Bookdad's Favorite Stores
‘Book Pimp Since 1996’
Real Name: Jay Gesin
Interests: bookstore tourism, Daniel Quinn, economic development, fiction, frontline booksellers, future of books, good coffee, good food, minimalism, parenting as a revolutionary act, photography, progressive politics, travel, volleyball, Vonnegut
About Me:
Current: Free agent. Past: Bookseller (Third Place Books-Seattle, Canterbury Booksellers-Madison, Robins Books-Philadelphia), Phaidon Press sales rep, part of the team that launched BookSense.com.
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Friends of Bookdad
Washington Bookstore Recommendations?
Can you recommend some good indie bookstores in Washington state? My family will be moving out there next year, so I'm trying to compile a list of stores to check out. Also, we'll be driving to Washington from Pennsylvania so anything noteworthy on the way would be useful as well -- I want to stop into as many bookstores along the way as possible. Thanks!
Ruth
Visit my book review blog, Bookish Ruth:
http://bookishruth.com
Bookstore Recommendations
Hi Ruth,
Rec'ing bookstores is a lot like suggesting books for people, it all depends on your interests...how old will the kids be? what types of books do you like? what route will you take to get there?
My favorite bookstore is Tattered Cover in lower downtown Denver. Strongly recommend seeing it if you take the I-70 route. You'd also go through Kansas City (Rainy Day Books and Reading Reptile, Nelson Atkins Art Museum), St. Louis (Left Bank Books, Missouri Botanical Gardens), and Indianapolis (Big Hat Books, Indy Museum of Art).
For Washington State, Auntie's in Spokane is a strong recommend. Elliott Bay Book Company in downtown Seattle has one of the best bookstore atmospheres in the country. I worked at Third Place Books in north Seattle for two years. It's a great example of a large community bookstore that sells both used and new. Try to go on a Friday or Saturday night when they have live music on the main stage. For smaller stores, I like taking the ferry out to Bainbridge Island to Eagle Harbor Book Company and The Traveler, then drive up to Liberty Bay Books.
Powell's in Portland, OR is a must-do pilgrimmage for any reader.
Give me a little more info and I'll add to the list. I've been a bookseller in Seattle, Madison, and Philly. And I was a publisher rep for the Midwest for awhile.
Hope this helps,
Jay
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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford Random House |
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Miles from Nowhere Nami Mun Riverhead |
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American Buffalo Steven Rinella Spiegel & Grau |
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The Piano Teacher Janice Y. K. Lee Viking |
holy cow
jay -- love your hat! is it a boy or a girl? : )