Get Lost in Books

Honestly, I can read for hours on end without interruption if I really like the book I'm reading. I have this one book I've yet to pick up called Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones by Dee Dee Ramone; I know for a fact that the second I pick this book up that it won't leave my hands until I complete it. I mean, a book written by the bassist in one of my favorite punk rock bands?! Sounds like a pretty perfect book to me.

On the topic of books, Strand is one of the best places I have ever been to in Manhattan. Located in the East Village on Broadway and 12th Street is one of the most magical places on Earth. Before you even get inside the store there are mounds of cheap, used books on the sidewalk that you can buy! When you walk in the store, though... wow. The energy of that store can instantly change a bad mood to a great one.

Image by amny

The first time I ever went to this bookstore was over break. I went into the city to go to a friend's apartment and spend the day with her; she planned out a day for us and Strand happened to be in her itinerary! I can't even begin to thank Emma enough for showing me this bookstore because it's a place I know I can get lost in for hours, given the opportunity.

After we'd walked in and I had finally picked up a copy of 1984 by George Orwell (which I have been dying to read), I walked straight to the poetry table. Poetry is something I've always been interested in; it's something less and less people enjoy, but I've always found myself fascinated by poetry. There were so many poetry books to choose from, it was kind of overwhelming since there were so many options to choose from. Eventually, I found the perfect book that I just knew I had to buy, Poems of New York. This book is a collection of poems about the city I hold near and dear to my heart and I knew that I had to have it when I saw it.

The downstairs of Strand is fiction books, nonfiction, poetry, mythology, etc. while the upstairs has to do with art and music. When I walked upstairs, I think I fell in love. There was an abundance of photography books, books about painters, and books about music. I told myself after picking up 1984 and Poems of New York that I wouldn't buy anything else... I lied to myself. On one of the tables was a book that read Iggy Pop Life Class and I immediately picked this book up and began to flip through. It's a book about the life drawing pieces of Iggy Pop that are on display at the Brooklyn Museum. I knew I had to have this book and decided to splurge on myself; it's probably my favorite book that I've ever purchased to date.

If you are in the city and happen to be a lover of books, drag whoever you're with and go to Strand! You will not regret it one bit and, who knows, maybe it could become one of your favorite places, too!