In a modern world, it’s easy to order almost any book you desire and have it shipped directly to your home. But there’s something about the act of discovery and the gentle quiet that keeps me coming back to bookstores, no matter where I travel.
I’ve just returned from a few days visiting friends in Boston. At the trip’s outset I committed to buying only one book during the trip.
I failed.
Here’s a quick roundup of what I purchased and the bookstores I visited along the way. I’ve included links to the books on Bookshop.org, but I strongly recommend supporting your local bookstore if you’re able. (Note that you can also identify them as your preferred bookseller on Bookshop and a portion of your purchase will go to your local shop!)
- Brookline Booksmith
My friends Ciera and Jackson also traveled to Boston for this getaway and stayed with friends who they’ve visited before. But on recent visits, they haven’t been able to take in everything they wanted to see—including Brookline Booksmith. I was astounded by the bargain tables, which included a few of my favorites from recent years. (I almost snagged discounted copies of “Writers & Lovers” by Lily King and “Grief is for People” by Sloane Crosby because I love them so much. Surely I could find someone to give them to! But the weight of my own books won out.) Brookline Booksmith features an abundant selection of new and used books, with plenty of small press picks represented. They also offer what looked to be a strong variety of publications and lots of gifts, but I didn’t get into either of those areas. Ciera and Jackson had checked out long before I was ready to go.- Us, After by Rachel Zimmerman: Brookline has a great Death & Dying section, and the first several pages of Zimmerman’s memoir grabbed me, fast. I also love supporting indie presses, so when I saw that Santa Fe Writers Project was the publisher, my mind was made up.
- The Listening Path by Julia Cameron: Some people love “The Artist’s Way,” some hate it. I’m somewhere in the “like it a lot” camp, and I was tempted by “The Listening Path” when it was published several years ago. I held off (I think I was mostly tempted because it was 2021 and I craved something to fix the world), but picking this up at deep discount was an easy call.
- Heartbreak by Florence Williams: A couple of weeks ago I asked for book recs related to heartbreak, among other topics. This reported memoir by science journalist Williams appealed to me in the past. After a divorce, Williams sets out to understand the science of heartbreak. Finding this on a discount shelf felt like the book may have come to me at the right time.
- Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron: Mindfulness practices often align with Buddhism, and I’ve had mindfulness on the, uh, mind lately. This series of teachings framed around Buddhist maxims seems accessible and helpful. Finding it used was a bonus.
- Trident Booksellers & Café
After lunch at another place they’d missed on a previous trip, Ciera, Jackson and I headed to the famed Newbury Street for shopping and browsing. None of us bought anything at Trident, but I’d definitely go back on future trips. It was bustling with shelves full of staff recs and a café calling out to patrons who want to linger.
- Harvard Book Store
Two-story bookstores with a selection of used books were a winner for me on this trip. I spent several hours at this Cambridge institution on my last trip to the area, and it was the focus of my last morning in town. A bookstore’s selection can tell you so much about its surroundings. On both trips, I’ve come across books that I wasn’t familiar with that just had to come home with me. And with both used and remaindered books available, there are deals to be found here.- The Buddhist Enneagram by Susan Piver: I wish I could recall who recommended this book to me some months ago so I could tell them I stumbled across it in the wild and was excited to bring it home. I love personality assessments, but most Enneagram books I’m familiar with lean heavily into evangelical Christianity. I mentioned my growing interest in mindfulness practices. This book fits right into that space.
- Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond: My friends are in the Boston area for the Nieman Fellowship, a prestigious journalism program at Harvard. And one of those friends has been studying with Steve Almond, who honestly I know best as Cheryl Strayed’s Dear Sugar predecessor. (I’ve also read and loved Almond’s “Against Football.”) This felt like an appropriate occasion to pick up this craft book, which I’ve heard great things about.
- The Spare Room by Helen Garner: I searched for Garner in the used fiction section because of the appearance of another title on my friend Nellie’s staff picks at my home bookstore. The austere cover of my version (not the same as what I’ve linked to) appealed to me. The synopsis suggests the book fits in well with my interests in grief books and novels about friendship: A woman invites a friend to move into a spare bedroom while recovering from cancer treatment, and the first woman ends up nursing her friend during her stay.
- Clue by Sandy Rustin, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn: Clue is my third-favorite movie and my favorite board game. Spotting a used copy of the script of the play based on the move based on the game was a major score. Note that the version I linked is for schools; the edition I have doesn’t seem to be widely available.
- Rodney’s Bookstore
I didn’t really need another bookstore visit after these finds. (OK, or before these finds.) But a friend shared a link to Rodney’s and it was so close to both Harvard Book Store and my T station that it seemed silly not to drop in. I could’ve spent much more time browsing if it wasn’t a travel day, but I quickly spotted a newer release I’d been eyeing for months.- Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer: Spotting a newer book on a used shelf is exciting (at least in my quiet little world). In “Some Bright Nowhere,” Eliot is facing the end of his wife’s life with as much dignity as he can muster. But Claire’s final wish floors him and shapes their remaining days together. I started reading the novel at Boston Logan International Airport and closed it before my connecting flight touched down in Birmingham. Though the scenario we meet them in is difficult, I loved these characters.
- Honorable mention: Grolier Poetry Book Shop
I didn’t pop into Grolier on this trip, but it’s a gem. Located just around the corner from Harvard Book Store, Grolier is the nation’s oldest continuously operated store devoted exclusively to poetry. It’s a tiny space filled to the top with poetry collections, and it’s soothing to wander among its shelves.
Note: I am a Bookshop.org affiliate, and I’ll receive a small payment if you shop using the link above. I also strongly recommend supporting your local bookstore!