To All the Bookstores I've Loved Before
Some of my favorites:
The Book Worm - West Yellowstone, Montana
One of the best, most eclectic selections of used and new books I've ever seen. The owner knows his stuff, and whenever I've been there, I've never seen anyone other than him behind the counter. When I worked in the park all those years ago, this place was often an oasis in a desert of touristy crap. I mean, there's only so many shops you can go into that sell shot glasses of an erupting Old Faithful before your brain turns to mush. Plus it was open late during the summer - a good place to wear off a buzz from W. Yellowstone's bars before heading back into the park.
The Haunted Bookstore - Iowa City, Iowa
This used to be housed in an actual big old house when I first visited it in 1989. Each room contained a different subject. They served free coffee and tea, and there were cats roaming around the building. Now it's located in an actual businessy building closer to the U of Iowa, but it's still wonderful, and there are still cats. It's the kind of bookstore I wouldn't mind being stranded in for days and days.
Powells - Portland, Oregon
Okay, how can you not love a bookstore so friggin' huge that they have maps available for navigating the four floors of new and used books.
And then we have all the great Minneapolis bookstores...
Once Upon a Crime - Minneapolis, MN
Mystery bookstore, as the name suggests, run by a couple who obviously love what they do. They hold all kinds of events, signings, book release parties, etc, and their annual Write of Spring celebration in which dozens and dozens of local writers show up to sign books and chat is pretty darn amazing. If independent bookstores are going to survive in these tougher economic times, this is the way to do it.
The Book House in Dinkytown - Minneapolis, MN
Overflowing with used books of all varieties. I spent many hours here in my stint at the U of MN. So many books crammed in shelves and on the floor waiting to be shelved, it felt deliciously dangerous, like the shelves could collapse at any time, burying you under an avalanche of bound pages. Hey, there are worse ways to die!
Dreamhaven - Minneapolis, MN
Everything a sci-fi, fantasy and/or horror lover could want in a bookstore. Aside from the great selection of books, there's a lot of fun knick-knacks, and they host readings of local and non-local authors.
Uncle Hugos/Uncle Edgars - Minneapolis, MN
Half is sci-fi, half is mystery, and taken as a whole, it's a lot of great reading with knowledgeable owners. A fun place to spend hours browsing.
What are some of your favorites?
