A Guide to Independent Bookshops
[Editor’s note: a brief mention that in the below, I will jump between saying bookshop and bookstore. I tend to think of London based locations as bookshops, and US based locations as bookstores, which is the term I grew up using. I prefer the term bookshop, but you’ll see both used interchangeably.]
Over skype drinks a couple weeks back, a girlfriend and I were talking about the recent books we were reading, and she asked me about independent bookstores. Where did I order my books and which stores did I like? She, like many of us, has tried to move away from ordering books off Amazon but not having a neighborhood bookstore near her, she was wondering what bookstores were out there as she wanted to support someone local. I thought about it for a minute and told her I’d put together a guide of my favorites. I then sat with the question for a while, and thought about all the independent bookstores I have come to love and frequent over the years. (Mr H and I collect tote bags from the bookstores we visit across the world. We don’t have one from every place but many. The collection grew out of totes I had bought from Samuel French and the London Review Bookshop back in 2011, and a collection of Strand totes we’d collectively bought in 2013. It has since expanded. Our local stores are poorly represented as many don’t have totes but our London and New York stores are pulling their weight.) My relationship to bookstores goes way back. I have always loved to visit and browse the shelves, to see what is available or what finds me, and I often seek out bookstores whenever I visit somewhere new. Or maybe, they find me. Like a city’s grocery stores, their bookshops will offer great insight into the location. I also believe in the hunt. There is something special to being on the hunt for a title or a particular edition, and then finding it. Some stores are designed for you to find exactly the title you’re desiring, while others, and these sometimes hold the most magic, the books find you. Some of my all time favorite books have come to me this way at just the moment I needed to read it.
This morning I watched the documentary The Booksellers, which is about books and antiquarian book dealers, primarily in New York. The documentary offers some interesting looks into the antiquarian world, but it also discusses the love certain people have for the objects themselves, and how some of the collectors fear for the survival of the industry as a whole, while others are more optimistic. Fran Lebowitz makes a few appearances and in one moment says, “You know what people used to call independent bookstores? Bookstores. All bookstores were independent”. Her comment made me think of the stores I used to visit, and how many independents have disappeared, and then went the used bookstores, and then the name brands disappeared. In the past ten years, it feels like there has been a resurgence in bookstores with more opening, and yes some still closing, and many in very precarious spots due to the pandemic and people buying once more from larger corporations due to being at home, but I do think more and more people are appreciating the smaller bookstore. My love for the bookstore has only grown over the years, and being able to visit in person and browse and touch all the books is one thing I do miss. I hope this inspires all the booklovers out there to call up their local stores and place an order or two, and also serves as a helpful guide to those who have recently ventured into the indie world.
The selections below are organized geographically. We’ll begin in California and then work our way east until we reach Greece. This is by no means an all encompassing list, nor is it a list of all the stores I’ve visited. It is simple a list of some favorites and a starting place to begin your own bookshop journey. I have been to almost every location on the list but there are a handful that I have yet to visit. Links to each store’s website and social media accounts, when available, are also listed below. I think you can learn a lot about a bookstore’s character from how it presents itself on its platforms. Those channels are also really good ways to learn about up and coming books or events, and to get a feel for the physical location.
During these pandemic and now wildfire times, many bookstores offer online or over email/phone ordering, social distanced curbside pick-up, or shipping options. Books can be shipped through the post office by media mail which is one of the cheapest ways to send a book. Bookstores also rely on the USPS to survive. Almost all bookstores have transitioned to online events as well. Check out their event pages for more information on how to virtually attend book talks from some of your favorite or soon to be favorite authors. I am currently writing this under an eerily orange California sky due to the wildfires around us, and if you too are worried about our world and climate, and are looking for active ways to help or understand climate change and green policies, books can sometimes help with those early questions. Your local booksellers may have some good titles to recommend. I have recently joined an online climate change reading book club to help myself better understand the history and steps forward, so there are other resources available as well. And speaking of survival, here is an article from the LATimes talking about how most bookstores won’t make it to the other side of this pandemic, and some have set up gofundme accounts to help cover rent and overhead costs. This all comes back to supporting the small businesses from bookstores to restaurants in our neighborhoods that we want to see survive, as so many are struggling at the moment; and though for many of us money is also tight and there is a general sense of uncertainty, think about the lifelines of our communities and how we can help them, after all the ways they have helped us.
I also want to mention, as I have spent up until now been talking about the process of buying books, that if buying books is not an option right now or if you prefer to not buy or own particular titles, please look into your local libraries. Libraries not only provide wonderful community resources, they are also treasure troves of information. They will order titles for you if what you want is not available. It is free to get a library card. Librarians also possess a special type of book magic and will help you with any of your questions. I highly encourage everyone to use their libraries. Not just now, but forever. I remember my reading journey really takes hold in libraries, where I would visit my local branch that was located next to Safeway, and check out as many books as I could. I spent many hours there either reading or studying or simply visiting the books. I did the same in all my libraries in school, and especially in college when I would study in the stacks or in the lower levels of the library almost every day. I would be amiss if I did not mention, as there are more ways than one to experience books, and while supporting our local bookstores is important, so is supporting our local libraries. If you are interested in learning more I highly recommend The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
LOS ANGELES
Skylight (Los Feliz)
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This is my closest local. It is located next to the Los Feliz 3, the local three screen cinema, which is another excellent part of the neighborhood. I like that Skylight is within walking distance. Close enough for a spontaneous trip to visit the books. There is an actual tree inside the shop beneath the skylight window, and a book cat who sometimes come to greet the customers. Their art annex is one store down which is where you’ll find all the art books, magazines, plays, and a spinning display of notebooks. For calendars and planners, those are in the main store next to the door, along with the stationary display. The main store has all of the other books from literature to cookbooks to current events to children’s to poetry. Most books you could want are stocked in store but if there’s one that isn’t, they are able to order anything for you, either in person, online, or over the phone. I believe this is actually true of all the bookstores below. I liked to go and sit on the wrap around bench around the tree to look over my browsing stack.
Vromans (Pasadena)
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I have a special love for Vromans as I used to work there as a bookseller during my post-gradschool/pre-agency days. It is two floors with a café and now a wine bar, which sadly I haven’t been able to try yet as it opened just before the city shut down. The store can be a lot on first visit, but once you learn the layout, it becomes a very fun place to navigate. The main floor winds around, taking you from staff recommendations to art books, nature writing, sports, study guides, past the cafe and the wine bar, to philosophy, history, biographies, to fiction and all genre writing, and finally leads you to travel, cookbooks, and the pen counter. I really love the stationary department as not only are there excellent cards and office items on display, there is also a fully stocked pen case where you can sample any pen before buying. It was here that I found my Waterford fountain pen. Upstairs, you’ll find the children’s and YA sections, boardgames, calendars or holiday cards (depending on the season), various home goods and a large selection of notecards for all occasions. There is also a newspaper stand outside and now a free little library next to the front entrance. The store goes all out for the holidays and Indie Bookstore Day. It feels a bit like an independent version of a high end bookstore, with way more books.
Book Soup (West Hollywood)
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Book Soup is the sister store to Vromans, though the two have very different vibes. Sometimes before meeting friends for dinner in the area, I have been known to pop over to Book Soup for a browse. The store is two rooms with winding bookshelves that lead you from section to section. It is well designed to pull you in every direction and leave you wanting more. If there’s a book you want and say it’s available at Vromans and not Book Soup, the book can be sent down to you, free of charge, for you to pick up; and vice versa. I’ve found some really cool books here that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. This was where I first saw The Library Book and the Nora Ephron romantic comedy biography, I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Eprhon’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy. It is a store that is well designed for browsing, and there’s an excellent magazine selection outside, which often carries hard to find editions of international magazines. Down the block from Book Soup is an antiquarian bookstore (Mystery Pier Books, Inc.) that sells rare first editions and also caters to a fair amount of Hollywood clientele. I went in once for a look around, though I think many make appointments first. The owner also used to have an English bulldog so we discussed bulldogs and books for a time. Do check both out next time you’re in the area.
Now Serving (Chinatown/Downtown)
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Now Serving is a special bookstore that is located across the plaza from Howlin’ Rays, which is fitting since the bookstore sells only cookbooks and food related publications/tools. So navigate past the long line of people waiting for chicken, and enter the small store to browse all the cookbooks you can imagine. They do excellent events as well, which have now become entirely virtual. It was here that I met Henrietta, The Tea Lady, and attended an event all about cooking with apples, where I learned that in Somerset it is not unusual for farmers to end the day with a pint of fresh cider, a chunk of bread, cheddar cheese, and pickles in someone’s cellar, and now it’s all I want to do; and where from home, I have attended a zoom with the creator of Dishoom, the London restaurant and Indian cookbook I’ve been cooking my way through during quarantine, and one about the cocktail tradition of the Varnish, the speakeasy behind Cole’s. I still stand by my previous statements that Cole’s French Dip sandwich is better than Philippe’s, of which there is a heated contention on who actually created the sandwich, and that they make some very fine cocktails. Now Serving is family owned. Right now they’re really trying to push people’s attention toward saving our local restaurants, while also encouraging people to cook new foods from home.
Stories Books & Cafe (Echo Park)
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Stories is a combination café and bookstore, and is a rather small store, overall. There are handfuls of used books placed among new copies, and while they don’t have every title you might want, they do have some fun surprises. I once found a used copy of a book, one that I had used to begin my English thesis on Sylvia Plath, and which I had never seen outside of the library before. It was the first and only time I have found this book in person, and it of course came home with me that night. This was fairly early into my time living in LA. On the shelves you’ll find old postcards, some books of mysticism and local color, art, theory and literature, among other surprises. It’s a good place to go and browse, and then grab an iced tea, and wander some more. Then maybe go next door to the time travel mart and then go across the street to get some margaritas and ceviche from Rodeo, and then circle back once more after dinner.
The Last Bookstore (Downtown)
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The Last Bookstore is important to include on this list, though I must confess that it is not my favorite on the list. We certainly had a time and place together, and when I do find myself downtown with some extra time to kill, I will pop in for a visit. It is a massive store, complete with two floors, a secret bank vault filled with books, a new art annex made of glass walls, and an upstairs that features spirals of book art, independent shops, and a room filled with used books all for $1. The trick to this room, however, is that nothing is in order or sorted so it really is about the hunt. Though now that I think about it, I wonder if this room still exists. I think it’s a better place to browse in person than shop online as so much of the store’s appeal is about experiencing the physical space. They too feature a collection of primarily used books that are shelved with new editions, so you can often find unusual editions. There is also a wall featuring rows of vinyl albums, as well as sunken leather chairs for when you need a rest.
Iliad (The Valley)
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So the Iliad is a bookstore to be browsed in person. It is a long-standing used bookstore in North Hollywood that is filled with out of print editions, recent publications, and a menagerie of other titles. I find that used bookstores are very much the place where you let the books come to you, rather than searching for a particular title. It’s about the hunt. I remember a room in the very back of Iliad that is covered entirely of paperbacks. There were the original James Bond novels, horror novels, mysteries, all piled on bookshelves from floor to ceiling, waiting for you to come find them. There is a structure to the way the store moves. Signs, as well as the staff, will point you in the general direction to find the topic you’re searching for. Then it is up to the book to find you.
Alias Books East (Atwater Village)
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Alias Books East is another general used bookstore, and the former sister store of Alias Books West, which is where I found my copy of 84, Charing Cross Road a few years back. I like Alias because the shop and its selection has a curated feel. The editions are all in excellent shape, and the owner is very happy to talk about books with you. We once had a conversation about Wigtown in Scotland, which has become known as Scotland’s National Book Town. Again, it is the type of store where I recommend entering with an open mind, and from there, you’re bound to find something interesting. I once found a biography of Penguin Books, which now sits next to the history of Faber & Faber in our bookshelf section of “books about books”. I don’t think I would’ve found it anywhere else and it fits perfectly with many of my interests and curiosities.
The Ripped Bodice (Culver City)
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The Ripped Bodice is the only romance centric bookstore in Los Angeles, and one of only a handful across the country. Now, they do offer more than romance novels and will actually order you any title that you want, but they also take pride in their love for the genre and stock well known authors and new discoveries. They recently opened a tea bar in store that sells romance trope tea. The Ripped Bodice is run by two sisters and their corgi, who happen to also have a development deal with Sony, located down the street, which I think is a first for a bookstore. Not only are they passionate romance novel fans, but they’re are also passionate about inclusivity in the genre. They publish annual reports about the diversity of each publishing house, including how many books each has published year to year by diverse authors. It is a fascinating study. They also do really nice window displays.
Pages (Manhattan Beach)
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Pages is a small beach adjacent bookstore located in Manhattan Beach, which my parents and I used to frequent when they came to visit. I don’t know of there still being many beach bookstores, so it feels special to include, as there’s nothing quite like bringing a new book out for a beach day.
Chevalier Books (Larchmont)
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I was driving through Larchmont Village today on my way to pick up a case of ice cream for a work birthday, when I spotted Chevalier Books across the street, which I had honestly forgotten was there. I used to have more reasons to find myself in the Larchmont area than I do these days. I remember seeing the store, or rather a fictionalized version of the store, in the novel The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Their website says they are LA’s oldest independent bookstore and were founded in the 1940s, which is not a fact I knew. I don’t have a large personal relationship to the store but it’s a good one to have on the list.
Bart’s Books (Ojai)
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I have so wanted to visit Bart’s Books for years but still haven’t made my way to Ojai. Mr H went one day and brought back a couple books along with a new tote bag, which has since joined the others. It is the largest outdoor bookstore in California, and has been selling books since 1964. They sell used and new books, ranging from out of print gems to recent releases. They also have a book wall for after hours where people can pay the designated price to a collection box. I love the idea of Bart’s.
SAN FRANCISCO
City Lights has a large literary tradition with a very deep connection to the beats poets, as they published Howl, along with other Ginsburg poems, and Frank O’Hara, to name a few. It was founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who is still alive today, and it remains a place that continues to push the barriers. It is a very special bookstore and I’m glad it still exists. It was here that Mr H bought me the poetry of Baudelaire, and where I bought Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara, who I was introduced to in college by a professor who personally knew the beats and taught us the poetry of the 50s and 60s. It was through him that I was introduced to Elizabeth Bishop. I still have my poetry books from that class, including my collected words of O’Hara. I also found a book of poetry by a German poet, whose name is escaping me right now, but whose work I have never seen elsewhere. [Future me writing in to say that the poet’s name is Ingeborg Bachmann and the collection is called Darkness Spoken.] City Lights is an excellent spot for poetry, though they offer other books as well, but their poetry room, which is accessed up a step of stairs, is not to be missed. It was my favorite room in the store. We took a visit there right before our grad school graduation and had a great time exploring. I had taken the train up to San Francisco, and met him there, where we went for ramen on arrival which is always an excellent idea. There is a wonderful tea shop there too, which I have still not visited, but have tasted the selection which have all been excellent.
BOULDER & DENVER
Boulder Bookstore
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There are so many other Boulder bookstores that are not on this list, as so many I used to visit were used bookstores that are perfect for browsing in person, like Red Letter Second Hand Books, Lighthouse Bookstore (not a firm favorite but a good one to pop in when on Pearl Street), and The Bookworm. When I started college, there was a Borders that was fun to visit before the movies, which no longer exists. But the firm favorite is the Boulder Bookstore, located at the end of the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian mall that stretches for at least a good four blocks. My favorite coffee shop used to sit on the opposite side of the mall, not far from Red Letter Second Hand Books, which now sadly has gone out of business. I’d go there to work and drink a cup of tea for $1 – could you ever imagine that price in LA? – and then walk down the mall to the bookstore. I would go primarily for the second hand books that would be placed among the normal priced books throughout the store. I would hang out upstairs in the fiction room, and then browse the main floor for the new releases, the used book section, the magazines, and then downstairs for the travel books. I spent a lot of time here in college. It used to have a café that has since gone away. My mom remembers visiting the store back in the early 90s when my parents visited Colorado for the first time pre-moving, and it stood out to her so much that she’s always had found feelings toward the store. She said it was the first time she’d ever seen a coffee shop in a bookstore. We would go together when she came to visit.
Innisfree Poetry
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This store opened up my junior or senior year and is located on the Hill, a neighborhood behind campus where you have a stretch of stores, restaurants, a concert venue, a record store, and a handful of cafes, which then lead into the residential houses. There used to be a really good pizza spot, which might still be there, and another that made the best Italian sandwiches (I ate a whole of these sandwiches on the day I mailed one batch and finished the remaining batch of the grad school applications, and if you knew the size of these sandwiches, you’d be surprised. It was the same day I had to go retrieve my car after it landed in a snow bank, from being up early to mail said applications, and then off to class I went.) Innisfree began as a small café/bookstore that has since expanded into a larger space. It specializes in poetry and also does poetry readings. I had a very interesting run in with someone-I-would’ve-preferred-not-to-run-into in the old store where I was sitting at a table looking at some books and they walked in with a friend, and I for a moment pretended that I didn’t see them, sighting that I had taken off my glasses to read the book. Which was true and something I almost never do. I honestly should’ve just walked out. Years later I retuned when I showed Mr H around Boulder and found their new location to be very charming. Their new/current location is in a building where another coffee shop used to be that was a popular studying spot during my college days.
[Editor’s note: I learned that Innisfree is actually closing after ten years in business. Their last day is Sunday, 27 September 2020. When they opened they were one of three poetry bookstores in the country.]
Trident Booksellers & Café
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Now Trident was never my go-to spot, which I think comes from the fact that it was “claimed” by the person above as this was their spot and as I had no real relationship to the store I would rarely go. It sort of had a more bougie vibe to me than my usual second hand haunts but they do offer a good selection of coffee table books and more art books from what I remember. They also had a café section for coffee and light lunches. Not sure how much they might have changed over the years or if my perception of them might be different now. They’re also located on Pearl Street, about a block or two past the Boulder Bookstore, where the mall is no longer only for pedestrians, but where it is much easier to find parking. I recently learned that Trident is one of the sponsors of the tea magazine, eighty degrees. That was a fun surprise to discover in my first issue of the magazine. I’ve perhaps been too hard on this store over the years.
The Tattered Cover
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The Tattered Cover is one of the big Colorado independents. I have been known to visit many times when I go home. One of their stores, the one I’ve been known to visit, is located next to an independent record shop called Twist and Shout. I remember there’s also one further downtown, not too far from Union Station and Coor’s Field, where I once found myself after a football game and before the baseball started, so I walked about the two floors to see what was in stock and if there was a seat where I could sit after spending too much time in the sun.
CHICAGO
Seminary Co-op
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This store is magic. It is located on the edge of the University of Chicago campus. It’s former location used to be in a basement of a building on campus, from what I remember, but now has a new storefront with a very snazzy coffee shop next door. (I am detecting a theme in which I notice where all the coffee shops are located in relation to the bookstores. And I don’t even drink coffee. There was seltzer on tap, which was quite memorable.) While Seminary Co-Op caters to the academic crowd, I found that it offers a nice balance between studies and pleasure. There is a blend of academic books and a designated section for the local scholars, a range of heavier topics like history, political science, textbooks (located in the basement), etc., literature, food writing, and so much more.
The bookshelves wind around the store like waves so there’s this sense of privacy while you’re browsing. There are also windows in the bookshelves where you can spot other people and books from your own private nook. It’s the type of store where you find books you weren’t sure you needed but now that you know they exist, you can’t possibly leave without them. It was here that I found a couple books on tea, including one on the history of Darjeeling which I selected, the joint biography of Mary Wollenstonecraft and Mary Shelley, and a title about John Ruskin and the Lake District. (One of the tea books I found that day but didn’t buy recently came up on a tea masterclass hosted by Rare Tea Company. It was after the class that I realized I had taken a picture of the book when I was at Seminary.) We were in Chicago for the weekend, with one backpack between us, and we ended up walking away with over a $100 of books and a nice tote bag. It’s got that perfect balance of university vibes and curiosity. This was a place Mr H knew in college and one that he introduced me to. It is definitely at the top of my bookstore list. There are a handful of other wonderful Chicago bookstores that we also visited but I recommend you start here.
NEW YORK
The Strand
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It is hard to begin a list of the New York bookstores without starting with the Strand. The Strand was founded in 1927 in an area that was famously known as Book Row. There were 44 bookstores at it’s height, and now the Strand is the only one left. The Strand offers over 20 miles of books within its four floors of twisted aisles packed to the brim with used and new copies of books, signed editions, rare editions, out of print editions, and everything in between. It is a treasure trove designed for a book lover. It takes some stamina to go through the store in person but I hope that you’re able to visit in person someday as it is full of magic. Be prepared to find more books than you can handle, and when that happens, pick up a basket and continue browsing. I once spotted a Persephone book here and was so shocked to see it. It was like seeing a friend in an unexpected place. There are also carts outside the store with $1 books that you can browse as you’re walking outside. The first time I visited the Strand, which was something I had wanted to do for a long time, it was quite the experience. It was in winter and we wandered around, gathering arms full of books, through the aisles, our winter coats balanced beneath the books. One time after a browsing we went to a nearby coffee shop to warm up and read our new books, mine was Inside the Dream Palace, a history of the Chelsea Hotel; and on another visit, it was New Year’s Eve and we gathered all of our books before hitting Trader Joe’s for champagne, and then off to Brooklyn to ring in the new year. There was a trip to the Met that same day, though I can’t remember if it was before or after. And other trips, we’ve gone on Christmas Eve to gather all of our remaining gifts, as the best gift is a book. The Strand most reminds me of library stacks that you’ll find in a good college library. Close together, filled to the brim, full of treasures, other people eyeing the same editions you are.
Three Lives & Co
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The NYTimes Magazine did a profile of the bookstore back in 2019, which features some good visuals of the store. It is located in the West Village, a block away from Té Company, the tearoom that I really love. Three Lives & Co doesn’t have much of an online presence, which kind of makes the whole in person experience even more special. We visited for the first time in the summer of 2017, very full of tea, where I found a new book sort of about Robert Lowell. Then in January 2019, I had a solo day in the city, which was one of the first times I had ever been alone in Manhattan. I made sure to buy a new notebook from Goods from the Study, visit the pencil store (CW Pencil Enterprise), visit Té, and then visit Three Lives & Co, where I picked up a free one-page calendar of the year that was printed on the most gorgeous cardstock paper. I also visited Book Culture on that day (see below). It’s a small bookstore with lots of character, and interesting titles peaking out from all corners. I really love it as it feels like just the type of New York bookstore you hope will continue to exist in the future and it feels like such a part of the neighborhood. I so love the treasures the Village has to offer.
Book Culture
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Book Culture has three stores throughout Manhattan, two up near Columbia, and another on the Upper West Side. I have now been to all three stores and could list for you the books I found at each location, as I have bought something each and every time I’ve visited. Each store has a very different feel and vibe to it. One (on Broadway) has a picturesque single room with a smaller selection of books and a giant window looking out to the street, another (on Columbus, which appears to be permanently closed) is larger with a couple rooms and a great nature selection, and the third (112th between Broadway and Amsterdam) is two floors and has a large section of New York books and authors. The latter is also right by the Seinfeld Restaurant. They are great stores to browse in person but also have a good online presence so you can order titles through their website or over the phone.
I did once call around the holidays and was greeted by an obviously stressed bookseller who didn’t quite seem to have patience for me and nearly didn’t get the name of the recipient but I take that as a by-product of the holidays and not the store itself. Flora, a friend from agency days, used to work there when she was a NYU student. I also once passed time in the Broadway store while we waited for another agency friend, who was attending law school at Columbia, and was also running late and ended up meeting us at the wrong location, which is when I realized there were multiple stores within blocks. We ended up walking down the block to the Hungarian Pastry Shop, another magical place of delicious pastries, while he got a talk about not blowing people off in NY like you can do in LA, as people here aren’t very kind to that kind of behavior. Here is a recent NYTimes article about the Hungarian Pastry Shop, if you want to know more. I picked up pastries here last year for my 30th birthday on our way out of the city.
Shakespeare & Co (same name but not related to the one in Paris)
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Now I have yet to visit this Shakespeare & Co, which I have learned is not related to the one in Paris, though they have the same name. Rather confusing, I say. I do remember that in When Harry Met Sally there was a scene of them shopping at a Shakespeare & Co, this was the moment in the film when they begin their friendship 10 years after leaving the University of Chicago, and wonder if there is a connection, or if it’s even the same store.
The Mysterious Bookstore
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Now this is a store that specializes entirely in mysteries. The store is a square with bookshelves along each side and a handful of tables in the middle with chairs. It was here that I found the first book of the Grantchester mystery series, which I’ve since learned is out of print, and on my solo city day, stopped by after accidentally getting lost. I thought I knew the right subway line to get me to Chinatown so I could visit the pencils and instead ended up near One World Trader Center, which lucky for me, also happens to be not too far from the Mysterious Bookstore. There was talk all day of the storm that was moving in, and the snow that was to come. Turns out the speculations were correct as the city shut down the very next day. I grabbed my book, stuffing it into my Book Culture tote (one of two bought that day) along with my other book purchases and Zabar’s snacks, and then off I went in search of pencils.
McNally Jackson (also has a good stationary store called Goods for the Study)
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I mostly know McNally Jackson for their excellent stationary store, Goods for the Study, which is where I bought my planner last year, and also found my first Esme Winter notebook and a handful of fabulous pens. I recommend checking them out for some stationary needs, though it feels like not everything offered in store is listed on their website, so an in-person visit is a must. McNally Jackson proper has a couple stores that cater to all of your typical bookshop needs. I’ve been to the Nolita location. It had a good café with tables for chatting or laptoping, two floors to browse, and a handful of tables with notecards and the latest releases. I remember it being fairly busy so you can feel the other people moving around you. I didn’t end up buying anything this day and was there just to browse. I also thought I had read something about them not treating their booksellers well at the start of the coronavirus, but I don’t recall for sure. (That type of behavior of poorly treating and then firing their booksellers at the start of the pandemic is exactly why Powell’s Books in Portland is off this list. If you are interested in virtually exploring Powell’s, I would recommend this video, which is the only way I’ve visited and is a lovely portrayal. I have still not made my way to Portland though have been meaning to for years.)
Books Are Magic (Brooklyn)
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This bookstore is owned and run by the novelist Emma Straub. She and her husband opened the store after Book Court, a lovely Brooklyn store that still comes to mind when I think of NY bookstores, closed. I’ve never been myself but it’s one to keep in mind for future visits. They offer a good variety of online events. They do also have an instragramable wall outside their store, which I guess is one way to market things these days. As a novelist, I feel like she really cares about bookstores and wants to seem them survive. I swear I read an article by her about the future of bookstores during and after the coronavirus, but couldn’t find it anywhere to link. She really wanted to continue the tradition of a neighborhood bookstore, which I personally love.
Common Books
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Common Books is a bookcart that moves around New York selling pre-loved paperbacks. They cater and are designed “For readers on trains and busses, in waiting rooms and laundromats, on elevators and park benches. Specializing in paperbacks and female writers.” I was introduced to Common Books last year through the pencil store, and it was a post about the Helene Hanff book Q’s Legacy and a discussion about the way friendships are sometimes formed online these days, and it all stuck with me. There was another post in which a patron seeking out an edition of this very book found a used copy with a note from Helene herself inside. Now that it is true book magic! I have a huge love for Helene and her philosophy of finding kinship among people, especially book people.
So just a couple weeks ago, the owner of the cart was asking on Instagram how people inscribe their books, whether it’s by marking a finished reading date (which is something I want to do), or with the place it was bought, or who gifted it, etc. I sat and thought about this for a while as I am part purist when it comes to writing in books and part rebel. I like to write in certain books and fill them with memories and line notes and thoughts, and for other books, like to keep them pristine. But for a select few, I have written where I bought it or who gifted it to me, and for the very first time I’ve written the date I finished reading, and yet most of these memories live in my head. When I saw she was selling a handful of Virginia Woolf’s, I sought out a conversation to find out more, and it led to a wonderful discussion about Woolf, the gateways that sometime stand in the way of people finding authors, librarian date stamps, and how we write in our books. It was so lovely. The two books I ordered arrived this week and it feels so nice to be part of an ongoing conversation and tradition of trading books. I love the idea behind this cart and very much hope to visit in person someday. Common Books feels like just the type of cart you’d find walking the streets of New York.
Pickwick Books (Nyack)
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Outside of the city, likes a wonderful used bookstore called Pickwick Books. You’ll be greeted by a bright blue exterior and then shelves after shelves inside. Piles of books stretch to the ceiling in every direction. I swear the books look like they could all topple over at any minute though I’m sure they’re secured in place by magic. The owner knows where every single book is located, but for you, as the browser, you need to let the books come to you, as this is not a store where you’ll find the thing you think you want. It’s where the book you need or have forgotten will find you. I have found some really cool books in this store and am always surprised. Iliad has a little more structure to it but a similar vibe.
BOSTON
Brattle Books
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Okay, I was unsure if I was going to include Boston on this list, but while proofing, Brattle Books came into my mind so I’ve allowed it to join. (In this household, Boston is a city with charged feelings, though I’ve only ever had good experiences there.) I think the last time I was in Boston was ten years ago, as we made our way up to Maine where I spent the summer, and that trip offered my first visit to the store. The thing that is unique about Brattle Books is they are one of America’s oldest bookstores. The visit occurred in the briefest period of time, and honestly I probably could’ve spent all day walking through the store and taking in all the books. I had just enough time to grab one book, which I think was a Vonnegut novel, I think it was the Sirens of Titan with either a pink or purple cover, before I had to leave. I remember there being three or maybe four floors with bookcases filling every corner. There was an organization to the whole shop but it’s a system that I didn’t spend long enough with to know. They specialize in used books and antiquarian books. This would be a place to visit if you ever find yourself in New England.
VERMONT
The Country Bookshop
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We visited the Country Bookshop a couple winters ago when the entire shop was covered in snow. This is a shop that lives on the first floor of this one hundred year old white house. There are many rooms to explore that feed back into each other. I remember selections of old postcards and vintage glass pictures, as well as leather bound editions lining many shelves. They say their specialities include folklore, folk music, Vermont, signed books, labor and books on bells. I found a 1888 edition of The Writings of John Ruskin that sits on the shelf next to the scholarly book about his writing, and a handful of vintage postcards.
LONDON
This is a small sampling of the bookshops that London has to offer, as I think it might be one of the best bookish cities. It feels like there are many that I’ve left off. These are my top picks, and all should be visited in person when we can do that again. I have not included any of the Oxfam Bookshops, which I would highly recommend visiting as well for all your used book desires.
Also a quick note on Waterstones. Waterstones is the largest chain of UK bookshops. Their business model is a bit different from say a Barnes and Noble, as they buy independent bookshops and bring them under the Waterstones umbrella. The stores will still exist with their previous name, building, and character but, from my understanding, will be operated under by different management and will have additional benefits by being in the Waterstones family. The below list mostly features the independents that are under their own umbrellas, though some favorites have since been absorbed like Hodgis Figgis, Hatchards, and Foyles. There are also standalone Waterstones stores located throughout the country. Although the standalone stores are still nice to visit in person, there are other indies I try to support first. I don’t want to come off as a snob, as I don’t have anything personally against the Waterstones branches, it just tends to be that I often shop elsewhere. It has been described that Waterstones is like if Wetherspoons wasn’t evil. (That will only make sense if you’re familiar with the pub chain.) There is an interesting Desert Island Discs episode with the founder of Waterstones if you want to know more. There are other book franchises like Blackwells and Daunt, which are featured below.
Persephone Books
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Persephone remains one of my favorite bookshops. They specialize primarily in forgotten books written by women, though they have published one by Leonard Woolf, and I believe one or two other men. They are also their own publishers. The store is filled with dove grey covers all along its shelves. It is a small one-room store where every surface is covered with books by their authors, or books by authors they wish they’d written, and posters above each shelf. It is a very cozy store. The staff is incredibly helpful but also don’t pounce on you right away. You’re given the space to browse but also won’t be left in distress. On my very first visit, I was browsing for a while when one of the booksellers approached me and asked how I was getting on. We began talking and I said I would like a recommendation on where to start. She asked about the stories I liked, and then pulled off the shelf The Priory by Dorothy Whipple, saying that this was “the summer read of 1939.” That was all I needed to know. I was hooked. The Priory has since become one of my favorite books. I introduced my mom to the store on our trip and she absolutely loved it. I believe Persephone should be on everyone’s radar, even though I also want to keep them to myself. I wrote about the quiet magic of bookshops on my website after this trip. It features Persephone, along with a handful of the shops listed below.
John Sandoe Books Ltd.
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John Sandoe Books Ltd. is located down side streets in Chelsea, not far from Papersmiths and Granger and Co, both of which were visited during a morning, post-breakfast stroll. The magical thing about John Sandoe is that they have moving bookshelves. Push the front bookshelf to the side to reveal more bookshelves beneath. The building where the store lives is old so the floors creak as you walk and some of the doorways and tables aren’t quite symmetrical, as the structure has shifted over time. There are three floors. The main floor, a basement that I remember for its poetry editions that I have never seen elsewhere, and a larger upstairs that spans the whole length of the shop, which is where the literature books and the moving bookshelves live. But the bookshelves! It is truly magical. I placed an order with them for Ali Smith’s Summer and A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, both titles I have been eagerly wanting to read, and received a note back from the owner saying they haven’t been selling as many books lately and appreciated any sale, which made me sad. Definitely one to support in this time. I also love how much love goes into their catalogues of carefully selected books, available by this link. Their recommendations remind me of the lists Heywood Hill used to publish as well, which have become less frequent.
London Review Bookshop
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I really love the London Review of Books. The charm of the publication has been extended to their bookshop. They have a lovely cake shop next door as well. I used to look at the pictures of cakes the cake shop would bake each day and imagine being able to visit for a slice in between all the bookwandering that was bound to occur. I can confirm that the cake shop is indeed as lovely as it seems, and it offers a nice way to refuel for any bookish journey. On this visit, as we walked to the cake room, we passed a shelf of books where one title immediately called to me. The spine features an illustrated landscape with a bright blue sky and clouds. I knew I must read it and on further discovery learned that the book in question is called Weatherland: Writers and artists under English skies. So, definitely made for me. I first read the LRB and discovered the bookshop back in 2011. It is a solid favorite. My original tote bag is still going strong as well. When you’re visiting, I would recommend popping into the stamp store next door, which is where I found my librarian stamp that brings me so much joy. Of all the bookstores, I would say the LRB has the best sense of humor. This is felt through the copy on their website and social media accounts, as well as in person.
Daunt Books
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The Marylebone store is the location I want to visit the most. Its books are sorted by country, and features a stunning reading room. (See here.) Mr H brought up a good question yesterday when we were discussing Daunt Books, as I recently placed an order through them, when he asked if the books are sorted by topic or author or both. For example, say an Irish writer is writing a book about Norway, where would one find the book? I will need to visit in person to investigate further. I am sad to say that I haven’t been to any of the Daunt Books locations though I have ordered a couple books from them online, which were very wonderfully wrapped and tied with their signature green ribbon. Daunt Books also has its own publishing division. One of the books they’ve published is called At the Pond, all about the Ladies Pond that I swam in two years ago, and which was the reason I put in an order with them in the first place. The booksellers also very kindly got my copy of Ali Smith’s Spring signed for me when they hosted a publication event with her. All around they are delightful.
Foyles
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Foyles is located on Charing Cross Road and has five, or is it six, floors packed with pretty much any book you could possibly imagine. There is a café and sitting room on the top floor where you can relax with a cup of tea and piece of cake either to fuel up for browsing or refuel after purchasing. I believe every book you could possibly want to read is located within this store. It is a haven for all booklovers and remains a well loved fixture. I thought I remembered a different Foyles from a previous visit back when the Tottenham Court Road tube station was still under construction, and yet, visiting two years ago, with the construction finished, the store I walked into was not the store remembered at all. So unless there’s another location, there was once a different bookstore I visited in the same area which went by the name Foyles. I was impressed by the literature section and its variety of Penguin English Classic editions, and the nature section which I spent a good time browsing. I remember the news about how Foyles was actually sold to Waterstones two years ago, which is a bit sad, as it used to be entirely family owned and operated. That being said, they’re still going strong, and remain a charming bookshop to visit.
Hatchards
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Piccadilly is their main branch, and the largest. It also happens to be next to Fortnum & Mason. They also have a location at St. Pancras, which I visited last time, and is ideal when you need a book for your upcoming train journey. It is also next to the station Fortnum & Mason. The two seem to go hand in hand. Hatchards has been open since 1797 and it holds a handful of royal warrants. It has five floors that are all connected by a single staircase that winds up through the store. There are big comfy chairs next to the windows so you can watch the activity of Piccadilly below. I remember really liking their selection of Faber & Faber poetry, which was expansive. The St. Pancras store is much smaller but equally as charming though there’s a bit of magic to the Piccadilly location. I have been in touch with the Hatchards booksellers recently to try and track down a hardcover copy of Small Island by Andrea Levy, after the edition they posted online was sold while I was inquiring on if it was still available. Does anyone have any insight into this edition? I recently learned that Hatchards is now part of Waterstones, which is something I hadn’t known.
Heywood Hills
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Heywood Hills is less a bookshop that you browse, and more of a bookshop that you call when you’re looking for a particular title, want to take part in their subscription programs, or have your eyes set on a rare book. I did try to browse in person when I was in London and the selection was smaller than expected, which makes sense as they cater mostly to specific requests, and had I asked the bookseller what I was looking for, they probably would’ve been able to help. They do sometimes offer competitions where you can win books for life. Sadly, I haven’t won yet. They offer a great newsletter and used to frequently send out reading lists that were curated and always interesting. The reading lists have become more of a holiday thing now. Here is an example from 2017, which now seem to have been added to the new books tab on the website and the news tab. I like to read through the recommendations and circle anything that appears interesting or unusual.
Samuel French Bookshop at the Royal Court
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There used to be a standalone Samuel French that was close to this great local grocery that put together a mean carrot and ginger juice. It was also right around the corner from RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Sadly, the shop closed a few years ago, and the West Hollywood location closed last year. Samuel French specializes in plays. They sell hard to find editions of plays, as well as a variety of translations. I used to spend many days browsing their selections which is where I found my RSC copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, and a hard to find translation of The Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco. Their new home is inside the Royal Court Theatre. The space is much smaller but their curation remains excellent and often is still the only place to find certain titles.
Liberia
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I have never been to Liberia though I’ve heard a lot about it online. I think it recently was featured in an episode of I May Destroy You. The space has a very modern feel. It sounds like they are also currently in danger of going out of business due to the pandemic but I hope they’ll hold on.
The Second Shelf
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The Second Shelf is another bookstore I’ve never visited in person, as it is relatively new. It is an antiquarian bookshop that specializes in books by women run by women. In spirit, the Second Shelf feels like a sister store to Persephone, as both have similar missions.
Word on the Water
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This bookshop is a literal floating bookshop. It is located near King’s Cross, and I so want to visit in person some day. They now ship worldwide. I am mostly so taken by the romance of it all.
Southbank
On the Southbank of London, stretching between the National Theatre, the Globe, and the Tate Modern, often reside ventures with long stretched tables full of paperbacks and hardcovers. Sometimes art prints as well. It is the perfect spot for anyone who loves the search.
OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE, BATH & EDINBURGH
Blackwells (Oxford)
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(The web link will let you order from the main Blackwells website but I recommend calling or emailing the stores individually if there’s one in particular you wish to contact or if there’s a particular edition of a book you want.)
I believe the Oxford store is the original Blackwells, which has since expanded into a smaller franchise, including Heffers in Cambridge. The Oxford store has been around 1879 and remains its oldest and biggest bookshop. It has many rooms that seem to appear out of nowhere with passageways that match the Oxford streets outside. I visited in 2013 and came away with only a few books, most memorable being The Oxford History of English by Lynda Mugglestone (this made for an interesting search just now as I attempted to remember the author’s last name but knew it was similar to Mugglesworth) and The Old Ways by Robert McFarlane. The store features the usual suspects of bestsellers, current titles, a selection of classics, but there are also many older editions of books, an extended academic section, and so much more. It was through the Oxford store that I also ordered my green sprayed edge edition of The Book of Dust. If you’re specifically looking for Oxford University Press editions of classics, Blackwells will have of course have these as will the other independents, but the OUP also has its own standalone store in Oxford.
Heffers (Cambridge)
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Heffers was and is my favorite bookshop in Cambridge. Heffers has been trading books in Cambridge since 1876, and joined the Blackwell family in 1999, which is a fact that I recently learned. I used to visit when I studied there and would take a look at all of the different editions of the books or sit in the aisles reading the letters of Evelyn Waugh. It is a very calm bookshop, where you’re encouraged to browse, and take your time. I took Mr H here when we visited. There’s a main floor with the best sellers and some stationary, the cashiers, then there is a second floor that wraps around the main floor that has all the literature books on one side and genre books on the other. Then as you walk around the store there’s a children’s section in the back. As I’ve been thinking about one of my novel ideas, one of the characters popped up in Heffers, so it might have to be featured in the book. While putting together this list I learned about a book called The Witches of Cambridge which feels like it would be a good autumn read. The witches of Cambridge meet mainly to discuss books, while drinking hot chocolate. It sounds delightful.
Mr B’s Emporium (Bath)
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Now, I have never been to Mr B’s Emporium, but I love the sound of it. They offer something called a reading spa which is when you get to have a one-on-one sit down with a bookseller, talk about the books you like, and then they’ll pull personally selected titles for you. I thought I saw an image at one point where they had an old bathtub somewhere filled with books, which reminds me of my first and third grade classrooms, where we were encouraged to read in the old clawfoot tub that was filled with pillows. Here’s a video talking about the reading spa. I want to visit for that reason alone. Here is a cute illustration of the store and another to give you a taste of it.
Golden Hare Books (Edinburgh)
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Golden Hare is one of the independents in Edinburgh. I have, somewhere, an entire list of all the bookshops in Edinburgh, including a breakdown of all of their used bookshops. Those were the ones I primarily visited the last time I was there. I am not sure if Golden Hare was in existence during that visit. I would very much like to visit myself. They were voted the best Independent Bookshop of the Year for the whole UK and Ireland in 2019 so I’d say that’s a good recommendation. I recently learned about another Edinburgh based bookshop called Toppings & Company Booksellers, which also has locations in Bath, Ely in Cambridgeshire, and St. Andrews. They seem to cover all of their hardcovers in a plastic coating that helps to protect the dust jackets, which is appealing to me, especially after watching The Booksellers and watching the process of making these coverings.
DUBLIN
Hodges Figgis
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I have not yet visited in person but Mr H and my mom have both visited on their own, and reported back how much I would enjoy. Hodges Figgis is Ireland’s oldest bookshop and has been selling books to Dublin since 1768. It is three stories with very knowledgeable booksellers and have a large section of books written in Irish. Oscar Wilde used to buy his books from Hodges Figgis. According to Mr H, the inside is very modern so it does not give off the vibes of an 18th Century building. It is currently a question if the current location is the original location. It is now under the Waterstones umbrella. Here is a nice illustration of the store.
PARIS
Shakespeare & Co
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Shakespeare & Co is an English language bookshop located on the Left Bank. There’s a very cool history about the store as it first opened in 1919 and has been frequented by some very impressive authors since. This store is pretty magical. You can get any book you purchase there stamped with the store’s seal. I once didn’t stamp all of my books, as I felt that I was taking up too much time at the till, and regret not taking those extra few moments. So be sure to take the time to stamp your books. There are countless shelves and rooms filled with all sorts of books, and upstairs there’s a nook where people either write or type on their old typewriter notes to the store or about art, their lives, etc. and post the pieces all along the wall. I think they also offer a writer’s retreat for someone to live in the bookshop.
GREECE
Atlantis Books is located in Santorini, Greece. I remember stumbling upon it on our way to lunch at a nearby restaurant. I ate sole that day. Lindsay and I walked in for a browse and made our ways around the circular shelves. I found a very old leather bound edition of a James M. Barrie novel that I had never heard of before. Its pages are thick and smell of maple syrup. Atlantis Books offers books in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Greek. They focus on used and new editions of modern classics, and in recent years have begun collecting and selling rare and antiquarian books. They are always featured on lists of the best bookshops of the world.
