All tagged Strand

A Review of Books Are Magic

A Review of Books Are Magic

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

225 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY

I have wanted to visit this bookshop for a long time, long before I heard it mentioned by John Hodgman on his Judge John Hodgman podcast (which I highly recommend), but it was Hodgman who finally compelled me to go. You see, I was buying a certain special someone a signed copy of his latest book, Medallion Status, for her birthday and he frequently signed personalized copies for this shop, so it was a fantastic excuse to not only order a couple of signed books, but to travel to NYC to finally visit the shop itself. In both cases, I was not disappointed.

A Review of the Strand’s Central Park Kiosk

A Review of the Strand’s Central Park Kiosk

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

Southeast corner of Central Park

Every now and then I’ll bend my own rules enough to review a quirky kiosk, off-shoot, or library nook that sells books as opposed to a full fledged independent bookshop, and when I do I hope you know it’s because finding these little extras out there in the world will be very much worth your time. This outdoor “bookshop” is a satellite of the gargantuan and epic Strand Bookstore down near Union Square, but being so close to Central Park and its shaded benches, aromatic food trucks, and bright open skies reflected on rippling ponds, I wonder: is it possible that this kiosk is even better than the mothership?

A Review of Strand Bookstore

A Review of Strand Bookstore

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

828 Broadway, New York, NY

The idea of writing a review of Strand feels almost silly, as its reputation precedes itself quite well. And telling New York City bookworms about Strand is like telling Michael Jordan about basketball, but it’s an absolute pleasure to bring out-of-town book lovers into Strand and watch their eyes pop as they stare agog at the multi-floor beauty waiting for them within, or at the racks and racks of dollar books lining the sidewalk outside. This is my favorite place to browse for books. You can kill half a day here if you wanted to and never get bored, and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t leave the shop without a purchase.