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kaelino's review against another edition
4.0
Really fun and interesting anecdotes and appealing, colorful artwork for each of the "greatest" bookstores mentioned in here. This book has a hardcover that opens from top to bottom, revealing pages that open from side to side which is also a neat feature. My only real gripe was that it was a bit long. The author started with a list of 150 bookstores and narrowed them down to 75, which I still found a little lengthy. Thankfully the descriptions are brief, the paintings lively, and the quotes and stories are fascinating, strange and humorous. A great gift book for a book lover!
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Design-wise, this is beautiful. Content-wise, it's utterly fantastic. This is the coffee-table book of a lifetime. Filled with incredible watercolors, tidbits, and quotations, this book is an absolute must for booklovers. Eckstein describes the various famous bookstores--some of my favorites being on here (Powell's, Brattle, Havard Square, Shakespeare & Co.), and some of the ones I now really want to visit... There's a lot more history behind bookstores than people realize, including me!, and this book does a great job at highlighting the various types of resistance some bookstores have partaken in, as well as what histories were going on around them, such as wars, civil rights movements, LGBT rights movements, and so on.
Overall, this book is incredible (and would make a great Christmas/other winter holiday present!
Review cross-listed here!
Overall, this book is incredible (and would make a great Christmas/other winter holiday present!
Review cross-listed here!
littletaiko's review against another edition
5.0
Lovely collection of pictures and comments regarding some existing or currently closed book stores. Loved the variety of stores and some of the crazy stories.
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a fun little read to consume in one sitting. I enjoyed reading the vignettes from bookstore owners and employees about random customers, famous authors, and writers. I loved reading about bookstores from the U.S. and around the world. I added a few must-see places to my list.
hollyejacobs's review against another edition
5.0
This is a precious book for anyone and everyone who loves books and bookstores. I adored every minute with this book and will reference it every time that I travel. ❤
aristeegan's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable book -- wonderful illustrations, fun facts and interesting tales....
annebennett1957's review against another edition
4.0
I love bookstores and it breaks my heart that there are no bookstores in my town. None. I want to visit all these book stores from the book. I hope they are all still open and ready for business.
ricefun's review against another edition
5.0
Saw this book on the new books display at our local library and just had to pick it up. It doesn't take long to "read" this book because the focus is more on the paintings of famous bookstores that motivated the project. The stories collected from the various bookstores and book-lovers that go along with the paintings are quirky, funny, and sometimes profound. Because the initial journalistic project was a catalog of New York bookstores, the profiled shops are very New York-centric with just a smattering of other locations. The two complaints I have are about packaging/layout - while the cover is a unique fold-down design, it made the pages difficult to flip without damage and bent my bookmark drastically. Also, there are no page numbers in the book - what?!?
After reading this book, I've added several new bookshops and locations to my must-visit list.
After reading this book, I've added several new bookshops and locations to my must-visit list.
laurenash's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, interesting read reminding us all why we love bookstores. I lost count of how many were in New York. Must visit them all.