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
This is the second part of Dame N’s and my dive into the wonderful TARDIS-like Lyrical Ballad Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, NY; which is (the bookstore) excellently described in this tweetstorm (via Media Chomp so you don’t have to go to the hellsite) by author Melissa Caruso.
Close of what appears to be King Tut and a droopy dog. And some old books.
This is the kind of book that I love running into in a bookstore like the one we’re in: in this case, an important (and kind of niche) aspect of history, with pre-Hemingway flowery language that was nonetheless descriptive and to the point, and the kind of thing my late dad would have loved. Unfortunately, it was a bit spendy for such an item at 75 clams, at least for me. However, seeing the melting that my credit card was about to take at his store from some other things, the proprietor took pity on me and shaved 40 bucks off the cost (trust me, I made it worth it) so I got it after all!
And more rooms full of books to come! Some enterprising physics student could do a dissertation on the physics-bending properties of this store.
Looking down an art-filled hallway towards another room full of books.
I suspect this particular room doubles as a sorting room, at least sometimes.
Finally, we have reached the end of the rooms open to the public. But there are still more bookrooms. Maybe it just goes on forever, or at least into Pratchettian L-Space. I hope so, anyway.
There were also old maps and prints available for sale.
Baud
I do miss bookstores.
scribbler
Just magical. I want the books AND the prints hanging on the walls, Thanks for all the lovely bookstore/library photos in this series.
JPL
I would spend hours in the Oxford Bookstore in Atlanta and although it’s been closed for decades, I still miss it.
Trivia Man
If the zombie apocalypse ever hits, ive plenty of books to tide me over. Maybe not enough How To manuals to rebuild civilization but a wide variety of mostly fiction. Lets hope that treasure is well protected as the sheer variety is irreplaceable in this day and age.
Baud
@Trivia Man:
Make sure you also have an extra set of glasses.
Trivia Man
@Baud: I don’t expect to be the sole survivor, ill hire the neighbor kids to read to me
stinger
Why is it that I want to go into that last room MOST OF ALL? That’s where the REAL treasures might be!
MelissaM
That’s the kind of place I would wander through and just repeat “Oh, look!” I want to see the art now, too!
CaseyL
That is exactly the kind of used bookstore I love! So many rooms, and you never know what you’re going to find…
Once upon a time, Seattle was full of used bookstores like these, in converted houses or even old warehouses. Shorey’s Books in Fremont: I used to spend hours drifting from room to room. One room was dedicated to National Geographic: shelf after shelf of decades of issues.
Beauty and the Books, on the Ave in the U(niversity) District, a converted Victorian home with room after room of books, overstuffed chairs scattered throughout so you could sit and read, and five resident cats to oversee operations.
Seattle real estate is too valuable to have those kinds of properties anymore. I now think the entire city has as many used bookstores as a single neighborhood used to. Elliott Bay Books (which had to relocate from its beloved building in Pioneer Square to more modern digs in Capital Hill) and The Magi in the U District are among the last of the old guard still standing.
Captain C
@scribbler: You’re welcome! More to come…
Captain C
@stinger: I would not be surprised if that’s the case. Given what was out for sale, those must be some pretty incredible treasures, indeed.
stinger
@Captain C: Honestly, how can you (anyone) not put the nearest pizza, Chinese, and taco places on speed dial and just move in?
Captain C
@stinger: If I could replace my salary and benefits, I totally would!