New goal: To see the best bookstores in the USA

I have a new goal in life. No, it's not to have my Twitter account blocked by Donald Trump or Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, although those are both worthy goals.

The Book Loft, in Columbus, Ohio

Instead, it is to visit every bookstore on this list, which purports to name the best bookstore in each state. I'm not sure how the listmaker made the selections. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I have visited just two of them, one in my home commonwealth of Kentucky, and the second across the river in Ohio.

As for the Kentucky selection, I would agree that Carmichael's in Louisville is a fine and dandy place. It's cozy, yet has a good, eclectic selection. Still, I would give my vote to Coffee Tree Books in Morehead. It's near the campus of Morehead State University, has a generous collection of books beyond the typical best sellers, and it behind the best named coffee shop in the world -- The Fuzzy Duck, which, by the way, also has a great selection of teas.

The second -- the Book Loft in Columbus, Ohio -- is without doubt the top bookstore in my neighboring state to the north. I wrote about this gem in a previous blog post about the the best independent book stores I have visited. It remains true.