I like Walden Pond Books. And I pity them for their name-resemblance to that crappy tiny mall chain. People often call them Waldenbooks by accident. Their only resemblance is that technically they are both bookstores. But where Waldenbooks is basically one room of bestsellers, crap pulp fiction, and children's book series, Walden Pond has everything.
They have the equivalent of several rooms, although the only space separated by a door is the children's playhouse. The children's books are wonderful - they have the best selection of Native American kids' books that I've seen outside of the Piedmont or Dimond branch libraries, a great display of all kinds of favorites, a hefty selection of new and used novels, plenty of toys, and nonfiction arranged in a way that kids actually find interesting.
The science-fiction selection is vast and cheap, which is the best combo for that genre. There is a women's section and a gay and lesbian section, good books on food and people who love food, another vast literature section, and the best magazine selection I've seen - not for its size but for its choices. I haven't heard of a lot of their magazines, and I generally find that I want to read them all. Plus, the bookstore does what a good indie bookstore should, which is to advertise and host lots of local events, often political ones. Their new books lean heavily toward the leftist intellectual - just walking through reading the titles is an education in itself. All in all, it's a wonderful and relaxing place to spend an afternoon.
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