoughtful, beautifully curated, and full of wonderful discoveries.
Read more97 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY
I had the pleasure of visiting this wonderful bookshop at the height of summer, the streets of Cold Springs bustling, the roads leading into town full of hikers, almost a parade of people, and the shop was just as busy. It made for an exciting browsing experience, and it had the feeling as if this was THE place to be on such a gorgeous day. Now, months later as I reflect back, I think of how the shop must feel the same even if the summer crowds have gone. The leaves are falling, the heaters are turned on, and I imagine the shop feels just as vital: a warm, cozy place to find that next great read.
Read moreTerminal B, Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Well this is a first. Is it possible to review an actual indie bookstore in a major airport? It seems like it! Like other regional chains I’ve reviewed (Sherman’s of Maine, Half-Price Books, etc.), I still consider something like this an indie shop, because Barbara’s has a number of shops in the Chicago area but you’re not going to see it in many other places. I love the idea of an indie grabbing some major real estate like this, because I’d rather buy a book from a regional indie chain than those shops that are 10% books, 70% snacks, and 20% t-shirts of whatever city the airport is in. And this shop had a lot for such a compact space!
Read more7959 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX
Thirteen years ago when I lived in San Antonio, I used to visit Nine Lives when it was in its previous location. It was much bigger then, with a deeper selection of used titles to browse through, not to mention numerous bookshop cats darting around (hence the name), but now the name has another meaning, I suppose. The new shop is smaller, and less extensive in its literary offerings, and it seems to be starting over as a more multi-media shop. A new life, and hopefully not its last. From the value offered, one imagines it should find a unique niche in the local market.
(Image above is borrowed from the store’s Facebook page.)
Read more121 Market Street, Northampton, MA
How much more convenient can a bookstore be than three doors down from our Airbnb, which was also a two-minute walk from the heart of downtown? Yet the block and the shop itself felt pleasantly quiet, quaintly set back from the hustle and bustle, allowing for a leisurely browse through the narrow aisles stacked and jammed with books. The number of books they have piled about in this small shop is impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed taking a look!
Read more8 Main Street, Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst Books quickly reminded me of some of my favorite bookstores, the multi-room shops full of eclectic displays and a selection of books that will always surprise and keep you guessing each time you walk through the door. With books new, used, and vintage, this two-floor shop has something for everyone, even if your wallet is a little lighter than it used to be with these gas prices.
Read more449 Main Street, Rosendale, NY
As they themselves describe it at their website, Postmark Books is a “bright and airy space on Rondout Creek” that is “full of good cheer,” and I can attest that they are 100% correct about that. I stopped by in mid-winter and found the space full of sunlight, beautifully decorated, and about as clean and organized as a bookshop can be. And the selection? Yeah, they got that right too.
Read more1 Bleecker Street, NY
When I lived in New York City, one of my favorite neighborhoods for bar hopping and hanging out was the Bleecker Street/Bowery area, and during a recent pandemic-era visit (when I also discovered my favorite dive Bleecker Street Bar had closed, alas), I stumbled across this sliver of a bookshop. Though it might be small, it packs a punch and it’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.
Read more125 Northwest Loop 410, San Antonio, TX
I already reviewed another one of this company’s locations, but each location does have its own vibe and this is the first Half Price Books I started going to when I lived in San Antonio from 2006 through 2009. During this time I was voracious for anything Bukowski, Kerouac, Hunter Thompson, Steinbeck, and the like, and I always found excellent editions of their books here. I have probably purchased at least a dozen collection of Bukowski’s poetry from the 80s and 90s in this location alone, so any time I’m back in SA, I hit this one up to dig for gold. It never fails to have something interesting!
Read more3613 Broadway, San Antonio, TX
My time was running out during my last trip to San Antonio, but I managed to sneak in a quick visit to this second-hand and vintage bookshop on Broadway south of the UIW campus and the Witte Museum. Cheever Books recently went through a renovation and reorganization, so if you went in the past, it might be a different ball game for you now. And if you’re looking for fine and rare books about local or regional historical topics, this is absolutely the place for you, Texans!
Read more5154 Broadway, San Antonio, TX
This lively bookstore is located in San Antonio’s Alamo Height neighborhood, which for those not local to Military City, it feels like a small town within a bigger city, yet it’s one of the more—in very subtle ways—posh zip codes in the state. This unexpected dose of high-end style hidden behind a modest demeanor describes the neighborhood’s best bookshop, as well. Nowhere Bookshop is one of the best spots in the city for new books, and certainly one of the most conscious of how unique details can set a bookstore apart from the pack.
Read more1724 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
We discovered Joseph Fox on a rainy weekend in Philadelphia while on a break between cultural explorations. It’s not terribly far from all the big art museums and there are plenty of restaurants nearby for a convenient lunch to pair with your browsing. And after an awkward initial interaction with the staff, the shop proved itself worth the walk and the time spent poking around the various displays.
Read more4 Fulton Street, New York, NY
The main branch of the McNally Jackson bookstore in Soho is, in some ways and to many people, the ideal bookstore. But this newer location brings bookselling to another level, one I’d describe as “this is what my dream house looks like, brick walls and leather chairs and room upon room upon room full of books…with a coffee shop.” Because that’s exactly what this gorgeous location is, save for me living there. Maybe one day! But until then, this bright and bountiful bookshop is a must-see literary spot for any NYC local or visitor.
Read more1424 Route 9, Lake George, NY
The Lake George branch of this regional chain is located in the busy outlet mall just south of the village on Route 9. Tucked in amongst stores offering discounted designer jeans and sunglasses, this bookshop feels neither indie (it isn’t, really) not quaint (it’s pretty expansive inside) but it does offer a huge discount on what initially seems like remaindered extras, but the offerings were better than the castoffs I expected.
(Image borrowed from Shelf-awareness.com.)
Read more34 Carmine Street, New York, NY
Separated by more than 18 months and a worldwide pandemic, I finally returned to New York City this June to scour for more bookshops. It was both awkward and a relief, roaming the streets and subways packed with people after having to avoid them for so long, but to do so vaccinated allowed me to enjoy that golden hour magic in early evening Manhattan, the neon just beginning to glow, the sounds of music from boomboxes in small west village parks, the rose-gold hue of the sky as the sun sets into New Jersey horizons across the Hudson. And it allowed me to discover the eclectic and wallet-friendly Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Bookstore, a throwback to a more defiant artistic culture one doesn’t always find in a city full of shallow Instagrammers and fleece vest-wearing finance bros. In fact, finding this shop felt like a perfect return to the unique experience that is book browsing in one of the greatest literary cities in the world.
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