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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Last night, in preparation for a long journey, I went book shopping. Most of my time was spent in Housing Works’ bookshop on Crosby St., my favorite in New York. I found what I was looking for and had an iced tea. Though The Strand, my next stop, has them beat with selection, Housing Works Bookstore & Café is just plain pleasant to shop in. Why not have your next internet date there?

Last night’s experience reminded me of a similar, deliciously private experience I had amid last weekend’s family tension. I visited Feldman’s Books for the first time. I got to overhear sexy gossip from the awesome clerk (not the owner) and her friend while browsing the fiction section, eavesdrop on an, um, especially close mother and son in the paperback building and curse my main man in the shack-like bathroom in the garden. If my suitcase hadn’t already been bursting, I would have browsed the excellent art section more carefully. Instead I stuck to fiction.

I found not only a rare novel by wild woman Caroline Blackwood, but a nice Penguin Muriel Spark novella I'd never seen before and the perfect airplane book (review to come) as well, all for under twelve bucks. I was excited to see that they had 2 copies of Robinson, my favorite Spark novel, a copy of Project Superior and multiple Kathryn Davis books on the to-the-ceiling shelves.

I am not the only fan. I wish I had taken a picture. It would have been titled "Carrie Tryharder Takes a Holiday from Her Holiday," and once that lucrative mousepad contract was signed, I could spend all of my time jetting across the land supporting indie bookstores as I go.

Menlo Park, which is essentially a main street downtown and clusters of suburban homes has three bookstores. Where is Hell’s Kitchen Books, or Tenth Avenue Tomes, or Grande Librería Infierno?

What are some of your favorite bookstores?

4 comments:

LOOKA said...

That-book-store-is-fantastic!

I've seen it before here, no?


The Phil is kinda popular, here: http://www.phil.info/
They also had a comics-party at some point.

I like this one, kinda miss it around:
http://www1.ebuch.de/wiederin/

There is another one that has only cookbooks, with a selection of herbs added lately and a cafe I guess. It's cute!

All in all, a lack of well charactered, relaxed bookstores here! And a friendly comicsshop with a good selection would be fine at some point!

Sarah said...

Sadly I have no local fave bookstore right now...over the years my two favorites have changed or gone away. I go between several thrift shops or local places and admit I sometimes go to one of the big chains.

Years ago a shop called Birdsong was run out of a tiny house near the university. It was cramped and dusty and musty and the floor-to-ceiling shelves always seemed in danger of tipping over. But there were tons of great books, all very very cheap and I could spend hours in there and come away with an armload of treasures for under ten bucks.

Sara said...

That nice one we went in Brooklyn is moving! To a couple blocks from my favorite brunch place! Double wammy TK!

Where's your trip going to take you, missy?

Amanda said...

Hmmm, book shopping as an internet date...that is GENIUS!