Since one of the greatest inventions of humanity, the printing press, the circulation of books has cultivated the transfer of knowledge over centuries. They nurtured and brought forth many major revolutions such as The Renaissance, prompted the overthrowing of tyrannical rulers and governments, and continuously allows us to build on the truths and ideas of those that came before us. The power of books is incredibly remarkable, for fragments of history have echoed Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and spur prolific attempts to ban books across numerous institutions. My favorite book growing up was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which tells the poignant story of a girl followed by Death in the context of Nazi Germany and the impact that words and books have on our lives.

Format Wars

Present-day, the debate against physical copies and digital materials has many bibliophiles torn. Much like online markets such as Amazon (they even own Kindle, the leading eReader with an impressive digital library, and retain Audible as a subsidiary) are eliminating the need to make a trip to the store, the analog print and their domains remain in a period of stagnation. Globally, Amazon is also the behemoth bookseller. While I will always advocate for the growing availability of literature and information and hybridization of online book reviews, I gravitate to the shelves and racks of brightly colored papers in libraries and bookshops.

Read between the lines

My quest for a good book usually begins on one end of the narrow passageways, between rows of bounded paper acting as the canvas to the artist’s thoughts and message, with a profound ability to transport you to another realm or time. In as much as the way that believers attend a place of worship like a chapel or a temple, bookshops are my sanctuary from the rest of the world, that which knowledge is my devotion.

On some occassions I have a quarry–I might go straight to Science Fiction, saunter to the Feminism section for anything by Bell Hooks, or track down Beethoven: Letters, Journals, and Conversation in Music or maybe Bibliographies.

Most of the time; however, I come ready for anything and eager to rifle through the pages of whatever book that calls out to me. I tend to prefer used booksellers because the discount tends to be more appealing (I can buy more books!) and secondhand imparts to me a good conscience (sustainably too) that this book has had its wisdom shared with someone else. Personal annotations, albeit rare, can also be enthralling–like a surprise tangent of another scholar.

Coming to browse at a bookshop sets your intentions to learn and seek knowledge, facilitates a sense of adventure, and incorporates all your senses to a single locus. Older texts stimulate the olfactory as volatile organic compounds, typically lignin, slowly decompose and yellow its pages (modern manufacturers now use acid-free paper) and seep into the walls of the shop. You feel the weight of tomes and the texture of each page as you contemplate on whether you can really finish 1,153 pages of Stephen King or one of the greatest works of literature of all time, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In busier bookshops, you might hear discourse unfolding between friends about the juicy life of F. Scott Fitzgerald or sometimes (usually me to my accompaniment), an enthusiastic, “Have you read this book?!” A bookshop and all its contents is truly a sight to behold, as all my fictional (and non-fictional?) friends eager to share their story are neatly lined next to each other, or scattered or stacked in erratic configurations. Many independent bookshops place local authors or their “picks” towards the front, and I feel connected to this community.

My sister came to visit me for the first time since I moved, and it wasn’t until I started writing this piece that I realized we have the habit of exploring bookstores any time one of us visits a new city. I think anyone who has come to know me over the ages also knows how much I love spending time in a bookshop.

Here are some of my favorites I’ve been to and often frequent when I can:

Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Farenheit 451 Books, Carlsbad, CA Shakespeare and Company, Paris, France Myopic Bookstore, Chicago, IL

• Pegasus Books, Berkeley/Oakland, CA
• Moe’s Books, Berkeley, CA
• City Lights, San Francisco, CA
• Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA
• The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA
• Verbatim Books, San Diego, CA
• The Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

And new to the list:

• Greedy Reads, Baltimore, MD
• Atomic Books, Baltimore, MD

Support your independent bookshops and find the magic of books 🧙‍♂️