independent bokstores

hello - seems like a good idea for a group- ghostwire, hope there are some more joiners, surely all these readers must have some favorite bookstores.

so i'll start by nominating

Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa.

it's right downtown and has been for i think over twenty years- iowa City people are very devoted and loyal to Prairie Lights
and there are lots of readers and writers in that town - hmmm must have something to do with the writer's workshop....
it's a great bookstore and they've got great knowledgeable book lovers working there

yay, first message! :~)

in my neck of the woods:

Schuler Books & Music - I'm closest to the Okemos, Michigan (and Lansing/Eastwood) locations, but I know there's a couple stores in the Grand Rapids area, too...

Well. I could hardly join a group like this and not give my own bookshop a plug. I work at Electric Shadows Bookshop in Canberra, Australia which is one of the longest-running independent bookshops in the city. Fortunately Canberra has a highly-educated book reading population (probably something to do with all the public servants) and lots of independent bookshops. My other favourites are Paperchain and for second-hand books you can't go past Canty's in Fyshwick. It's one of those old-school second hand bookshops where almost everything is in piles and all the shelves have bent in the middle from the weight of all the books they've held over the years.

A Borders opened up nearby last year, and not just us but all the other independents and chain stores suffered. Fortunately people have started to come back now that they realise that sheer size is no compensation for terrible service. I wouldn't have so much of a problem with the big chains if it wasn't that so many of their staff appear to have no idea or interest in books.

Edited to fix typos...

This is cool, i just joined LibraryThing tonight. and i find this group right off. I was raised in a Independent Bookstore, my moms. The Book Place Of Applewood in WheatRidge Colorado. Unfortunately a Barnes and Noble moved in close by and it killed the store. So im all for supporting Independent and locally owned Stores. I currently reside in MO, and here in this town there arent many Indie stores around. But i will give a shout out for..The Well Fed Head Bookstore here in Springfield MO.

Nice to meet you all.

wonderful group. there are a few others that encourage talk about independents, but they are all localized sites.

i cannot think of anything i'd rather do than comb through acres of used books, especially those in a shop that doesn't "pull" first editions or special printings for pricey sections or for the owner's own use.

We are blessed here in Volusia County to have a rare mixture of poorer, educated, reading people and we support some 10 plus bookstores in the county.

In DeLand-Deltona alone, there are five and a half independent bookstores, as follows (listed by my preference):

Half Off Books, Enterprise Road, Orange City, Florida. The Christian owner doesn't let his private program get in the way of his store's content. There is ample opportunity to find an as new first edition for $4 or that esoteric title you have not been able to find anhwhere else.

Muse Books, DeLand, Florida. Owner Janet Boland does "pull" books and price them as antiquarians or modern firsts, but her selection is tantalizing.

The Family Book Store. US 17-92 next to I-Hop, DeLand, Florida. The largest selection, with most books individually priced. Some of the prices are too high, but most are very reasonable, and they do not cull for classics or antiquarians!

Mandala Books, Inter. Speedway Drive, Daytona Beach, downtown. Owner Victor Newman has an extensive collection of firsts and antiquarians both at his home and at his store. He probably has the best selection of used books in the county, including the books and writers others either would not stock or had never heard of.

Patti's Paperbacks, Industrial Park, Orange City. Operating in the older, non-computer world. she still gives you trade-in allowances and still charges half of the cover price, which means you can get many of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and 1980s books for very little of today's inflated dollar. She also has a larger sci-fi, mystery, and western collection than most!

Cliff's books, US 17-92. A little store wedged in the downtown beautiful, Cliff opens just a few hours a day, but has items in horror, sci-fi, and mysteries you cant find anywhere else. he keeps most of his materials in mylar packaging. Great Lovecraft collection!

Abraxus Books, Beach Street, Daytona Beach. No report, as I haven't used it.

Books! Books! Books! Save-A-Lot shopping center, Orange City. Many well-kept used books.

Each of our 12 or so regional qand/or city libraries have ongoing book sales, each of them handling them differently. I just picked up 1st editions of three top writers as new for $1.50 at Holly Hill Library, where that would cost me $3.00 or more at other libraries.

Of course, we have Books-A-Million and Barnes and Nobles in Daytona malls, too, and I probably have missed not just one, but several, smaller shops hidden away in other cities.

My favourite shop ever is a second hand bookstore in Sheffield called Rare and Racy. Books stashed in every corner on two floors. I love going in and spending a hour or so just rummaging through what they got. Always pick up something fascinating. Also sells very obscure recordings by even obscurer artists.

http://www.rareandracy.co.uk/

Great Indie Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers, Farmington, ME. Owner knows EVERYTHING, great service.

I love indie bookshops, and for second hand I have a number of favs - including the already mentioned Rare and Racy in Sheffield (UK), and also Scarthin Books in Cromford.

For new books I like Baytree Bookshop in Glossop and Little Apple Bookshop in York.

We just opened an independent used bookstore in Chico California. It's my favorite independent by far. :)
My wife and I have been book lovers for 25+ years, leading her to a career in a public library. When we moved here 5 years ago and realized the state of the libraries in this county, we quickly became friends of the library...

Eventually we took our expansive library and opened our own bookstore. We love to talk books and this gives us a chance to indulge our passions.

Our store is called Buy the Book.