Chasing Pages
List · 4 items

Chasing Pages

Nora KlineNora Kline · 0 likes
4 items
ListBooks · Entertainment

Chasing Pages

Nora Kline
@latecheckoutnora
4Items
0Likes

My running tally of Boston bookstores I keep wandering back into I go in for one book, I leave with three, and the staff at this point just nod knowingly when I walk in with my tote already half-full. This is less "best of" and more "the ones I'd drag a friend to on a rainy Tuesday," ranked by nothing except how many hours I've accidentally lost inside each one. (Fountain pen stays in my bag at these — some rules I actually follow.)

The list

Rank
Chasing Pages — 4 items
NameTickAddressCitySpecialtyMy take
1Brattle Book Shop9 West StBoston, MAUsed, rare, and out-of-print booksThe outdoor bargain carts have eaten more of my lunch breaks than I'd like to admit. First visit I thought it was just a tourist photo-op lot — I was wrong, the upstairs rare room changed my mind fast.
2Harvard Book Store1256 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MANew books, academic titles, used basementThe espresso book machine downstairs still feels like a magic trick. I go for one specific title and resurface forty minutes later having read half a stranger's recommended staff pick card.
3Porter Square Books1815 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MAGeneral new releases, strong kids' sectionQuiet enough to actually finish those five pages I'm always stuck on. The cafe attached means I have zero excuse to leave before I meant to.
4Trident Booksellers & Cafe338 Newbury StBoston, MANew books, brunch cafe, late hoursBrunch crowd is loud, book aisles are not — somehow it works. I've taken more than one first date here just to see if they judge my paperback pile.