Getting lost in a bookstore is always an exploration. Whether I’m browsing the aisles of big box bookstores or perusing the shelves of boutique book shops, these journeys lend to seeing the latest best sellers, finding good reads, discovering new authors, learning about unexpected topics of interest, reading about different perspectives, and sometimes coming across beautiful children’s book illustrations.
| Hope you’ll enjoy getting lost in these traditional bookstores: | |
| Canada | Silicon Valley (U.S.A.) |
|
• Chapters Indigo • Audreys Books (Edmonton, AB) |
• Barnes & Noble • Books Inc. (South Bay) • City Lights (San Francisco, CA) • Kepler’s Books (Menlo Park, CA) • Powell’s Books (Portland, OR) |
Although my visit to Portland, Oregon was many years ago, my shopping experience at Powell’s Books is still fresh in my mind. Powell’s Books is one of the most unique bookstores that I have ever visited. They carry a plethora of books – from used to new, rare finds to best sellers, diversity of genres and topics. The building itself is made up of several neighbouring store locations that are connected by hallways and doorways made between connecting walls. Powell’s has 9 book rooms on 4 floors of one city block. The bookstore is a maze that you’d be happy to feel lost in. Losing your orientation while browsing the treasure trove of books is not uncommon; they literally distribute a Powell’s Books Map & Guide at the front entrance. Don’t forget to check out their Rare Book Room. Rare books are characterized by their intrinsic importance, age, scarcity, condition, edition, fine bindings and illustrations [1]. The oldest book in store is Sphaera Mundi (The Sphere of the World/The Sphere of the Cosmos), an astronomy book by Johannes de Sacrobosco that was printed in 1482.
| The “bookstores” below are not your traditional bookstores, in that they carry other products (eg. clothes, stationery, etc.) in addition to a small selection of books. Even though books aren’t their primary business, we’ve found many out-of-the-ordinary books that we haven’t yet come across at most book retailers: | |
| Canada | U.S.A. |
|
• Anthropologie • Urban Outfitters • Gourmet Warehouse (Vancouver, BC) – for cookbooks |
• Anthropologie • Urban Outfitters • Paper Source |
“Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” — Brad Paisley
Happy New Year!
— — —
Related articles:
[1] IUPUI University: Rare & Beautiful Books
• ILAB: The Worth of Rare Books
• My Beautiful Bookshelf: Top 10 Bookstores in San Francisco
Silicon Valley Loonies 
Awesome things here. I am very satisfied to see your
article. Thank you so much and I’m having a look ahead to contact you.
Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?