<p>Nothing against Barnes & Noble, but I’d like to hear about CCers favorite book stores. Bibliophiles will know what I’m talking about - the one’s you always come out with an armful of books or ones that stock great regional writers or ones make you realize so many books, so little time…</p>
<p>My favorites (in no particular order):</p>
<p>Golden Notebook - Woodstock, NY
Powell’s Books - Portland, OR
The Harvard COOP - Cambridge (our fair city), MA
Elliott Bay Bookstore - Seattle, WA
Title Wave - Anchorage, AK
City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA
Bas Bleu - Catalog & Internet</p>
<p>The New England Book Fair in Newton, Ma. It might actually be in Needham at that point. In any case, I love it. It’s not a cozy bookstore but it is wonderful. Everytime we go up to see the relatives, this is a must-visit location.</p>
<p>On vacations, we always seek out the little, out of the way, bookstores, often used book stores. We’ve literally come back with a suitcase full of books at time (we always travel with an empty duffle bag in case we get something better carried in our sturdier bags.</p>
<p>I second Elliott Bay bookstore in Seattle. We also happened across the coolest mostly English-language bookstore in Paris, too (sorry, can’t remember the name). What’s the name of the huge used bookstore in NYC? Last time we were there, it was hot, and they didn’t have a/c…but it was a delight for all of us…certainly not much in the area of quaintness, but the crowded TALL shelves of books were a treasure.</p>
<p>My fav is Leakey’s Second Hand Bookstore in Inverness Scotland. Here is a review of this great book shop.</p>
<p>A general stock of perhaps 100,000 books and, according to some, the largest secondhand bookshop in Scotland - although it’s owner, Charles Leaky, is the first to admit that: “size isn’t everything”. - TBG.
This ex-church has transformed nicely into a place of earthly promise. A huge stock of books and prints, with the comforting scent of coffee brewing in the choir stalls above, offer immediate sensual gratification rather than a vague promise of unspecified delights in the afterlife. The fire and brimstone of past preachers is replaced by something you don’t expect to see in the middle of 100,000 books - a roaring log fire (possibly a useful place to dispose of superfluous stock, I wish I had one.) I very much like to browse in warmth with the promise of coffee or a bowl of heartening soup on hand when I flag, therefore all my needs for comfort and well-being are met here. - Carol Argyris.
What can I add about this excellent shop that hasn’t already been said? A short walk from the main Inverness shopping area, it would certainly give the largest of the Glasgow and Wigtown shops a run for their money in size. It is well laid out and despite the huge amount of books and prints, retains a spacious atmosphere. The mezzanine level, reached by a large circular metal staircase, is mainly a caf</p>
<p>Sorry, but the Harvard Coop is a Barnes & Noble, albeit a great one. Favorite pick: the Harvard Bookstore, voted #1 independent bookstore. We get great emails about public readings, recommended new books, recommended used books, etc…</p>
<p>I like ThirdPlaceBooks in the old Ravenna PCC building- ( there is also one in LakeForestPark)Ron Sher- owned Elliott Bay for a time ( and also is the developer of the Crossroads mall)</p>
<p>it has old and new books- live music & comedy , free wireless- pastries & a pub in the lower level .</p>
<p>But there is a great newish bookstore in my neighborhood- that got a reprieve after the condo glut convinced the landowner to wait a bit before tearing down the building ( It was the site of the previous city library which moved a block away)- don’t remember the name though</p>
<p>Half price books is the best chain in america by a mile. Unfortunately though, they’re only in 14 states. I found my calculus book that i paid $130 for last semester at my campus bookstore for $10 at Half Price!</p>
<p>Of course, 25 years ago #1 on this list (or maybe #2, after Powell’s) would have been Borders Books in Ann Arbor MI. It was the best college book store of all. When it opened a store in Philadelphia (about four months before the going-public / get-bought-by-KMart fiasco), I thought the millenium had arrived early. I went in there the first week, and the guy in the poetry section gave me an impromptu lecture on the differences among Celan translations. Six months later, no one in the store even knew who Celan was.</p>
<p>Shout-out to the Seminary Co-op in Hyde Park, Chicago IL. Still has that old-timey feeling.</p>