On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Captain C
The main reason that Dame N and I chose to stop in Saratoga Springs on the way to Cooperstown was to check out the Lyrical Ballad Bookstore. I refer to it as ‘Melissa Caruso’s TARDIS bookstore’ because like many people, Dame N and I found out about it through a wonderful tweetstorm (back before it was the hellsite) by author Melissa Caruso*. You can see it collected here on the Media Chomp website; I highly recommend it as it’s a wonderful journey.
To sum up, the Lyrical Ballad seems like a small storefront used bookstore when you enter it. Then you see that there’s another room in back. With connections to, IIRC, another couple rooms. Then some more rooms, and more, all with floor-to-ceiling bookcases jammed to the gills with enticing used books of all types (and generally grouped by category). I refer to it as a TARDIS bookstore because once you have finally journeyed as far back as you can go, it does not seem possible that this much bookstore can fit into the building it occupies.
The proprietors are very nice people, and remembered Melissa and her viral tweetstorm (and even had a set of autographed copies of her books). I spent, well, a LOT there, and happily so. You will find out some of what I bought in the next few photosets, and the rest later in the series.
*Melissa Caruso is a good friend of my sister’s; my sister’s maid of honor in fact. She’s a very talented writer who has written two interesting Fantasy trilogies, the Swords and Fire trilogy and the Rooks and Ruin trilogy, set on opposite sides of a continent in the same ‘verse. She has a new book coming out, not in that ‘verse, this November, called The Last Hour Between Worlds.
Out in front of the Lyrical Ballad. Looks like a nice, inviting, ordinary-sized bookstore, right…?
After the initial couple rooms, this set of rooms was off to one side of the hallway. I think. It’s kind of easy to lose sense of one’s position in time and space in here. And hey, as long as I could get food delivered, I wouldn’t mind getting lost…
Or maybe the last one was looking straight back; it’s hard to tell. Anyway, still more up ahead…
A room full of coffee table books and suchlike!
More books!
Wait, is that another room with even more books?
YES!!!! Still more books!
This room had lots of old books, a lovely book cabinet, and a chair in which to peruse the classics therein.
JPL
What a magical place.
SFAW
When I was young, there was a bookstore in the Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA) extended area. [I think it was on Church St.] I don’t remember the name, and it’s (unfortunately) long gone, but it was a slice of heaven. The ground floor was only wide enough to need only one picture window, about the width of the “Bookstore” awning in the photo. But then you went down to the basement …. and it was so much larger, and the bookshelves were crammed in there, and there were 1000s of used books.
I spent many a happy Saturday afternoon there. Seeing your photos reminds me of it.
stinger
Oh my goodness. Good thing I live far away from that bookstore! I would go in and never come out again.
Betty
What a fun place to hang out. It looks like they have interesting old prints on the walls where there aren’t books.
jonas
There are several really cool bookstores in Saratoga Springs, which is a charming little college town (Skidmore is nearby) with lots to do and see, even if you’re not into horse racing. Same with Cooperstown, I might add. Some great restaurants, shops, and museums (and scenery) that have nothing to do with baseball, if that isn’t your bag.
Geo Wilcox
In my small rural town in Indiana we have a book store like this. Crammed full of books and a delight to be in. They have a book drop off where you can trade books you don’t want for store credit. My dad, when he lived with us, went through dozens of books.
Denali5
I want to go there. Are dogs allowed? Our local bookstore welcomes dogs.
Grover Gardner
Heaven on earth! My wife would disappear for days and probably require a search-and-rescue team to be found. ;-)
mvr
Thanks for giving me a reason to stop at Cooperstown if I’m ever in the area. Even though our house will likely collapse from the weight of our books, I can’t resist used bookstores.
For fellow travelers, we discovered a couple of good ones in Butte Montana recently, and my current home, Lincoln Nebraska also has two nice ones (Bluestem and Novel Idea). Omaha has another in the old market near downtown on Jackson Street (coincidently named “Jackson Street Books”.
SFAW: Yes I remember Cambridge when it had a number of fabulous bookstores. Thanks for the reminder!
WaterGirl
Still more! :-)
Amazing!
Maxim
Glorious!
AliceBlue
Fabulous. It reminds me of the E. Shaver bookstore in Savannah.
Captain C
@stinger: It’s a distinct possibility.
Captain C
@Grover Gardner: I’m mildly amazed that didn’t happen to us. I’m convinced we entered L-Space at some point.
Captain C
@mvr: This one’s in Saratoga Springs, but there are several great bookstores in Cooperstown including Willis Monie Books which will be seen in a future photoset.
Captain C
@SFAW: That sounds like an amazing extradimensional bookstore.