August 7, 2015

Travel Diaries: Seven Bookshops To Visit in (& around) Boston

August 7, 2015

Hey everyone!  Sorry to have been a bit M.I.A. as of recent.  I'm currently enjoying my last few weeks of summer vacation traveling the East Coast.  

While in Boston, I stopped by as many bookshops as my limited time in the city allotted.  In just a few days, I was able to visit a total of seven awesome bookshops both in and around Boston.  All bookshops listed are easily accessible by the "T" (Boston Subway).

Today I thought I'd share these with you.  Come browse with me:

Location: 
338 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

Hours:
Open everyday from 8am to midnight!


This was the first bookshop I visited while in the city, and I loved it!  Located on (my favorite) Newbury Street, Trident Booksellers & Cafe occupies an extremely central and accessible location.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to peruse the shelves or grab a sip of coffee at the cafe, but I did pick up a book for some recreational reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir!





















Definitely make sure to stop by if you ever find yourself on Newbury Street.
25 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140

Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7am - 9pm
Saturday: 8am - 7pm
Sunday: 8am - 7pm


Porter Square Books was definitely one of my favorite bookshop stops on the trip.  The staff was EXTREMELY nice, friendly, and more than eager to chat books!


These cute bookish pins caught my eye at the checkout counter and I had to pick up a few.  The indie bookstore pin was a freebie.

Support indie bookstores!



Location:
698 Massachusetts Avenue
Central Square, Cambridge

Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 9:30am - 9:00pm
Sunday: Noon - 8:00pm

Rodney's Bookstore was unlike the other bookshops I visited in the sense that the store sold used books as opposed to new books.  And although Rodney's was not my favorite bookshop on the trip, I had fun perusing the store's whimsical selection of books, posters, and other trinkets.



Location:
1400 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

Hours: 
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 9pm
Sunday: 10am - 7pm


The Harvard Coop is a must-stop while in Cambridge.  Unfortunately, I was (once again) pressed for time and DIDN'T have the opportunity to purchase a book I'd set my sights on!


Nevertheless, I'm glad I was still able to stop in the store for a few brief minutes.


Location:
1256 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 11pm
Sunday: 10am - 10pm


Funny story . . . I actually came across Harvard Book Store when I was looking for The Coop.  I had no previous knowledge of this bookstore.  Lucky find!



Location:
6 Plympton Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Hours:
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11am - 7pm
Thursday - Sunday: 11am - 6pm


Just around the corner from Harvard Book Store is a cute little place known as Grolier Poetry Book Shop.  As you can deduce from the name, Grolier Poetry is dedicated solely to selling poetry.


I definitely had interest in purchasing a poetry book, but rather unfortunately, the shop owner had to duck out early due to an emergency.


Location:
9 West Street
Downtown Boston, MA 02111

Hours: 
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 5:30pm


I'm so happy I was able to visit Brattle Book Shop before leaving Boston!  Since Brattle closes relatively early, it was a bit difficult to make the trip before closing time.


Inside the shop.



Brattle Book Shop has a collection of rare used books.  Posted on the shop walls are records of some previously sold rare books.




Outside the shop.


However, since I came in around 5:00pm, the book shop workers were already closing up the outside shelves.


I ended up purchasing this $10 book in great condition.

Although I only spent about twenty minutes browsing the Brattle Book Shop shelves, I quite honestly could have easily spent the entire afternoon.

What cool bookstores have you visited lately?
(Or want to?)

Thanks for reading!
author image

Julia Anne

I'm a teen with a refined taste for good books and great writing, currently living in Honolulu, HI. I'm a reader. A dreamer. And an aspirant writer. One day I have hopes to travel the world, but for now, I'll settle with venturing through the written works I read.

15 comments :

  1. Thank you so much for this post, Julia Anne! I think it's awesome that you were able to see so many bookshops and share your findings with us. Also, it's perfect timing because I am about to take a trip to Boston for a few days (and now have some awesome bookshops to visit!) Absolutely love this post (and the great photos!!!) and hope I can visit some of these on my trip!! :D

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  2. the photos in this post are so beautiful, another great post julia! hope you have a great holiday<3

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  3. These bookstores are so pretty! I have to go hunt for more bookstores because the only ones I go to are the B&N bookstores. I usually get my books from Target and Amazon. I loved those pins and I think the cutest bookstore is the Brattle Book Shop! I love how they have an enormous pencil outside their store xD

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  4. Wow all those book stores look really cool! I don't know why though the last one with the pencil on top looked liked it was graphically put on I mean it's huge, though still pretty cool how they did that! I prefer going to the library more then book stores recently though, but since you're in the east coast you should totally try to find a books a million store they are pretty nice to go to! Though I see that you're in Massachusetts so I don't think you will find one because b.a.m is around Washington d.c, Philadelphia, and N.C.Y. Anyways great post! x)

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  5. I'm so jealous you got to visit all those beautiful bookstores! I could totally live inside one of those! :) Boston is a really nice place to live in huh.

    Julie @ Books and Insomnia

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  6. This is such a fun post. Your dedication and passion shown through this is exhilarating. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. These bookstores are awesome! I'd love to visit them all! I actually did have the opportunity to go to the Harvard Coop when I traveled to Boston a year or two ago. It was much bigger than I initially assumed it was! I'm pretty sure I bought my copy of Insurgent there. Great photos, by the way!

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  8. That's awesome! I've never been to Boston but will have to check out the bookstores if I'm ever there! Great photos :)

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  9. These look amazing and they're so beautiful, too!! I can't decide which one I like the best! I've never been to Boston though, but if I do, I'll have to visit some of these places!! <3
    I love your blog so much! New follower! :)

    Lipstick and Mocha

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  10. These are SO fun! I love the Porter one just because the guy working there seems so fun! And I like the outside look of Brattle- too cute! It must be amazing to be in a city with so many bookstores- and all so very different! Fabulous pictures, thanks for this tour :)
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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  11. All of these bookstores look so cool! I'll be sure to check them out if I'm ever in the Boston area. Thanks for posting this! :)
    ~Haley @ My Addiction: Books
    PS. I nominated you for the Book Fangirling Blog Award:
    http://myaddictionbooks.blogspot.com/2015/08/book-fangirling-blog-award.html

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  12. ooh now I know which book stores to stop by when I go up to Boston to visit my brother!! I've heard of Porter, I think that's one that lots of YA authors frequent. You take such pretty pictures, hun ! Ooh I hope you enjoy AEITA :) Glad you're having fun on the East Coast!!

    Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books

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  13. Oh I haven't been to Boston is forever! I do love it there though. Thanks for the mini tours through some book stores though I will have to keep them in mind when I get the chance to get back!

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