Favorite bookstore

Do you have a favorite bookstore? Do have a favorite bookstore in Arizona? What makes any of these bookstores special? If anyone knows of cool bookstores in Arizona please let me know. Thank you, cappi. (Thank you RedKing for the idea)

The Singing Wind bookstore is located just outside Benson in a farmhouse, down a dusty road. At least it was the last time I was there, about 3 years ago. It is run by a former librarian-Winifred J. Bundy. Phone no. is 520586 2425 It's collection is everything Southwest, both fiction and non-fiction. You will drool with pleasure, bring all your money when you visit !!!! Regards, RedKing.

Being a mystery reader, I'd have to say The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale. Heaven help me if I ever win the Lottery because I'd probably go in there and clean them out! Excellent selection of books and very knowledgeable staff.

My favorite booskstore in Arizona use to be the "One Book Bookstore", in Bisbee, AZ. The old fella that ran the place wrote his autobiography and sold that book in his store. It was a very quaint store in the old town area. He was a wonderful guy who had a great idea for something meaningful to do at the sunset of his life. He passed away a few years ago and sadly his store is gone. Many travelers filled the store on the weekends, listen to his story. Of course felt compelled to buy his book. It was one of those places I felt at home once I walked through the doors. There are many places in Arizona that have had some truly unique people, with wonderful ideas that seem to be gobbled up by our fast growing state. There is a place in Gleeson, Az. where a couple has the largest collection of rattlesnake wears I,ve ever seen. They have been trading with the local ranchers and cowboys for years. Their place is littered with old west items that a museum would love to have. They are a very private couple that enjoy watching people from a distance, but their store is open to all. It is so unique, that all of the major networks, foriegn press, and the Arizona Highways have done stories on their place. I would love to see them write a book on their adventures. I need to get back to that area soon. HMOKeffe and RedKing have given me the idea to get back down there. cappi

I live in the East Valley, and the Mesa Bookman's (Southern and Country Club) is probably my favorite bookstore. It's a very big store devoted entirely to secondhand books, music, movies and video games, and I can often find relatively obscure things there pretty cheaply.

Other locally-owned bookstores I visit (more or less in order of frequency):

Changing Hands Bookstore (Guadalupe & McClintock)
Book Adventure (Gilbert Road, south of Guadalupe)
Book Gallery (On Historic Main Street in Mesa)
The Book Rack (Broadway & Lindsay)

Changing Hands is, I would estimate, about a third the size of Bookman's and much of its stock is new. Besides that, there are certain political and metaphysical ideologies they seem to endorse which rub me entirely the wrong way. I guess they must not bother me enough, though, since I usually go there at least once a month.

Book Adventure and the Book Rack are very tiny stores, and as such are difficult to navigate if there's more than one other customer in them.

Book Gallery is a fairly large used bookstore, and has a lot of first editions and books published in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; they're also quite expensive in my experience.

It's not in Arizona but I love Duttons bookstore in Brentwood, CA. It's like a rabbit's warren, full of nooks and crannies and deadends where you can 'cop a squat' and read to your hearts content.

Thanks for posting this! I grew up in AZ and love pretty much anything Southwest. I'm constantly reading fiction that takes place in the Southwest just so I can "visit" often. My husband and I get back over to AZ when we can (when we're not in CO where he grew up), so will look forward to tracking down this bookstore.
Terri B.

The previous message I posted was for RedKing for recommending the Singing Wind bookstore.
Terri B.