PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

I can pass hours at a time at just about any bookstore, and the number of independent shops here in San Francisco has kept me thoroughly elated for months. Though I'll visit any bookstore, any time, and never walk out empty-handed, when I'm truly on the hunt, I nearly always make my way to Phoenix Books in Noe Valley. With sister stores Dog Eared Books and Red Hill Books, these three make up the most comprehensive selection of new and used books I've found so far.

Approaching the store, I always get sidetracked by the carts of books on the sidewalk. From under-rated to over-loved, the books here are cut to ridiculously low prices, and I can always find at least one treasure among the more laughable titles. From there, content with the knowledge that I've got at least one new book to take home, I head inside for a more luxurious browse through their wares.

I have a book shopping method. I always head to the furthest back, most hidden section, and work my way forward, one shelf at a time. By the time I reach the front of the store, my arms are nearly always laden with science fiction, cookbooks, writings about writing, and at least one title from the new release overstock table. Setting them, and my adult brain, aside, I crouch onto the diminutive wooden chair provided in the nook of children's and young adult titles, mindful of any small patrons who may think it strange to see a twenty-something woman curling up in "their" section. I begin running my finger across the spines of books I know practically by heart. I nod in satisfaction to see The Chronicles of Narnia in their original order, am excited to find a brand new hard cover copy of the Velveteen Rabbit, and send a word of thanks to the recently deceased Madeline L'Engle as I leaf through the familiar pages of A Wrinkle In Time. It is here that I conclude my shopping, my pile of books greatly increased, and head to the counter and the friendly smiles of the Phoenix staff. They ring me up, and though I know I've found some great steals, this is one of the only places that my surprise at the total is due to the amount being lower than I'd expected!

Whether you are on a feverish hunt for a particular title, in need of some inspiration, or you want to reconnect with your childhood through a story that brings you back on the first page, start your search at Phoenix; there's a good chance it will come to a successful end there, every time.