Great Bookstores in Great Cities

Some people go on vacation to the beach, some go to ski resorts. Some people same beers from cities all over the United States and some will go to taste the wine. If you love books and book stores, your ideal vacation might include visiting bookstores all over the country. Fortunately, there are phenomenal bookstores in big cities and little towns all over the country and each book store has its own personality. You will not be disappointed visiting some of the best bookstores in the United States.

The best bookstores in the United States do not include the big corporate book stores. While those large stores are great places to shop for books, they do not include the local flavor of the independently-owned, or “indie” book stores. These are a few of the “can’t miss” shops around the country:

Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon: This bookstore specializes in finding whatever book you need, whether it is out-of-print, rare, or autographed. There are six stores in the Portland area and the bookstore does a fair amount of business online, but it is the flagship store that is in an old car dealership that draws the most attention.

Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado: This tiny space has been the home of great books for sale for over forty years. The Tattered Cover has three locations in Metro Denver and an online home. The shop is unique because of its size, but the small 950-square-foot store is chock full of the best books on the market today. The store owners make wise choices when filling the shelves because there is no room for bad literature among the stars.

Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids, Michigan: This indie store is one big bookstore. Schuler’s can be found not just in Grand Rapids, but in East Lansing and a few other places in between. Their stores sell new and used books as well as online titles. Even though the bookseller is so busy managing the books and the plethora of stores, the owners are still able to offer great events to the communities that the stores serve. The shops are known in the area for also offering fun and unique gifts for children and adults. The Grand Rapids flagship store has an amazing collection of cookbooks as well as a tasty café that serves desserts, small sandwiches, and vegetarian fare.

The Faulkner House Books in New Orleans, LA: While there are plenty of other reasons to visit New Orleans, bibliophiles should stop by the Faulkner House Books while visiting. This store is located in Pirate’s Ally along the French Quarter. The home includes several artifacts from the prominent American author, including some first editions and signed pieces for the true book collector.

Politics and Prose in Washington, DC: Some of the smartest and busiest people in the country live in Washington, DC, so it is only appropriate that a top notch book store makes its home here. Politics and prose is in such a busy town, that the owners are able to host some of the best author events of any bookstore in the country. They have hosted controversial authors in order to keep literature relevant.