Whenever I'm in LA visiting my best friend, I stop by the Psychic Eye bookstore. There are several in the San Fernando Valley. New age, holistic, spiritual books and music, candles, incense, jewelry, and psychics in little booths with red curtains that give 15 min readings of all kinds including astrology and tarot. It's an exotic and intriguing place.

Manteo Booksellers is a great bookstore for people visiting North Carolina's Outer Banks:
http://www.manteobooksellers.com/
I went to the midnight release for Harry Potter, and boyfriend and I really liked the selection of books and other stuff at the store. It's a cute town a quick car ride away from Nags Head, on Manteo island. The downtown is pretty (ideal for reading outside near the water!)

If you're ever headed to Connecticut for vacation, you absolutely cannot miss the Niantic Book Barn. To get a taste of the this amazing bookstore, go to www.bookbarnniantic.com/default.htm, but know that the site absolutely does NOT (and could not) do it justice. If you visit, you'll find a main barn and a few other smaller structures, all with nooks and crannies packed with every kind of (gently-used) book you can imagine. The Book Barn, according to its website, has over 350,000 books! I loved the homey atmosphere of the place; when I went, pets were cozying up to the books, and homemade cookies and tea greeted visitors by the entrance. Also, be sure to leave time during your visit to relax in the beautiful reading garden on the grounds. A satellite location exists in downtown Niantic, but the main site is a must-see. Check the website for directions...it's easy to overlook, but it's well worth the stop!

Baldwin's Book Barn outside West Chester, Pa. _ when the leaves turn if you can manage. Can't believe I didn't think of it before.

Here are some good bookstores for in-state trips:

Wonder Book and Video in Frederick
http://www.wonderbk.com/

Compleat Book Seller in Chestertown
http://www.compleatbookseller.com/

Hard Bean Coffee and Bookstore in Annapolis at the City Dock

This is a great topic and I always like to check out an independent bookstore while on vacation. It often gives you a real sense of what that area is like - something you won't get at Borders or Barnes and Noble.

If you're in San Francisco, I'd recommend City Lights Books:

City Lights Books reflects the political heritage of San Francisco and you can often see freedom of expression banners of every sort adorning the second story. City Lights is in the heart of North Beach, a focal point of the Beat genre. This is a great store, with plenty of poetry and local authors you might not find elsewhere. Please note that it is a stone's throw away from the 'other' part of North Beach which is comprised of strip clubs.

If you're going to Portland, Oregon you must go to Powell's:

The main store is just gigantic and you can tell how passionate they are about books and about remaining independent. You could spend an entire day here without a problem. They also maintain perhaps the best independent website if you're unable to visit in person.

In particular, I like the ongoing story of Fup the store cat. Though Fup passed on in 2007 you may keep up with Fup online here.

If you're in Washington, DC I'd recommend stopping in at Kramerbooks and Afterwords:

This is a funky little place in Dupont Circle where you can browse books while waiting for a table in the cafe. It's an experience and a hang out. Not a place to find the best selection but certainly a place to experience if you're looking for a literary lunch.

If you're in New York City you should go to The Strand:

I've (sadly) never been to The Strand but I know those who have and they are thrilled with the selection. How could you not when they have 18 Miles of books.

If you're in Denver, Colorado take a look at The Tattered Cover:

This is another long established independent housed in a unique location. I've never been, but many have told me of their visits here and that it has character. Couple that with an obvious passion for literature and you have a winning combination.

If you're in Los Angeles, CA and you're into the Horror genre you must go to Dark Delicacies:

This might not be a place to take the little ones, but if you're into Horror then this is THE place to go. I've had the pleasure of meeting Del Howison who runs the store, and you could not meet a nicer guy. Del is also an actor and author himself. Look for the pale guy with the long white hair.

A Berkeley store that I've been urged to go to but haven't (shame on me) is Dark Carnival:

"Dark Carnival specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and mystery books! We have a huge selection, a knowledgeable staff and plenty of random plastic stuff to round out your bookstore experience!"

Their Hot 100 or essential reading is a perfect match for me, including folks like Jonathan Lethem, Jonathan Carroll, Steve Erickson, Philip K. Dick, William Gibson and Neil Stephenson.

I know I've missed plenty others. The important thing is to visit and patronize these and other independent bookstores so that the flavor of literature in each city remains for generations to come.

Atlantic bookstore in Fenwick, just over the MD/DE line, has the biggest selection in the area. My favorite is Bookshelf Etc., 80th Street and Coastal Highway, in OC. They buy and sell used books and magazines, and it's always interesting. I was planning on blogging about the shop in The Beach Life in a few weeks, once it gets busy down here.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/travel/beaches/blog/

Phoenix has two really notable bookstores -- Changing Hands in Tempe, at Guadalupe and McClintock, a funky and roomy independent with new and used books and a very Phoenician gift section. You can get Kant and incense.... We also have --especially great for summer reading!? -- the Poisoned Pen, on Goldwater & First Ave. in Scottsdale, specializing in mysteries and thrillers, now a press as well as a very cool store.

My best loved bookstores elsewhere: Left Bank Books in the Central West End in St. Louis. Malaprops in Asheville, NC. The Grolier Poetry Bookshop in Cambridge.

A great feature! I love that Niantic Book Barn, too--

If you're traveling to New England, please visit the website for the MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS, www.MARIAB.org , where you may find information about open shops & request a copy of our new directory for 2008-9. Peter L. Masi - President, MARIAB.

Sarah Gold, a blogger and senior reviews editor for Publishers Weekly, says she came across Tea and Tattered Pages/Thé & Trafic de Pages on a November trip to Paris. From her post:
If you’re in or near the 6th arrondissement and in need of a second-hand book and a friendly place to have a cup of tea, drop by the store (24 rue Mayet, Métro Stop Montparnasse), buy a book and chat with the lovely owner, Hilda Cabanel-Evans.
Sarah's blog: http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/860000286.html

Dave, We are honored to have helped you and to read of your interesting travels to book stores!!
THANK YOU!
(I do remember helping you)

Here's a list of Maine bookstores; we haven't latched on to shops in other parts of the country:

Gulf of Maine Bookshop
Gary Lawless, Manager
134 Maine Avenue
Brunswick, ME 04011
(this is a really fine bookshop, and Lawless is a well-regarded supporter of all things literary.).

In Portland:
Longfellow Books
1 Monument Way
Portland, ME 04101

Books, Etc.
38 Exchange St.
Portland, ME 04101

Rabelais (specializes in cookbooks)
86 Middle St
Portland, ME 04101

Nonesuch
50 Market Street
South Portland, ME 04106

In Bath:
open door books
178 Front Street
Bath, ME 04530
(specializes in Americana, Maine, maritime history, children's books)

Bath Book Shop
96 Front Street
Bath, ME 04530

My favorite bookstore is Port in a Storm Bookstore in Mt. Desert Island, ME.

For mystery fans, I highly recommend Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore, 273 Pineapple Grove Way, (273 NE 2nd Ave.) Delray Beach, Florida 33444. Phone: 561-279-7790; Fax: 561-279-7759; Web site: www.murderonthebeach.com.

It’s located just a couple of blocks from downtown Delray Beach, a lovely town and an exceptional downtown area filled with excellent restaurants and a lively nights scene.

Murder on the Beach is the only mystery bookstore in South Florida and has a terrific array of novels, reference books, magazines and more. It also has an active meet the authors program with booksignings at least once a week.

In the Miami/Coral Gables area, there is none better than Books & Books. In fact, I think this is one of the best bookstores in the country. It has three locations: 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, 305-442-4408; at 933 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-532-3222; at 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour, 305-864-4241; and in the Cayman Islands at Camana Bay, 45 Market Street, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, 345-640-2665. The Web site is booksandbooks.com.

Mitch Kaplan, owner of the Books & Books, has built book-lovers bookstores. Yeah, there is a coffee shop but more important these are bookstores in which one can get lost. Mitch is one of the organizers of the internationally respected Miami Books Fair held every November.

The best of these Books & Books is the Coral Gables location, which has the most active calendar of events. Any author coming to Florida and not making a stop at Books & Books is making a mistake.

Great posts on and all. One of my favorite water spots is the Outer Banks so, if you take a slightly circuitous route, check out

Durham, NC: The Regulator
Raleigh, NC: Quail Ridge Books
Outer Banks: Manteo Booksellers

Spending the day museum-hopping in D.C.? A stop at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW) is a must!

If you haven't checked out Nancy's bookstore profile today, she recommends that beach-bound vacationers stop at Market Street Books in Salisbury.

Nancy says: "This community-driven used bookstore is the perfect place to stock up on new-to-you reads before you continue on to your beach adventure at O.C. or Assateague. While I know the instinct is to keep driving through till you hit the Atlantic, if you avoid the bypass this one time for a 20-minute detour, you won't regret it."

When in Washington, DC, choose to spend your book budget at Busboys and Poets, a progressive independent bookstore. They carry an amazing inventory of books for all ages and sponsor great events -- readings, open mics and talks -- against the lively backdrop of a lounge and restaurant. Know that your dollars go to support the efforts of Teaching for Change, a non-profit that's been supplying k-12 educators, youth workers, parents and schools around the country with quality anti-racist and anti-oppression titles and resources for years!

Busboys and Poets DC
2021 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.387.POET

Busboys and Poets Shirlington
4251 S. Campbell Ave
Arlington, VA 22206
703.379.9756

www.busboysandpoets.com

Two of my favorite bookstores: Politics & Prose in Washington, DC and The Village Voice in Paris (all English language).

This is a partial list of the bookstores I was considering for my cross-country "Why Indie Bookstores Matter Tour," which was supposed to take place this spring. Unfortunately I didn't get the funding I needed, but I may try again sometime.

I've included some of the best-known bookstores on the East Coast. I left Maryland out because I figured Marylanders would already know the good ones! (At least I hope so!)

Many of these stores I know from first-hand experience, the others I know by reputation in the bookselling industry. It's far from being an exhaustive list.

If you want more info, your best bet is to Google the stores by name.

Cheers, and happy book hunting!

-- Larry Portzline, founder of the grassroots "Bookstore Tourism" movement

CONNECTICUT
R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
UConn Co-op, Storrs

DELAWARE
Bethany Beach Books, Bethany Beach
9th St. Book Shop, Wilmington

FLORIDA
Book Mark, Atlantic Beach
Books & Books, Coral Gables
Mina Hemingway's Florida Bookstore, Naples

GEORGIA
Humpus Bumpus Books, Cumming
Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse Books, Atlanta
Wordsmiths Books, Decatur

MAINE
Blue Hill Books, Blue Hill
Books Etc., Portland

MASSACHUSETTS
Amherst Books, Amherst
Brattle Book Shop, Boston
Brookline Booksmith, Brookline
Harvard Book Store, Cambridge
Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley
Porter Square Books, Cambridge
Tatnuck Bookseller, Westborough

NEW HAMPSHIRE
RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth

NEW JERSEY
Bookends, Ridgewood
Clinton Bookshop, Clinton
Labyrinth Books, Princeton

NEW YORK
Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany
BookCourt, Brooklyn
Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe, Manhattan
McNally Robinson Booksellers, Manhattan
Merritt Books, Millbrook
Rizzoli Bookstore, Manhattan
Second Story Book Shop, Chappaqua
Strand Bookstore, Manhattan
Three Lives & Co., Manhattan

NORTH CAROLINA
Malaprop's Bookstore, Asheville
Osondu Booksellers, Waynesville
Quail Ridge Books & Music, Raleigh
Quarter Moon Books, Topsail
Regulator Bookshop, Durham

PENNSYLVANIA
Chester County Book & Music Co, West Chester
City Books, Pittsburgh
Giovanni's Room, Philadelphia
Joseph Fox Bookshop, Philadelphia
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Pittsburgh
Otto's, Williamsport
Tudor Book Shop & Cafe, Kingston

RHODE ISLAND
Barrington Books, Barrington
Books on the Square, Providence

SOUTH CAROLINA
Bookworm at Winthrop, Rock Hill
Island Bookseller, Hilton Head

VERMONT
Bear Pond Books, Montpelier
Bennington Books, Bennington
Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick
Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center

VIRGINIA
Daedalus Bookshop, Charlottesville
Fountain Bookstore, Richmond
New Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville
Prince Books, Norfolk

WASHINGTON, DC
KramerBooks & Afterwords, DC
Lambda Rising, DC
Olsson's, DC
Politics & Prose, DC
Reiters Scientific Professional Books, DC

Sankofa Bookstore has the best events and the best drinks. It also has a more afrocentric collection of literature/media. it should definitely be on the list. its on georgia ave across from howard university in DC

Busboys and Poets on 14th Street in Washington DC is THE place to buy books, share a meal with a friend, and just chill. The spectrum of progressive books - from childrens' books to resource materials is the best. It is the source in Washington DC and beyond for books you've heard about but never seen. For me, I prefer to thumb through pages, linger a few moments with a book in my hand before buying rather that reverting to website shopping. Plus, Busboys and Poets is a magnet for attracting others with the same worldly, social justice perspective. You never know who you'll run into!

I live in Alexandria near the Arlington Busboys and Poets bookstore. The bookstore has a wonderful selection of progressive books and other publications. I highly recommend it.

www.buyboysandpoets.com

Whenever I'm on vacation, I like to haunt Tim's Used Books 242 Commercial St Provincetown, MA 02657 (508) 487-0005 for used books or the Provincetown Bookshop at 246 Commercial St, Provincetown - (508) 487-0964 for new books.

Bookstores I'd recommend: The Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot, Connecticut; Bridge Street Books in Washington, D.C. & the Seminary Co-op in Chicago.

Well of course one of our favorite shops is Breathe Books, right there in Baltimore. Susan Weiss has a very cool shop that is both inviting and invigorating. We love Breathe Books.

Peace

Rob Dougherty, Manager, Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, NJ

a fave of mine is Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, N.H.

Sisterspace and Books is a much-loved venue that will be reborn. It was the last women's bookstore in the nation's capital. May it soon return!

My all-time favorites of the moment are:
Busboys & Poets, Washington, DC
and
Dar Es Salaam, Mt. Rainier, MD.

Brigette, another commenter suggested that I start a list of favorite bookstores that have closed; sounds like Sisterspace would be among them.
It's a too-long list, I'm afraid. In fact, one of the favorites recommended above -- the Tudor Book Shop in Pennsylvania -- now has a farewell message posted on its website.

Here are some Midwestern bookstore recommendations from the Chicago Tribune's literary editor:

Prairie Lights (Iowa City) -- http://www.prairielights.com/

Schwartz Books (Milwaukee) -- http://www.schwartzbooks.com/

Renaissance Book Shop (used books) in Mitchell International Airport and downtown Milwaukee.

Birchbark Books (Minneapolis)

Left Bank Books (St. Louis)

Pages for All Ages (Savoy – near Champaign)

What a fun list. Here are a few more:

In New Orleans: In the Marigny district there is FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books and also the Iron Rail (which I have not visited but have heard some great things about.)

In San Diego: Upstart Crow is near the convention center but you can smell the coffee from miles away. (They sell their own beans! And books too!! Can't beat that pair.)

In Krakow, Poland: One of the VERY best bookstores I visited in Europe was Massolit, run by a guy from New Jersey. They sell homemade chocolate chips there, and the place could not be any cozier...great place to find comfort, and plenty of books, while traveling.

And for those of you visiting Baltimore this summer on your own vacation, might I offer up this map of about 15 bookstores to choose from:
http://lostinplace.net/read/baltimore-bookstores-literati-etc/

Happy Summer Reading!

It is only twice a year but when I go to Knoxville TN I make a point of visiting Carpe Librum an independent book store with great books. The children's section is fabulous and the ambiance is just right.

Partners and Crime in New York City (http://www.crimepays.com/) is an excellent specialty book store with knowledgeable staff.

Book stores I visited this summer (so far):

St. Louis, MO: Left Bank Books. Beautiful store run by beautiful people.

Tulsa, OK: Steve's Books and Magazines. Great magazine selection - lots of local books.

Austin: TX: Book People. Nice overall selection.

Chicago, IL: Quimby's. Not for the weak minded.

Iowa City, IA: Prairie Lights. Best children's section, not for the selection but for the salesperson who searched thrity minutes for a book we were looking for.

How about some more Western additions?

Santa Fe, NM: Collected Works (just off the plaza)

Albuquerque, NM: Page One Books

Archer City, TX: Booked Up (Larry McMurtry's complex)

Dallas, TX: Half Price Books (the mothership of a regional chain)

Pasadena, CA: Vroman's

Santa Cruz, CA: Bookshop Santa Cruz (near the boardwalk)

In Canada, Sidney-by-the-Sea (in British Columbia, right where you get off the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, in Swartz Bay) has an amazing selection of bookstores for a small town: http://www.sidneybooktown.ca/sitemap.html

I hope you'll add Eureka Books, a beautiful old antiquarian bookstore on northern California's Lost Coast. Owned by Scott Brown, editor and co-founder of Fine Books & Collections magazine, along with his wife, writer Amy Stewart (that's me), and book collector Jack Irvine and his wife Peggy. The store's been in Eureka for over twenty years, and we just bought it six months ago. We've got fine and rare antiquarian books, interesting old prints and maps, and a good selection of general used and out-of-print books, along with some new books of local interest. Located at 426 Second Street, Eureka, CA 95501.

And just a couple doors down you'll find our friends at Booklegger, a great general used bookstore with a wonderful community vibe. They're at 402 Second Street.

This time of year, we see lots of tourists making the trek up and down the California coast. This is a great place to stop on your way from Powell's to Black Oak & Moe's (in Berkeley, also worth including on your map)

Nice site thanks!