Tanya Y.
Yelp
After spending an hour tucked away in between books at Literarity Book Shop, among the many ways I could describe LBS, there are two words that are at the forefront of my mind: simply charming. LBS is a beautiful book shop accented by the warmth of the equally charming couple that owns the store. Trust me, you'll love LBS.
I hijacked my husband's afternoon fishing at Ascarate to hightail it to LBS and I had very little info to give him other than saying, "It's a locally owned bookstore." I walked in to find the walls lined with books, some new, some old, and I knew at that moment I found my book home. I can't tell you how many books I pulled from the shelves, but what I can tell you is that each and every book I touched was in excellent condition. I found out from the owners later that they do complete the repairs themselves when they find a book that's in need of some TLC.
LBS has limited space, but they've done a wonderful job of not making it feel that way. The bookcases that line the walls are just about floor-to-ceiling, but the shelves in the center of the room are three or four tier and the one lining the windows looking out at the courtyard is about waist height. There's nothing about LBS that feels daunting or cramped. I love the way LBS divides the different type of books available too. Each section is marked by the genre spelled out in Scrabble tiles. Oh and the best part (you know... besides the fact that you're surrounded by so many literary treasures)? Comfy chairs for those of us that like to browse books while in the store.
The selection they have made my heart pitter-patter just a little bit faster each time I scanned the title or the author of the book next to the one I was currently looking at. Stieg Larrson, Ernest Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, Sara Gruen... just to name a few and those are just the ones that I can remember off the top of my head. LBS carries classic books, new books, signed books, and rare books. LBS has it all. And if they don't have what you want, they have no problem looking for it. My advice though: if you find a book you want, buy it. Or at least ask if they can reserve it for you because I can only imagine how different their inventory will be from month to month.
So your next question is probably: What are the prices like? They're so reasonable that it took everything in me to not leave with an armful of books (at the moment I have a stack of read books that still need a shelf to call home... I have a problem, I know, I'm figuring it out), but I couldn't pass up on the complete collection of Earnest Hemingway short stories for only $10. With rare books and signed books, you can obviously spend a lot more on a book in LBS, but even those I thought were reasonably priced.
And finally, the owners. They are an absolute joy to talk to. They're so hospitable and very easy going. After we talked to them both for just a few minutes I had the immediate feeling of how important being able to share their love of simply reading a good book with the community is to them. Not only have they done a wonderful job of selecting and (when needed) cleaning the plethora of books that are available in the store, they also have a vast knowledge of literature and can make recommendations for any type of reader. You should absolutely make LBS you're first stop when searching for a good book to lose yourself in.