Indy Book Store Day

Today is Independent Book Store Day, according to whoever determines these things. And while I usually ignore such marketing ploys, on this one I will bite. I mean, who doesn't love an independent book store?

In keeping with the theme, I'm gonna note some of the best bookstores I have visited, including two in my hometown. I am sure there are more and better ones out there, but I just haven't been to them.

Yet.

So here goes.

                                         The Book Loft in Columbus, Ohio

The Book Loft, located in the German Village section of Columbus, Ohio, is a marvel. It takes up several floors of an old house and spreads out way beyond the gardens. A brick path takes you to the entrance, and you mosey through dozens of large and small rooms that house thousands of books in any genre you can think of. And if you cannot find what you are looking for, rest assured you likely will pick up something even better. That has happened to me every time I've been there.

In Morehead, a block from the state university, you will find the largest independent bookstore in Eastern Kentucky, CoffeeTree Books. Part of the pleasure of this store is its location behind the more whimsically named Fuzzy Duck Coffee shop. It's a small shop in a small town that I visit because my daughter goes to college there. But the selection is incredible -- I have found books there that have become some of my favorites -- and the staff is helpful and smart.

Sometimes, I think Millerton, N.Y., may be the perfect small town for me. As you enter the main street -- coincidently named Main Street -- you come across the finest tea shop in the land, Harney & Sons. A quick walk down the block is Oblong Books & Music, perhaps the best bookstore I have ever visited. In between is the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which I have not yet run, but which seems amazing.

                                My daughter and I at the Millerton trailhead,
                                       between the tea store and bookstore

Anyway, back to the main point -- the bookstore. What I really like is its selection. It's a normal-sized store, but instead of having many copies of every book by popular authors clogging the shelves, it has one or two books by a wide variety of authors, known and unknown. It has a good selection of feminist books, and promotes works of fiction you just won't find anywhere else. It has a wonderful children's section, with -- at least when I was there -- a Harry Potter wall in which people could write about what attracted them to the series.

Two more independents to mention: The Booksellers on Fountain Square in Cincinnati, Ohio, has a surprisingly wide selection in a small spot. And while Roebling Point Books and Coffee in Covington, Ky., specializes in local books, it maintains a large selection of national titles. It regularly hosts book signings and discussions by and with local authors.