Beloved readers, looks like I'm going to Mankato and Minneapolis for the holidays, and it sounds like I'll have some time to be up to my own devices, which of course means books. However, these are unfamiliar hunting grounds for me. Luckily, I have the fabulous iphone app Local Books by LibraryThing.com, which is fantastic for finding book stores once you are there... but I won't have time to visit them all. Thanks to LibraryThing's Local tab you can see, that would be difficult. Even though there are dozens of bookstores, not many have descriptions or reviews.
This is where you come in. Does anyone have any "must-see" book shops in the twin cities or Mankato? Any members of the Ampersand Club have some keen advice?
My favorite places are book mines. Places that have a *lot* of books, and often sell them by weight, or some other randomly selected qualification. For more on book mines, read up on the wide, but sadly shallow vein I discovered in NW North Dakota.
I also wouldn't mind hitting a very *nice* bookstore. Someone who would have association copies, fine bindings, first editions. You know, the best of civilization. I don't get to see a whole lot of that very often.
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2 comments:
I have not shopped for books in the Minneapolis area in many years. Do you have a subscription to the Used Book Lover's Guides so that you can look up sellers (in stores and homes). Often these stores have descriptions based on the visits by the owners of the press and site. With so many open shops going out of business or online only, the information can be dated but it is worth checking to form a shopping list of locations to contact.
Mankato is the home town of Maud Hart Lovelace, the author of the Betsy-Tacy books which have an enthusiastic following among some readers of juvenile books. While vintage copies might be unfindable (published by Crowell) or very expensive there, the recent reprints should be available for pilgrims and tourists to the area.
James Keeline
I am not familiar with the Betsy-Tacy books, but thanks for the help! I do enjoy visiting author homes, even if I don't know who they are.
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