Favorite Book Store

Okay, spotted this thread on a different group, figured I'd ask it here, maybe get some interaction.

What is your favorite bookstore?
Books-a-Million? (That clearance section is the death of my credit cards. :>)
Barnes and Noble?

Oh wait, those are too big...

What small bookstores exist out in Maryland?

There are two I practically live in. They are the Friends of the Library used book stores. One is in Wheaton, and the other is in Rockville. The books I buy are usually trade paperbacks for which I pay about $2 each. I must say that I'm in either one of those stores at least once a week. There is a large turnover in both stores so I'm almost always guaranteed to find something new each time I visit.

As for which bookstore I hang out in, I'd say it's mostly the Barnes and Noble in Catonsille, Maryland. It has a very comfortable coffee bar at which I sit with a friend and read magazines or books or doing some personal beading. It's open until 11pm on Satruday night and until 9pm on Sunday night.

Too bad Wonder Book (Frederick) is going out of business.

It is? Oh no! I was planning a big trip down there soon to trade in some duplicates. How horrible.

Are you sure the whole store is going out of business? (Wonder Book) I heard that they were closing their clearance store on Jefferson street but I didn't know the main store was going out. They have a store in Hagerstown also.

I found a fun new one (for me, that is). It's called Daedalus Books and is located in a warehouse in Columbia, Maryland. They sell remainders. Most of the trade paperbacks are about $4, but they look absolutely new. I decided to check it out this past weekend and came out with 5 books. They don't have all the books one is looking for because they only deal with certain publishers, but they sure do have an interesting variety. The store itself is pretty large. They also have a web presence and books can be ordered online.

Check it out!

http://www.daedalusbooks.com/Main/Help/WareHouseOutlet.asp

My favorite bookstore is Borders, in Hagerstown. With its huge selection, coffee, I can get into serious trouble. I also frequent our used book store, Barnwood Books on South Potomac St, in Hagerstown. I try to find what I want there, first.

For virtual bookstores, I've recently discovered Biblio.com which is like Amazon but for used books. I've done a lot of shopping with them and have been very happy.

Good reading!

Judging from their website I'm guessing Wonder Books main store remaining open (great bookstore by the way). Unicorm Books near Trappe is very good, I like Lazy Moon Bks in Linkwood. Kelmscott in Baltimore has a good high-end inventory. I think Attic Bks still exists in Laurel, if so, has a good stock of fantasy. Online I use Bookfinder a lot as well as the usual (Amazon, Abe,Alibris). Pardon the next 2 deletions, Bill Gates strikes again!

The Hagerstown Wonder Books is having an Everything $1 moving/closing sale until .. well, I guess until they close/move; I couldn't find an ending date.

Of course, I've already bought all the good ones there, so.

Everyone should check out Bookthing in downtown Baltimore. It's free! You can bring in your old books for donation and sift through all the one on offer. Lots of good stuff.
But bring your donations. Support Bookthing!!! I love it!

http://www.bookthing.org/

>7 SqueakyChu: Daedalus has a new location (well, open a year) in Belvedere Square in Baltimore, just up the block from the Senator Theater. Like you said, they don't have everything, but lots of interesting stuff at great prices (and heaps of jazz CDs too!)... a very attractive and sunny store.

>13 mkjzorba: BookThing is a packrat's paradise! "Really? As many books as I want.. free??"
But it's no longer downtown - turn on off Greenmount Avenue onto Vineyard Lane, a block south of 31st St. Much bigger digs than their previous basement location...

-->14 jjlong:

Thanks for the info. I might check them out this weekend!

I've been looking for used book stores in either Annapolis or somewhere along the eastern shore. Any suggestions?

I finally got to check out BookThing and Daedelus.

I was kind of disappointed in BookThing because I was hoping to find more recent fiction. My friend found some great poetry books and was quite content.

I got to visit the Daedelus in Towson. It was quite nice. They even had live music going while we were shopping. I always come away from that store with too many books. I love the kinds of books they have...the ones that are sort of off the beaten track.

bfertig - speaking of the Eastern shore, I was in Salisbury today, and as I had errands in town anyway I decided it was past time I checked out the used book stores. I only had time for one, Henriette's Attic, although the Web showed me another one a few blocks away. Henriette's is a wonderful little shop, completely full of books - she's oveflowed the shelves; there are piles of books everywhere, blocking the shelves and the aisles, even stacked in the bathroom! It's heavily skewed toward old books - 50 years or more old, I mean - and priced for collectors, but not exorbitantly in most cases. And a very good collection of local-interest stuff. And the proprietress is friendly and helpful, and doesn't mind you digging around for hours. :)

We head down to Salisbury from the Western Shore every few months. I know there's a couple others along Route 50 on the way, but darned if I can remember any names to look up right now. I'm planning to stop by Market Street books when we're down for Easter, and see what they've got - they claim to be more general-interest than Henriette's.

I get 80% of my books from local Goodwills! You'd be AMAZED at the finds! And sometimes, they have an "All-You-Can-Carry-For-$5" sale. It's heavenly. Our local Waldenbooks here in Bel Air shut down at the end of last month. It was certainly sad to see its passing.

I'm way down here in Southern MD and we have one incredible store: Second Looks Books. The couple that runs it is an amazing pair. I love the section of signed books, because even if I don't care for the genre, it still excites me to know that the author 'blessed' it.

Unicorn Books, Trappe MD; Hwy 50 between Annapolis and OCean City; quite a selection. Especially strong in military history.

I'm a big fan of Wonderbook (Frederick is good, Hagerstown better) and I love the Friends of the Library bookstores in MoCo. My father worked there until he died a few years ago, and the folks there were all very kind and supportive.

Wow. I've been away from this thread too long!

Over the weekend, I found myself a new used bookstore here in St Mary's County. Fenwick St Used Books and Music.

They took over an old Prohibition bar and have shelves that run from one end of a building to the other. Awesome selection and a lot of amusing quotes about each of the shelves. The writing section was small, as was the science fiction/fantasy section. But they were still cataloging a lot of their inventory. (I didn't get a chance to meet the owner to mention LT to them, but it is definitely on my list. :>)

Though I agree that Second Look Books is great too.

Are they in LT Local? If not, please add them! Thanks!

I used to love Daedulus when we lived near there and homeschooled. Now we're too far. I second the Friends of the Library stores votes; my kids and I could happily live there (we're most frequently at the Rockville location).

24> Already there. Though thanks for the hint!

Just found a nice cramped used book store called Book Nook 2 in Glen Burnie. Cramped is an understatement, but it's filled to the gills with tons of books. Can't find what you want? Just put in a request and they'll call you when they get it. They actually do call back!

Other than that I'm a Books a Million junkie.

#21, I checked out Unicorn Books, and agree - what a great selection! Excellent browsing. They have a good Maryland/Chesapeake Bay selection as well - I found this treasure there: Pirates on the Chesapeake

I would have to agree about Wonderbooks And Video in Frederick. I love that store too. The one nearest me has a Toys "R" Us at the end of the parking lot or as our British friends would say, Car Park. Anyway, I also love SecondStory Books in Rockville, Md on Parklawn Drive. They have a lot of books to chose from and also sell LP's, CD's, Cassette Tapes, VHS movies, etc. You can spend hours in there and find some Authors that are new to you as well as old favorites. They have great prices and often have Sales on their books. You can find a lot of books that are OOP there too.

beatles1964

OK, I'll bite. What's OOP?

And while we're on second hand books, what about Book Alcove in Rockville? At least as good as Second Story, at least compared to their Bethesda store.

OOP=out of print

The BookThing of Baltimore is located on Vineyard Lane in north-central Baltimore just off Greenmount Ave. Rt. 45 between 30th and 31st Streets. It is open every Saturday and Sunday, year-round, from 9am to 6pm. They have at least 100,000 books on the shelves at all times! Everything is free. See www.bookthing.org for more information.