We all know it’s cheaper to buy books online or at the big box national discount chains. I could have saved $12.10 the other day if I had gone on Amazon or over to Barnes & Noble.
But if we’re lucky enough to have a local bookstore nearby we ought to do what we can to help keep it alive, right? So I was happy to spend those extra bucks at Mrs. Dalloway’s Books, a special spot in my corner of town.
A homegrown bookshop inspired by Virginia Woolf
My little neighborhood in Berkeley is called the Elmwood. There are only about three blocks of shops, cafes and restaurants, and one old deco movie theater.
The Elmwood doesn’t quite fit the image of Republic of Berkeley radical politics.
It’s quiet and slow here — practically a throwback to the fifties — though Ozzie’s funky soda fountain has now given way to a new ice cream boutique, called “Ici” – get it? A little precious, but very popular, judging from the long lines down the block, even when it’s raining. I’ve been a few times myself but, I’ve got to say, I’m more of a fan of homemade ice cream. My friend has a special place on their kitchen countertop for an andrew james ice cream maker and they have some ice cream readymade whenever they know I’m coming round as they know it’s my favorite. I’m not cheeky enough to dictate what flavor I would like so I always leave it up to their discretion – I do love a surprise!
We know we’re lucky
At a time when independent book stores are shutting down across the country, here in the Elmwood we’re fortunate to have Mrs. Dalloway’s, a homegrown bookshop inspired by the first line of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 literary novel: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”
There’s a resident mannequin in the window representing Mrs. Dalloway, usually dressed in witty outfits that evoke both Virginia Woolf and a spirit of the good green world of flowers and gardening.
It’s not a huge place, but open and airy, with tables of recommended books and walls lined with many more titles spine-out. There’s a conservatory-like feel with a strong ‘green’ motif: eco-friendly seagrass and slate floor coverings, rattan chairs and the fixtures and wood moldings are painted in earthy natural colors.
Catering to the customer
The store has a distinct attitude and approach, and caters to its customers. In addition to literary fiction, current affairs, mysteries, biography, memoir, travel literature, poetry, and children’s books, there’s a large selection of gardening books chosen for their utility in Berkeley’s Mediterranean climate, plus shelves of books devoted to architecture and design.
Beyond books, Mrs. Dalloway’s sells things related thematically to the store’s concept: potted plants, unusual copper, ceramic, and glass vases to hold cut flowers; original art for hanging, including watercolors, photography and weavings, and also English, French, and German botanical and insect prints.
And Mrs. Dalloway’s offers free same-day delivery in the neighborhood. They even understand the Importance of local SEO in 2020, helping them reach their local customers. Take that, Amazon!
I absolutely love gardening so I often pay a visit to this store to pick up new plants. Also, at the moment I am currently in the middle of a little landscaping project in my backyard and therefore I am trying to invest in as many colorful flowers as possible. I have a few home improvement projects on the go, but my garden is my pride and joy. I get a lot of helpful tips from amateur gardeners such as myself, like what’s the best 0-20-20 fertilizer to use in your garden, I appreciate the help, because you never know when you may get some information that helps you out.
A few weeks ago I actually managed to pick up some gorgeous perennials and a fruit tree from 7dees garden center. Slowly but surely my garden is starting to come together and it is thanks to independent shops like this one that my backyard looks so bright and colorful.
Honestly, I could spend hours sat in my garden reading and writing. It is such a relaxing space.
Another indie bookstore perk: local author readings
The owners, two longtime friends, program a regular series of events that focus on mainly local authors of literary fiction, poetry, and topics of special interest to the neighborhood. Michael Pollan, best-selling author of The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food, has spoken and read there, as have Nafisa Haji, from her novel The Writing on My Forehead, and Eve Pell from her memoir We Used to Own the Bronx: Memoirs of a Former Debutante.
Mrs. Dalloway’s has the occasional sale but doesn’t discount books on a regular basis. I suspect that it’s difficult for them to compete with the big retailers like Barnes & Noble or the giant store-killing colossus of Amazon.
So sure, I could have saved $12 the other day by shopping at Amazon in these tough financial times. But I think it’s worth it to support my neighborhood bookstore, with all its perky charm and passionate devotion to providing what its local customers want.
Do you still have a neighborhood bookstore?
OK. That’s Mrs. Dalloway’s, my neighborhood bookstore. What’s yours? Hope you still have one. Please leave comments and let’s share what we hope will be a continuing tradition of the unique and irreplaceable independent bookstore.
And if you’ve got a photo of your bookstore, send it to and we’ll post it along with mine of Mrs. Dalloway’s. Please write “bookstore photo” in the subject line, and in the email include the name of the store and town.
Your favorite bookstores
Here we go, the first one in from the coastal town of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The quintessential little independent bookstore, isn’t it? Makes you want to pull up a chair. We’d love to see more favorite bookshops, from all corners of the map, so send them over!
Yes, The Book Stall at Chestnut Court in the Chicago suburbs — Winnetka, is a dream. Children’s section, cooking, travel, glorious art, a cookbook club, and their specialty is fiction. the 20-some staffers really know their stuff. They are among the top indie stores in the country for the number of author events they hold each year. thebookstall.com
It’s also worth noting that by spending that extra $12 at Mrs. Dalloway’s, you are also doing your part to insure that Elmwood remains a lively and inviting shopping area full of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Independent bookstores are often the crux of any shopping neighborhood, and the symbiotic relationship between the businesses is what keeps them all healthy and vital. Pretty good deal for $12.
Brunswick, Maine, has the wonderful Gulf of Maine Bookstore on Maine Street. It’s survived and thrived even though Border’s has come to town, and the owners do a wonderful job supporting all of us local authors with signings, readings, mentions on their blog … you name it. Great post: thanks!
Chicago is blessed with some amazing indy bookstores: In Hyde Park, there’s the Seminary Cooperative Bookstore and around the corner is 57th Street Books, its sister outlet for general readers. This is the University of Chicago neighborhood, so lots of high octane intellectualism. It’s refreshing to know that we have a reader in the White House these days–The President’s [old] neighborhood bookstore was the Seminary Coop, of which he is a member. On the other end of the city, Women & Children First has been around for decades and offering great reads to the Andersonville neighborhood. (Even had the honor of an American Booksellers Association Prez in Ann Christopherson from WCF.) Barbara’s Bookshop carries on in the middle of town near the University of Illinois @ Chicago. There are others, new and secondhand bookshops, sprinkled throughout the city. Even Chicago’s suburbs carry on with some notable indies (Anderson’s in Naperville to the West; Book Stall @ Chestnut Court on the North Shore.) I go out of my way to make purchases at independent bookstores.
What a nice blog post. The search term that brought me here was something about lemurs. My local shop is the Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge Island, WA. They treat their local authors so well! I put some pics on my blog here http://susanwiggs.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/this-just-in/ and here: http://susanwiggs.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/eagle-harbor-booksigning-009.jpg
In my little town of Skellefteå (Sweden) there is one normal bookstore, Laghergrens. And the fealings towards them are a little twisted, they have almost everything but are verry expensive! Then on the other hand we have three second-hand stores of course with a lot of books, and next to the bus station there is a Antikvariat (second-hand bookshop) called Nordbok (Northbook) and I love this tiny shop, it’s cheap and they have their storage open on Saturdays, more than 200 square meters of bookshelves!!! =D
Hurray for Mrs. Dalloway’s! I live a bit further down in Rockridge where we have two more great stores – Pegasus and Diesel Books. But I do like to take a walk up College and visit Mrs. Dalloway’s, each store has its own unique flavor. And how lucky we are to have so many lovely indie bookstores to choose from!
My local bookstore is Blue Bicycle Books (http://bluebicyclebooks.com). Used/rare books, but it’s the only non-chain bookstore I’m aware of around here.
But I have to give a “shout-out” to the best bookstore in the country (and yeah it’s where I used to work, in Jackson, MS), Lemuria Books (http://www.lemuriabooks.com). General bookstore, but specializes in signed first editions.
We’re spoiled — the bubble of the bay has a provided us with a number of fine indies — yes, First Street Books, Book Passage — but after nearly 25 years of patronage I have a bias toward The Booksmith in San Anselmo, a 10 minute stroll from my home. Owners Michael & Sherry Whyte and their whole family are my family … on breaks we often cross The Avenue and talk shop at Tim’s indie cafe, The Roasterie. Michael and Sherry always show up for my book parties (potluck, white elephant format, bring your favorite novel, unwrapped). Life is good.
Well! We are all puffed up with pride to be the first store on your blog. Thank you for extolling the virtues of indies. We actually read the books we sell and love to talk about them. Drop in anytime.
First Street Books across the Bay in Kentfield is the small bookstore par excellence. It is small and intimate — cozy, really — and showcases the intelligence and wide interests of its owner. It is Book Passages, the nearby Corte Madera literature mecca, on a smaller scale.
We used to live close to Ann Arbor, MI. My husband and I often took a short trip to Ann Arbor to visit a small bookstore that we enjoyed on Main Street. It was a long time ago and I have forgotten the name of the store. I have not seen any small bookstores in the places that we have lived since. I wonder if there were some that closed …
Denver’s Tattered Cover Bookstore isn’t a small indie bookshop, but it started that way, and it still has the feel of one even though it’s a remarkable story of growth. I love walking into Tattered Cover LoDo (the downtown warehouse district) and spending time there just browsing, or walking up the broad staircase, lined with new fiction and nonfiction, to pass by the modest meeting room where, usually, you can listen to an author talk about his or her book. Joyce Meskis, its now-retired owner, started a small shop in Denver’s Cherry Creek District back in the 1970s, moved once a block or so away, then took over a retail department store, then added TC Lodo, then was forced to relocate the main store again to the Bonfils Theatre where today you can enter one of the most unique bookstore spaces in the world, complete with a “stage” and “poetry pit.” I’ll always patronize the remarkable Tattered Cover, and I wish it a long life.
I’m lucky enough to have Word, an indie bookshop just two blocks away from my apartment in Brooklyn. There are plenty of talented authors in the area so plenty of readings and signings. In fact, I went into the store recently specifically looking for a new author that was recommended to me, Leni Zumas. Not only did I find her book, but I found a signed copy at no extra cost (I’m guessing from a reading she did there).
Elmwood sounds nice. I love that part of the Bay Area. I stayed with a friend off of Marin Ave., to the north of Berkeley.
Wow! Talk about a relaxing walk down memory lane. Kinda sad what’s happened to little things like an old fashioned book store.
Thanks for the trip. I will make it a point to promote my book and purchase others at smaller stores.
Your post really struck a chord with me! I am fortunate to have Quail Ridge Books close by. Nancy Olsen is the owner. She does an amazing job of running the store and includes a great selection of titles and music that her customers enjoy. The store is delightful to visit. The staff always offer a greeting and a helpful hand to find exactly what you’re looking for. Author events are going on several times a week. The store is also very active in supporting the community in charitable ways. To me, their store is a big part of my community. Although I may browse on Amazon, a quick call to Quail Ridge is all it takes to have the books in my hand faster than Amazon could ship them to me. http://www.quailridgebooks.com