Where can I buy my used Tanith Lee books in New York?
February 21, 2010 10:31 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for used bookstores in the New York metropolitan area that have a good selection of old romance and fantasy novels, especially Tanith Lee and Victoria Holt.
I just moved to New York recently from Los Angeles, and I miss the used bookstores we had back in LA-- esp. Cliffs Books in Pasadena, the Iliad in North Hollywood, and Bookfellows in Glendale. I'm trying to find a bookstore that can scratch my itch for vintage Holt and Lee, but so far I can't find anything. Everyone talks about the Strand, but I find their fiction section incredibly disappointing. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Right now I'm living up by Columbia, FYI. (Book Culture/the former Labyrinth books is good for old textbooks, non-fiction and literature but not so hot for popular fiction.)
A related question: are there any good indie bookstores in NY that carry a lot of romance novels? I love shopping in bookstores, but I'd rather not shop at Barnes and Noble, if I can possibly avoid it.
I just moved to New York recently from Los Angeles, and I miss the used bookstores we had back in LA-- esp. Cliffs Books in Pasadena, the Iliad in North Hollywood, and Bookfellows in Glendale. I'm trying to find a bookstore that can scratch my itch for vintage Holt and Lee, but so far I can't find anything. Everyone talks about the Strand, but I find their fiction section incredibly disappointing. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Right now I'm living up by Columbia, FYI. (Book Culture/the former Labyrinth books is good for old textbooks, non-fiction and literature but not so hot for popular fiction.)
A related question: are there any good indie bookstores in NY that carry a lot of romance novels? I love shopping in bookstores, but I'd rather not shop at Barnes and Noble, if I can possibly avoid it.
If you just want to get them and this isn't scratching the browse-the-bookstore itch, try PaperBackSwap. Instead of listing books you no longer want, you can purchase credits (at $3 a pop) to get books.
posted by bookdragoness at 10:56 AM on February 21, 2010
posted by bookdragoness at 10:56 AM on February 21, 2010
OP already said the Strand doesn't work.
My bad. I love it, but it is more pleasurable when I'm browsing rather than searching for a specific title (though I'd say the same about all used bookstores).
I've heard good things about Housing Works, Alabaster Bookshop, St. Mark's Bookshop, and Mercer Street Books.
I also highly recommend Powell's online (Victoria Holt at Powell's, Tanith Lee at Powell's) as a good alternative to Barnes and Noble. It's cheap and well-stocked.
posted by sallybrown at 12:08 PM on February 21, 2010
My bad. I love it, but it is more pleasurable when I'm browsing rather than searching for a specific title (though I'd say the same about all used bookstores).
I've heard good things about Housing Works, Alabaster Bookshop, St. Mark's Bookshop, and Mercer Street Books.
I also highly recommend Powell's online (Victoria Holt at Powell's, Tanith Lee at Powell's) as a good alternative to Barnes and Noble. It's cheap and well-stocked.
posted by sallybrown at 12:08 PM on February 21, 2010
How far do you want/are willing to travel? The Book Barn in Niantic, CT has a decent size collection of...well everything. It is about 45 minutes drive along I95 but worth the trip.
posted by Captain_Science at 12:15 PM on February 21, 2010
posted by Captain_Science at 12:15 PM on February 21, 2010
abebooks.com is great if you don't need to go into the shop to look. Their website also lets you filter by state, though not by city. They've got almost 700 book stores listed in New York state and what their specialties are.
A quick search on the site lists about 300 Tanith Lee books in New York state. That could also be a good way to filter for stores you are interested in.
posted by thekiltedwonder at 12:48 PM on February 21, 2010
A quick search on the site lists about 300 Tanith Lee books in New York state. That could also be a good way to filter for stores you are interested in.
posted by thekiltedwonder at 12:48 PM on February 21, 2010
Best answer: Riverrun Books up in Hastings-on-Hudson is pretty good (or was the last time I was there, anyway).
As Manhattan has gentrified, the good used bookstores have mostly evaporated. For an island with a couple million residents, the pickings are surprisingly poor.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 1:30 PM on February 21, 2010
As Manhattan has gentrified, the good used bookstores have mostly evaporated. For an island with a couple million residents, the pickings are surprisingly poor.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 1:30 PM on February 21, 2010
Best answer: Strand may be good for finding inexpensive first editions, but yes, their selection of genre fiction is almost nonexistent. And to add to Bob's post above, the used bookstores you do find left in the city tend to skew literary.
For trade and mass market paperbacks in the NY area, try the Montclair Book Center. For one, they have a sizable 'Pop Romance' section. According to their website they do carry Victoria Holt and Tanith Lee. I would also check out the crates of hardcovers in the basement.
They are appx a 30 minute train ride from Penn Station. Take the Montclair Boonton Line to Bay Street.
posted by marco_nj at 9:01 PM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
For trade and mass market paperbacks in the NY area, try the Montclair Book Center. For one, they have a sizable 'Pop Romance' section. According to their website they do carry Victoria Holt and Tanith Lee. I would also check out the crates of hardcovers in the basement.
They are appx a 30 minute train ride from Penn Station. Take the Montclair Boonton Line to Bay Street.
posted by marco_nj at 9:01 PM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Looks like they've got Tanith Lee and a couple Victoria Holt.
posted by sallybrown at 10:46 AM on February 21, 2010 [1 favorite]