I am home! Had a great 2 weeks on the Outer Banks of North Carolina – beautiful beach, laid-back tempo — perfect place to spend a summer vacation. I did a little reading while I was there and will report on that in my next post, but first wanted to talk about a bookstore that I discovered while on the Outer Banks — Island Bookstore.
Within seconds of stepping into the Island Bookstore in Corolla, NC, I was enthralled. It’s small, but its fiction shelves are crammed with the types of books I love. Lots of books by authors I’ve read or otherwise recognized (plus some new ones to discover); great independent bookstore feel; no mass-market bestseller-type books. It was a genuine pleasure to spend 45 minutes browsing the shelves (and it took a lot of restraint to leave with only two new books). I add Island Bookstore to my growing list of favorite bookstores: The Strand (NYC), the Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle), Politics & Prose (DC).
Island Bookstore has a good website with a section on staff recommendations. I also like the store’s credo, a collection of thoughts about reading and books. Finally, the Corolla store is now reading the EDIWTB blog – very exciting! [Thanks for the comment on the Joyce Carol Oates post, Meaghan].
If you’re ever on the Outer Banks of NC, check out the Island Bookstore in Duck, Corolla or Kitty Hawk.
Where is your favorite bookstore?
Back to reviews and books next time.