#37: Alabaster Bookshop

Exquisite finds in the Union Squarea

The Shop: Alabaster Bookshop

Union Square, Manhattan: 122 4th Ave

Hard to imagine any used bookstore could exist so close to the Strand without collapsing into its gravity— and yet Alabaster Bookshop stands proud south of Union Square oozing intimate, musty charm. All the hallmarks of a classic used bookstore are here: funky finds, floor to ceiling shelves, random piles of books all over the place, and staff who radiate a love of books and culture. This store feels very much like the Manhattan counterpart to cozy outer borough spots like Unnameable or Human Relations. Cozy bookstores, I love you!

What I got:

Homeland and Other Stories

Let the record be clear on this: Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver is my favorite novel of all time. I loved every page of it and cried like a baby at the final chapter. I was thrilled to find this collection of her short stories, even if it means more of my tears at the beauty of her words.

Look Who’s Morphing

Yeah, I bought this because the cover is cool as hell. Flipping through the book to get a taste of Australian author Tom Cho’s pop culture infused subversive prose has me thinking the inside’s cool as hell too.

What Marissa got:

The lovely Marissa Stuart joined me for this trip! Here are her picks:

The Tao of Pooh

I was drawn to this book when browsing and kept coming back to it in the store. I loved all the illustrations and couldn’t leave the store without it!

Mad Men Carousel: The Complete Critical Collection

I love Mad Men! I have re-watched the entire show several times and I’m still excited to learn more about it.