The Novel World

Check out this great website to find local indie bookstores in your area!

In no particular order:

• Bookbuyers

http://bookbuyers.com/

317 Castro St.                                  600 Lighthouse Ave
Mountain View, CA         or               Monterey, CA
( 650 ) 968-7323                             ( 831 ) 371-4208

I’ve only been to Bookbuyers a couple of times, but its a very quaint little bookstore resting on the main strip of Mountain View, Castro St. I haven’t been there in a while, but from what I remember there was a really large selection, although the aisles did feel a little cramped at times. There were more books than space, so the shelves were cramped so it was a little hard to pull out books to get a closer look. Other than that, its in a great location next to some great restaurants and coffee shops. The prices were very decent. Like Leigh’s Bookstore in Sunnyvale, you can take your old copies and sell them for store credit only. They take media as well as books.

• Leigh’s Favorite Books

http://www.leighsbooks.com/

121 S. Murphy Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
( 408 ) 736-2665

This bookstore is found on the very quaint Murphy Avenue in downtown Sunnyvale. The owner, Leigh is very approachable and incredibly friendly. Its one of those bookstores where you can just browse for hours and not feel pressured to make any decisions. The selection is healthy and there is a good mix of new and used books. As for pricing, most items are about 20% off the normal price if the book is new. Used books are about 30%. This isn’t the place for $1.oo book bins, its more of a discount Borders. But, it has a great selection and a great atmosphere, and there are a few cafes on the same street, that you can stop by once you purchase a book.

• After-Words Books

23 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL
(312) 464-1110

This place is comfy, a little hole in the wall bookstore that is about 3 blocks off the Magnificent Mile, and can be easily missed…Don’t miss it!!

They had a great selection of materials, cleverly named sections (Spring Training for sports books, Sandstorms for books on the Middle East). The staff is friendly, its a two-story building, with a reading area downstairs complete with sink and 4 computers for internet access. Prices are moderate, but there is a special rack for autographed books and advanced reading copies.

• Eliot Bay Book Company

101 S Main St, Seattle, WA
(206) 624-6600

I’m pretty sure this has been my favorite bookstore to date. Its a few blocks away from the Waterfront in Seattle’s downtown Financial District. It feels old and rickety due to the wooden interior, but its in very stable condition. The books are unique and range from various topics and prices. There is a strong selections of zine’s and the staff recommendations are some of the best books I have read. They also host author readings, from local and well known authors.

• Seattle Mystery? Bookshop

117 Cherry St, Seattle, WA
(206) 587-5737

Now, this bookstore was really hidden and tucked away in a lonely little street also in downtown Seattle. This bookstore caught my eye, just by the sign hanging outside the door. Seattle Mystery? Bookshop. The entire bookstore is all mystery books. I’m not a big mystery reader, but I do appreciate that there is a huge population of mystery readers out there in the world. I even picked up 3 complimentary bookmarks that have quotes, which are taken from some of the worst written mystery books out there. Hilarious quotes.

• Recycle Bookstore

1066 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
(408 ) 286-6275

This is a good local, for me, bookstore that I like to frequent. Its a pretty large bookstore, with really good staff recommendations as well as a friendly in-house kitty that comes across your way every once in a while. Great selection, great prices, great location as well. Its walking distance from Peets and Starbucks (which are also right across the street from each other).