Indie Bookstore Featurette!

Dear Aly,

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had time to visit the amazing indie bookstores in my area, and with my beloved neighborhood Barnes & Noble closing (after 21 years!!!), I figured it’s time to see what else is out there. I’m totally devastated by my favorite hangout going the way of the dinosaurs, but never fear! I found some totally amazing and unique bookstores. These are spread out along California’s coast, all the way up to Santa Barbara, so if you’re in the area, check em out!!!

 

1. The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA – It’s not an indie bookstore post without The Last Bookstore!!! Located in the arts district of LA, this amazing store sells new and used books, as well as gifts and LPs. The YA section holds so much nostalgia, and there’s even a section for local NYT bestsellers (Tahereh Mafi and Marie Lu top that list!!!). The classics section has some amazing finds, and even has all the beautiful Penguin Classics editions you could ever want. Above the store is the Labyrinth: containing independent vendors, the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books, and in the back, the $1 bargain stacks. If you’re looking for a deal, this place is the best!! For the bookiest of us, The Last Bookstore is heaven!
2. The Book Den, Santa Barbara, CA – Another used and new bookstore. This place has a unique feel and some of the most beautiful classics books I’ve ever seen. You need this place in your life if you love quaint bookshops. It’s actually pretty well-stocked, and they buy books, so it’s perfect if you’re clearing out your shelves and want to fill em right back up! Haha
3. Granada Books, Santa Barbara, CA – A beautiful indie bookstore that has the coolest, most unique selection of books. They’ve only been open for about a year, but I can see them becoming a Santa Barbara staple. I found an amazing copy of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road that I couldn’t resist, and they were the only bookstore I found that actually had The Song of Achilles that I had been hunting for for weeks! The staff was so nice, and I think I kind of made their day – I was darting around the store for a good 30 minutes marveling at all the books. I even found the gorgeous Penguin editions of all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books (they’re amazing in gold and silver on white backgrounds).
4. Chaucer’s Books, Santa Barbara, CA – Possibly my favorite place on Earth. Chaucer’s Books would appear in an encyclopedia if you looked up “bookstore.” They have so many books to sell that a lot of them are stacked up on the ground around the shelves. They’ve got everything, or they can get it for you. The YA section is tremendous!!!! Every book I could think of was there, even the oddly-elusive Raven Cycle books by Maggie Stiefvater that I check for at every store. What really wowed me though was the middle grade section. Most stores have maybe two or three shelves of middle grade books, well, Chaucer’s has a whole wall!! I found my beloved Children of the Lamp series (which I was surprised to find has 7 books in it now!!), as well as some middle grade and children’s classics! Oh, and an annotated Phantom Tollbooth, so cool!!!
5. Bay Books, Coronado, CA – Another cool and unique bookstore with a view!! It’s super close to The Hotel Del in Coronado, and the beach is just a few minutes walk. I love the atmosphere and how low key this store is. There’s always people milling about, and they have a lot of books to choose from.

Here’s a list of books I picked up recently on my vacation!

 

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Champion by Marie Lu

Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix

 

Look for reviews for all these coming up soon!!

Happy reading,

Zoe

Zoe’s Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’ve Read in 2013

I’ve decided to procrastinate on everything and pick my faves of 2013! The year is coming to a close quickly so it’s time to take inventory of all the stuff we’ve done, and stuff we’ve yet to do, and that includes reading books! I set a goal on Goodreads this year: 20 books in 2013. It sounded totally doable when I started out; I had all summer to read as many books as I wanted, perfect! But as September turned into October turned into November, I lost my way. Too much schoolwork, too much Netflix, not enough reading! So here I am, scrambling to read the last three books by December 31. I’ve got a lot to read, so lets get started!

1. The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas – You guys know my love for this book. Gimme a little fantasy, a little romance, a little badass female protagonist action, and I’m game.

2. Prodigy by Marie Lu – not a book I’ve reviewed, but I’m obsessed with this series and the final book of the trilogy, Champion, is on my to-read list.

3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth – It’s no secret I love the Divergent trilogy! No spoilers, but this book is just… wow. No words.

4. The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane – If you have any interest in Ancient Rome and its workings, this series is for you! Awesome action scenes, archetypal characters that are super badass, and Julius Caesar: what more could you want??

5. Jack 1939 by Francine Mathews – I randomly found this in the library one day, and didn’t really know anything about it other than it was about JFK. Well, I guess it’s fitting to read such a stunning book about JFK in the 50^th anniversary year of his death. You’ll totally fall in love with young John Kennedy and his treks through Europe.

6. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green – WARNING: THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU CRY!! In a wonderful, heartwarming-yet-heartbreaking way, of course. John Green is quickly becoming the writer of a generation, and his latest endeavor does not disappoint.

7. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn – A cute little Christmas number when you need a cheery romance book to settle into. I recommend reading in between any heavy-hitters that may be stacking up on your bedside table.

8. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan – I had been on the hunt all summer for this book and when I finally found it, I totally loved it! Set in San Francisco, this mystery mixes hip technology, a little romance, and lots of cool bookstore hangouts for the perfect easy read.

9. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare – The final installment in the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare is no letdown. The whole series is filled with feels, and the love triangle isn’t too shabby either.

10. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – A must-read if you’re going to see the movie. It took me a while to get into this, but after forcing myself to read past the parts that were giving me trouble, this book really surprised me. Published in 1985, some of the technology described totally reminds me of stuff we have today!

So there you have it, my top ten books I’ve read in 2013. As I’ve got a few more to read before I reach my goal, one or two may change, but these are all solid picks if you’re looking for your next read.

As a bonus, I have a little book haul for ya! It’s a combination of books I got from my school’s library and some I picked up when I was home.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein

Matched by Ally Condie

Look forward to all 5 of these reviews to come!