One of my favorite parts of wandering around New York City—aside from the sheer thrill of people-watching, admiring how so many buildings, locals, and tourists co-exist on an island, and stumbling across new coffee shops—is reveling in all the book-loving goodness.
As an author, freelancer, and lifelong reader, I can’t help being inspired by how much this city loves its books.
Whether it was browsing the shelves at The Strand for not nearly long enough, channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn in the Rose Reading Room of the New York Public Library (rather than researching South America like she did, I read Sophie Kinsella’s latest The Burnout), or popping into Shakespeare & Co. between 69th and 70th Street, I felt right at home. And daydreamed about maybe doing a book signing in NYC one day myself for The Honorary Italians.
But for that long weekend I was content being a supporter of books and thrilled I wasn’t alone. Every place I mentioned was packed, an important reminder of how much the written word still matters.
How about you? Where are some of your all-time favorite bookstores, independent and otherwise? What makes them special to you?