...I'm convinced it would be very much like Changing Hands in Tempe, Arizona.

My ideal bookstore, and this is probably true for most bibliophiles, is both large enough to serve my book-hunting desires, but cozy enough to make me want to hang out for hours. There are new books, used books, a buy/sell/trade program of some sort, and an assortment of tchotchkes made by local artisans that I didn't even know I needed. A coffee shop/cafe either in the store or close by is desired, as are helpful staff that are obsessed with books but not with following you around the store. And of course, visiting authors, booksignings of enough variety that I can experience well-known authors and as-yet-to-be-discovereds in the same space.

Things They Do Great...

A couple of things put Changing Hands at the top of my favorites list. First, they integrate used books and new books on the same shelves. The benefits of this approach are obvious - if I'm perusing the shelves and come across a book I would love to read, but not sure I want to shell out $25 for it, yet right next to it is a used copy for $8, they've just made a sale. As the customer, I don't have to wander back to the Used Books section which, in most bookstores, is usually organized about as well as a rummage sale in it's final hours - I can see my choices right there on the same shelf. Rather than me turning around and leaving without purchasing anything (well, admittedly with my book addiction that's highly unlikely, but go with me here) I walk out with something I wanted at a price point I feel good about. I'm happy and more likely to return.

Another thing I love (besides the availability of lattes and nosh next door at Wildflower Bread Company), is the community room availability in the back of the store. Book clubs, local activist meetings, lectures, free movies, you name it, they've hosted it. The feeling of community is very real and they have established a much-needed gathering spot in a city where the vastness of available space divides people more often than it connects.

[Note: This is an excerpt of a post about Changing Hands on my blog - http://www.desertdustblog.com/blog/2010/06/if-heaven-were-a-bookstore.html.html.]

It's a 50-mile trek from my house to Changing Hands, but every visit is an adventure into the world of books and related items. And the food in the bakery next door isn't bad either.

I remember when Changing Hands was crammed into a little space in downtown Tempe. It has grown and improved tremendously.

Dharma Kelleher
www.DharmaKelleher.com