A Tour of 5 Twin Cities Book Sellers
Here’s my opinion on 5 different book selling stores located in the Twin Cities. I totally visited them all. Instead of making you trudge through the worst to get to the best, I started with what I think is the best.
Magers and Quinn | 3038 Hennepin Ave S. Minneapolis
If you read, I doubt you can walk through Magers and Quinn without at least wanting something. This is a store that makes the messy, cluttered and weird bookstores look really bad. MQ is a curated, modern store that truly caters to your desires. The art, fashion, and philosophy sections are stellar.
They have a clearance section and there’s currently a book by Henry Winkler on the shelf. Ask nicely and they might let you browse upstairs - honestly i don’t know what’s up there but it’s intriguing. Plus, I found Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser. What more do I need to say?
Appreciated: More than one person on staff, all very friendly I Bought: Distraction by Damon Young
Big Brain Comics | 1027 Washington Ave, South, Minneapolis
Here’s a spot that people say is filling the void Shinders left so many years ago, when they dropped off the face of Hennepin Ave. Nobody’s been able to lease their space since.
I stumbled into Big Brain without any trouble. It’s familiar territory, being next to Grumpy’s and the Loft Literary Center. Let me take a moment to explain the greatness of both those joints: The Loft gives us writer-types a place to learn for cheap, without enrolling in bullshit college courses that cost 3 months worth of income. Grumpy’s is a well-known, comfortable dive. Stopped in today, and the bartender was more than happy to discuss the latest microbrews and let me sample 2 or 3. Good people.
Anyway, Big Brains Geek Store: It’s awesome. Some guy commented on Yelp that plastic kid’s toys weren’t present, and he thought that was comforting to have no toys – a true adult atmosphere, right? Sorry, they do in fact have toys. Welcome to comic book fanboy land.
It’s all good.
Like I told the man behind the Big Brains desk, I devoured all of Maus by Art Spiegelman when I was about 10. Then I read and reported about Persepolis in College. I love both of these books, so I should be able to get down with this store.
But as expected, all that Marvel superhero crap doesn’t jive with my taste. I could have been digging harder to find something legit, but with Grumpy’s next door…. I was a little less focused. I browsed some funny books written by the people from VICE magazine, almost tripped over a young female comic reader, and then bailed.
Appreciated: Drawings inside the books! (omg)
I bought: The Vice Guide to Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll (how unsophisticated).
Spinario | 2nd Street and 13th Ave NE Minneapolis
I hate to give this one away, since it’s my favorite source, but if you’re still reading this goddamn post, then you’re OK. Just about every three weeks I walk into Spinario and tiptoe past the expensive home furnishings, toward the bookshelves. They have some fun art books, classic works of fiction and philosophy. The selection changes depending on what they’re picking up at estate sales and whatever.
Appreciated: Vintage bespoke John Lobb boots
I Bought: Pushkin, Camus, Turgenev, Dostoevesky, Machiavelli, etc.
Midway Used & Rare Books | University and Snelling Ave., St. Paul MN
Oops, you’ve wandered into the Midway. Sorry if you’re a cruiser, but the drive-ins are now gone. Go to the Turf Club for a show and buy some cigarettes at CVS. Then get the hell out of Dodge. If you have too much time on your hands, go into Midway books.
I was there. I bought Isaiah Berlin’s biography, wandered into the porn section, and browsed old magazines in the dank basement. This is one of those classic shops that doesn’t know anything about marketing; they’re not placing magnetic eye candy titles on every shelf. They don’t desperately cater to the distracted, overstimulated Internet crowd like the mainstream stores do (while I can enjoy that nonetheless). It’s definitely worth a look. Don’t ask to use the bathroom, you transient.
Appreciated: Existence of Porn
I Bought: Biography of Isaiah Berlin by Michael Ignatieff
James & Mary Laurie Bookseller | 921 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
These people just don’t give a damn about what you want to buy. I squeezed myself through each aisle, felt lost downstairs, peered into dark rooms filled with books, browsed posters and a smiling photo of Bukowski. They entice you on the sidewalk with books, then bombard you with random stacks and ultra high shelves inside the store. Bottom line: cramped, with obscure titles, but I commend their originality. Not sure how they make any money.
Appreciated: Picture of Henry fucking Chinaski
I Bought: Nothing
