The Tree Frog Blog, in case you haven't noticed, hasn't been updated since early November. The holidays take a toll on all of us, amphibians included. Shopping is hard work. Particularly when you're an inch tall and can't reach the cash register.
Here's a little list to lighten your load: independent bookstores for which the frog can vouch, having shopped there in person. Enjoy.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Elliott Bay Book Company - Seattle, WA
Near Pioneer Square. Fantastic, amazing. Cavernous but cozy. Hundreds of staff recommendation cards everywhere. Great Pacific Northwest section. Amazing travel section. Hands down the Frog's favorite bookstore. Excellent if you're on a mission, inspiring if you're out to browse for something new.
Fremont Place Book Co. - Seattle, WA
The quintessential little neighborhood joint. Complete with cat.
Powell's - Portland, OR
Comprehensive (though a bit cold and warehouse-looking).
CALIFORNIA
Cliff's Books - Pasadena, CA
Loads of character. Knowledgable staff. A little musty, but that's what you get with used books. Great location. Extremely well-stocked California Heritage section. Also the place to go if you're searching for a favorite hardcover children's book from your youth, for a cheap dime-store horror novel, or for retro books on birding and organic farming.
Small World Books - Venice, CA
Cute, cozy, and right off the Strand bike path. The place to go if you need emergency reading material on the beach. Their poetry section could use a little building, considering they're located in Venice, the hub of SoCal poetry. But overall, they have a very nice selection of classy new softcovers, and a handfull of employee picks if you're stuck on what to read.
Skylight Books - Los Angeles, CA
On Vermont, right in the heart of Los Feliz. Bright, airy, with a great speaking schedule. The best time to go is mid-day, when you stand a fair chance at finding municipal parking (look behind the store and Los Feliz 3 movie theater). Good selection, with a strong pop culture section. (Think, lofty analyses of pop culture. If you're looking for intellectual treatises on Sex and the City, this is the place to search.)
City Lights Books - San Francisco, CA
Choosing City Lights may be a cliche, but they've earned their rep. The second you cross the threshold, your I.Q. takes a mighty leap upward. Nice selection of untranslated Spanish novels. Extremely smart staff. Owned by a poet.
Books in Nooks - Julian, CA
An adorable bookstore in an adorable historic town. This is probably the town in California most likely to resemble a New England village. Must have something to do with all the apple orchards...
NEW ENGLAND
The Montague Book Mill - Montague, MA
Fantastic snack bar offering things like apple butter and cheddar bagel sandwiches. Dogs lounging about. Gorgeous, river-side setting. Extraordinarily New Englandy.
R.J. Julia - Madison, CT
Cozy, upscale, classy. Rife with events.
The Book Exchange - Plainville, CT
Cavernous, full of tiny little rooms that are fun to explore. There are vinyl records and cassette tapes for sale too. All of this off a dull stretch of I-84, in full view of a gravel plant.
Bear Pond Books - Montpelier, VT
You can't hop five feet in tiny Montpelier without landing in an independent bookstore. Though They say Seattle has more books per capita than any American city, I believe They have overlooked Montpelier due to its miniature size.
Raven Books - Northampton, MA
It's probably not surprising that a college town like Northampton would have a fantastic indie bookstore. All the usual literary suspects are well represented, but this is also the place to go if you're willing to discover random sociological or feminist tracts.
That's it for now. From time to time the Frog will make additions under the Independent Bookstore tag...
Happy (s)hopping!
