Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 22:30:10 GMT Server: NCSA/1.4.2 Content-type: text/html Last-modified: Fri, 15 Nov 1996 02:56:30 GMT Content-length: 15795 UW CSE - Bookstores in and around Seattle

RESEARCH
BOOKSTORES

Seattle

AKA Books
CLOSED, alas. It has a successor, though: Recollection Books
Bailey-Coy Books 414 Broadway East 323.8842
Pleasant, moderate-sized shop, excellent for browsing, good fiction and poetry sections. The place is festooned with helpful little stick-it (in the adhesive sense) recommendations from staff and customers. This is a wonderful place to find the new book you didn't know you were looking for.
Barnes & Noble University Village
It's big. It's imposing, in a faux-marble shopping mall way. On principle, I'd opt for U. Books purely for local boosterism and to avoid the rampant bourgeois feel of Barnes & Noble, or I'd opt for Borders for the better selection. B&N is convenient and comprehensive, though you'd never mistake the U. Village location for their flagship store on lower Broadway in NYC.
Beauty and the Books 4213 University Way NE 632.8510
From the inconsiderate ambience (a TV was blaring last I visited), the poor selection, and the profound indifference (bordering on hostility) of the staff, one can only assume this is a deeply troubled shop. Perhaps it'll improve one day; for now, don't bother with it unless you're keen on being annoyed, or wish to witness first-hand a case study in how not to run a bookstore.
Beyond the Closet Books 1501 Belmont Ave, 322.4609
A comprehensive selection of books, journals, and magazines dealing with gay/lesbian/bisexual issues. Comic books, too.
Blackbird Books 1316 E Pike 325-3793
A good selection of books related to African-American issues. Also toys, posters, children's books, and music.
Borders Books 1501 4th Ave 622.4599
Yes, they're a chain, but no longer owned by K-Mart. The selection is magnificent; they're evidently willing to stock specialized titles in technology, literary criticism, and philosophy that aren't available elsewhere in Seattle except via special order. The store is spacious and pleasant in a postmodern Art Deco way, unless you're agoraphobic.
David Ishi, Bookseller 212 First Ave S. 622.4719
Tiny shop, premium-priced hardbacks and memorabilia. He specializes in fine first editions, but during a recent phone call didn't recognize who Proust was -- maybe it was a bad connection? Anyway, he does rare book searches on request.
Elliott Bay Book Company(Pioneer Sqaure) 624-6600
They're open late, which in Seattle is itself a reason to rejoice. They've got a coffeeshop and a playroom for kids. Famous and not-so-famous people give readings there. Excellent for fiction and poetry, decent for literary criticism, rather sparse philosophy section. The wonderful print department is, alas, gone. Elliott Bay Books is big but eclectic -- you may browse for hours, and then go home with books other than the ones you set out to find.
Flora and Fauna Books 121 First Ave S. 623-4727
Best nature bookstore in town, with both new and used/rare titles. Eclectic: everything from A.C. Bent's Life Histories of North American Wood Warblers (all 734 pages) to What Bird Did That?, a kind of `Roger Tory Peterson meets scatology' field guide.
Half-Price Books 4709 Roosevelt Way 547-7859
Cheap remaindered and used books. Nice for browsing. Unlikely you'll find a specific title there, but it's fun.
Horizon Books 425 15th E. 329-3586
Just your typical old house full of books, including the bathroom, which is handy if you're gonna browse a while or have a stomach ache. Extensive sci-fi, alternative religion, and life styles selection (which may or may not be implicated in said stomach ache). If the guy with the beard isn't too grouchy, he'll buy and trade books.
Killing Time Mystery Bookstore 2821 NE 55th St.
Great selection of mysteries. Is your mother travelling to Stockholm on vacation? This bookstore's staff will know of a mystery that takes place there -- a great bon voyage present. Killing Time review courtesy of anonymous.
Left Bank Books 92 Pike 622.0195
Collectively-run and entirely excellent radical bookstore. Strong collection of titles relating to feminism, culture studies & commodity aesthetics, philosophy, art, labor, history, and contemporary literature. Cool posters and bumper stickers, too. Pay with your Visa Gold card and watch their faces!
Magus Bookstore 1408 NE 42nd 633.1800
Typical university used bookstore. A perpetually grumpy staff is a big plus.
Multilingual Books and Archive Books 4748 University Ave 522.2488
Unvisited thus far (plan to, though). They reportedly have books in over 100 languages, plus they specialize in pulp fiction and literature. Web site at http://www.esl.net/mbt/. Review pending
Mystery Bookshop 117 Cherry 587.5737
Lots of new and used mysteries.
Old London Bookstore 111 Central Ave, Bellingham 733.7273
A seventeen-room historical mansion in the dead center of town; primarily a mail order business.
Open Books 2414 N. 45th 633.0811
Poetry, poetry, poetry. Also, poetry.
Pistil Books and News 1013 E. Pike 325.5401
Way cool selection of fringe magazines, journals, new & used fiction, et cetera. Moody, engaging ambience. We love it and you need to visit it. On the next block is Toys in Babeland, for your sex-toy shopping convenience.
Recollection Used Books 4519 University Way 548-1346
This is clearly a bookstore run by people who love books. Check out the modern first editions behind the counter (despite the sign above them that says expensive puppies, the prices are quite reasonable). The fiction section is quirky but full of treasures; the selection of mysteries is small but high-quality. A sci-fi fan wasn't impressed with their offerings in that genre, but the selection of non-English titles in the comfortable room upstairs (complete with chairs and a chess table) more than made up for that lack. Recollection is on the web at http://www.eskimo.com/~recall.
Second Story Book Store Wallingford Center 547-4605
Small and pleasant, tucked away upstairs in a big old Arts & Crafts schoolhouse that's been converted into a mini-mall with character. Feminist and new fiction titles, lending library, calendars.
Secret Garden Children's Bookshop 6115 15th NW 789.5006
New ownership, new location in Ballard. A review is pending.
Shorey's Books 1411 1st Ave 624-0221
A selection of used books that surely someone, somewhere, must find interesting.
Standard Books 1028 NE 65th 527-2208
Great bookstore -- open and airy. Current fiction and non-fiction, politics, history, poetry. Small children's section. Free Sunday New York Times Book Review. Friendly, smart staff. Book signings and readings.
Tower Books 20 Mercer Street 283.6333
Extensive selection of new mass-market books, magazines, and newspapers. Open until midnight every day. Crowded and usually unpleasant, but cheap.
Twice Sold Tales 905 E. John 324.2421
Wonderful selection of used fiction at good prices. Good sci-fi and horror section, decent general literature section, and the `new arrivals' shelf usually yields a surprise or two -- often, barely used titles from Routledge. Open until 3am or so. Great place to hang out and pet one (or more) of the many resident cats, or just wander around and read the annoying little corrective reminders ("please don't spit on our books") tacked up everywhere. There's a branch in the U district, too: 1311 NE 45th (near the Neptune), 545-4226, not reviewed yet.
U.S. Government Bookstore Room 194, 915 Second Avenue 553-4270
A branch office of the U.S. Gov't Printing Office. See how the State attempts to represent itself! A mixture of mundanity, mind-boggling trivia, nationalist bombast, and the truly odd.
University Bookstore 4326 University Ave 634.3400
Big, comprehensive selection -- they're strong in just about every category. UW students, staff, and alumni get a (fluctuating) rebate on purchases (this year it is 9%). Truly outstanding sections on travel, philosophy, technology, women's studies, literary criticism, contemporary and genre fiction (especially sci-fi and horror), field guides, and poetry. Good magazine, adequate journal section. Helpful and informed staff, except for that one guy at the Info desk who can't spell and apparently considers each request a malicious attack on his abilities.
Seattle bookstore reviews by Craig Horman (cbh@cs.washington.edu)

Around the Sound

Tacoma Book Center (324 E 26th, one block from Tacoma Dome-take the Tacoma Dome exit from I5, corner of 26th and D, 206-572-8248).
Very good selection of used and collectible books at good prices. Worth the stop if you're traveling through.
Book World (I and II) (23406 Pacific Hwy S, Kent, and 23824 104th SE, Kent).
Both are just your typical old supermarket turned into a (large) used bookstore.
Comstock's Bindery and Bookshop (257 E Main, Auburn--formerly on Ranier Ave S in Seattle, 206-939-8770).
Good selection of used SF, history, military. "As a book binder primarily he has interest in antiquarian books. He gets a lot of books donated from local libraries that he then binds up and resells. The most tenacious man at finding an out-of-print book I have ever found, especially rare and unusual SF. Has reading rooms, two store cats and one store dog (Bouvier de Flanders) often mistaken for large rug. Very knowlegeable on many subjects, and will without hesitation send you to a competitor if they have the volume you need. Used to be located in Seattle, moved down to Auburn for cheaper rents, keeps expanding, and may soon have the entire block of buildings as a bookstore. He and his wife will help you find anything you want or need, and will spend time to make sure you get what you want in many subjects, including assessing the value of an older book. 2-for-1 trade-ins for SF and others; will outright buy rare titles. Will give you a better price than other antiquarians in Seattle area." Wonderworld Books and Gifts (455 SW 152nd, Burien west of the Sea/Tac Airport). Large collection of new paperback and hardback SF and cinema, comics, role-playing games, and collectibles.
B & M Books (Mount Vernon, take the George Hopper exit).
This is about a 90-minute drive from Seattle. For anyone who likes used bookstores, this is worth the drive up, at least once. The bookstore is run out of a converted warehouse almost solely by this old dude. There are more books in this place than in any store I've ever been in, including the Tattered Cover. The books are vaguely ordered by first letter of authors last name, and subject. All books are *very* cheap, but you may get a bit frustrated when trying to find a specific book. There are, of course, cats running around which you may run into randomly while lost in the labyrinth, and there's a huge fireplace they fire up on cold days.

Portland

What's a mere 2.5hr drive south if Powell's is at the other end ? Information from: Britt Klein (tierna@agora.rain.com).

Captain's Nautical Supplies (138 NW 10th Ave, 503-227-1648).
"They had the best supply of maps I have ever seen outside of the USGS office in VA. Worth checking out." Almost exclusively maps.
Conant & Conant Booksellers (1001 SW 10th Ave, 503-241-7726).
There's a coffeehouse in here, too. Pleasant atmosphere and a very broad selection.
Future Dreams (1800 East Burnside, 503-231-8311; also 10508 NE Halsey, 503-255-5245).
Fantasy and SF, new and used. Information on the Portland Science Fiction Society is available here.
Hawthorne Boulevard Books (3129 SE Hawthorne Blvd.503-236-3211).
SE Hawthorne Boulevard is the readers' paradise. Something like thirty booksp into any one and get a lista of the other Hawthorne Blvd. booksellers, then budget an entire day for some of the best browsing of your life.
Murder by the Book ( 7828 SW Capital Highway, 503-293-6507, and 3210 SW Hawthorne Blvd, 503-232-9995).
Mysteries.
Powell's City of Books (main store) (1005 W Burnside, 800-878-7372 or +1 503-228-4651, FAX +1 503-228-4631).
Truly a national treasure, one of the wonders of Portland. Powell's has new and used books by the millions. Its depth and coverage exceeds most large-city libraries. There is a coffee shop in the store for more serious browsing. This store is an easy walk from the Amtrak station; one reader reports returning to the train with an additional piece of carry-on luggage after her four-hour layover. Will ship worldwide. Does searches for out-of-print books.
Powell's at PDX (Portland International Airport, 503-249-1950).
Powell's Books for Cooks (3739 SE Hawthorne, 503-235-3802).
Powell's Books in Beaverton (Cascade Plaza, 8775 SW Cascade Ave, Beaverton, 503-643-3131).
Although a mere shadow of Powell's main store in Portland, this branch is still a very large and very well-organized used bookstore, with used and publisher's overstock in all categories. There is a children's section in a separate store next to it.
Powell's Books for Kids (Cascade Plaza, 8775 SW Cascade Ave, Beaverton, 503-671-0671).
Powell's Hawthorne (37-something SE Hawthorne--they're adjacent to Powell's Books for Cooks) is a new branch of the main store.
Powell's Technical Bookstore (33 NW Park, 800-225-6911 or 503-228-3906).
The largest technical bookstore in the Portland area. To receive an automated reply on how to browse the Tech store's database via email, send any message to ping@technical.powells.portland.or.us.
Powell's Travel Store (SW 6th & Yamhill, 503-228-1108).
Maps from everywhere, travel-related books. *More* maps than Captain's!
Scribner's Bookstore (Pioneer Place, 503-222-2822).
On the bottom floor of the mall, off the food court. Classy.
U.S. Government Bookstore (1305 SW First Avenue, 503-221-6217).
"Did you know that the U. S. Government Printing Office operates 24 bookstores across the country? ...and that they have some of the most *ahem* unusual and interesting things you'll find anywhere?"
Twenty-Third Avenue Books (1015 NW 23rd, 503-224-5097).
Northwest Portland is the arts center of Oregon. A walk around will find this place and many more of interest to the reader.
Wrigley-Cross Books (8001A Powell Blvd, 503-775-4943).
A general used-book store, selling both paperbacks and hardcovers, which also carries some new hardcover SF, horror, and mystery; also a good place to find imports. "It is a comfy and pleasant store, with a varied and eclectic selection well-suited to generalists. The owners are friendly and knowledgeable." They also offer espresso and pastries.
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