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March 2006
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Immerse yourself in the Bay Area’s best niche bookstores.Independent bookstores that specialize in a particular genre and truly know their stuff entice in a way that the best-seller-clogged megachains can’t imitate. Prices may be a bit higher, but the owners make up for it by caring more, and carrying foreign titles or out-of-print steals. At one of these favorites, we bet you’ll fall in love and walk out with serendipitous finds…unless you’re one of those merciless souls who writes down titles to buy later on Amazon.
1
ARCHITECTURE
A quarter-century after selling his first book out of his apartment, William Stout still collects tomes on and by visionary architects and furniture designers. The Jackson Square store doesn’t sell back its stock to distributors, so every year it has more books—and ceiling-high piles. Take a stroll through the bottom floor; the crumbling, whitewashed brick walls give you the sense of wandering through an ancient maze. 804 Montgomery St., S.F., 415-391-6757.
2
COFFEE TABLE
At Palo Alto’s Modernbook, curators Mark Pinsukanjana and Bryan Yedinak handpick the latest books from Paris, Tokyo, and New York having anything to do with the modern aesthetic. Topics covered include architecture, circus trapezes, the human form, and flight attendant uniforms. “Clients range from millionaires to arty teenagers who don’t fit in,” says store manager Niniane Kelley. 494 University Ave., Palo Alto, 650-327-6325.
3
TRAVEL
In 1996, after realizing that staying a travel agent in the digital age would be tough business, Lee Azus opened Upper Market’s Get Lost. Travel literature is mixed in with the guidebooks to total over 9,000 titles, along with luggage, videos, and maps. While browsing, you might hear accounts from returned travelers about places from Antarctica to Zanzibar. Inspiring stuff. 1825 Market St., S.F., 415-437-0529.
4
SCI-FI, FANTASY
For the overactive imagination, there’s the Mission’s Borderlands Books. Tiffany lamps, Celtic and dragon decorations, and Persian rugs evoke a Gothic castle’s library. Daydreamers stick to the left side of the shop, where new fantasy and sci-fi reside, and those who crave an adrenaline jolt visit the right, where horror is housed. If you see an eerie creature slinking past, don’t be startled. That’s just Ripley, the store’s hairless cat. 866 Valencia St., S.F., 415-824-8203.
5
CHILDREN’S
Cutouts of Babar, Eloise, and Clifford the Big Red Dog preside over Willow Glen’s award-winning Hicklebee’s. Kids tromp from shelf to shelf, checking out books and seeking out reading nooks, including the porcelain bathtub filled with pillows. Half of the staff have worked here for more than 15 years, so ask one of them about up-and-comers—Hicklebee’s was one of the first to promote Harry Potter. Worth a drive. 1378 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, 408-292-8880.
1
ARCHITECTURE
A quarter-century after selling his first book out of his apartment, William Stout still collects tomes on and by visionary architects and furniture designers. The Jackson Square store doesn’t sell back its stock to distributors, so every year it has more books—and ceiling-high piles. Take a stroll through the bottom floor; the crumbling, whitewashed brick walls give you the sense of wandering through an ancient maze. 804 Montgomery St., S.F., 415-391-6757.
2
COFFEE TABLE
At Palo Alto’s Modernbook, curators Mark Pinsukanjana and Bryan Yedinak handpick the latest books from Paris, Tokyo, and New York having anything to do with the modern aesthetic. Topics covered include architecture, circus trapezes, the human form, and flight attendant uniforms. “Clients range from millionaires to arty teenagers who don’t fit in,” says store manager Niniane Kelley. 494 University Ave., Palo Alto, 650-327-6325.
3
TRAVEL
In 1996, after realizing that staying a travel agent in the digital age would be tough business, Lee Azus opened Upper Market’s Get Lost. Travel literature is mixed in with the guidebooks to total over 9,000 titles, along with luggage, videos, and maps. While browsing, you might hear accounts from returned travelers about places from Antarctica to Zanzibar. Inspiring stuff. 1825 Market St., S.F., 415-437-0529.
4
SCI-FI, FANTASY
For the overactive imagination, there’s the Mission’s Borderlands Books. Tiffany lamps, Celtic and dragon decorations, and Persian rugs evoke a Gothic castle’s library. Daydreamers stick to the left side of the shop, where new fantasy and sci-fi reside, and those who crave an adrenaline jolt visit the right, where horror is housed. If you see an eerie creature slinking past, don’t be startled. That’s just Ripley, the store’s hairless cat. 866 Valencia St., S.F., 415-824-8203.
5
CHILDREN’S
Cutouts of Babar, Eloise, and Clifford the Big Red Dog preside over Willow Glen’s award-winning Hicklebee’s. Kids tromp from shelf to shelf, checking out books and seeking out reading nooks, including the porcelain bathtub filled with pillows. Half of the staff have worked here for more than 15 years, so ask one of them about up-and-comers—Hicklebee’s was one of the first to promote Harry Potter. Worth a drive. 1378 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, 408-292-8880.
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