Hyde Brothers Books

 

Indiana is not flush with great used bookstores, or bookstores at all for that matter. We have a few good Half Priced Books and Barnes and Nobles. We also have some unique hole-in-the-wall spots, but they are becoming more rare. My personal favorite remains Indy Reads Books, but I recently discovered a new gem. Hyde Brothers Booksellers in Fort Wayne is just a dream for bibliophiles.

It's located in Fort Wayne, which unfortunately is nowhere near me. There are towering stacks of books around every turn. Ladders help employees reach the highest shelves in each aisle. I found a 1948 copy of I Capture the Castle, one of my personal favorites, and it came home with me.

When you head down the rabbit hole into the basement, you discover a second floor of books. Eventually I came upon another staircase that took me back to the main floor in a different spot. It was just perfect. I can't wait to go back and stay for a longer stretch of time.

Are there any incredible bookstores that you guys have discovered in your states?

Photos by moi.

Top Ten Things That Make Your Life as a Reader/Book Blogger Easier

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks Top Ten Things that make your Life as a Reader/Book Blogger Easier. Here are a few of my favorites!

1) LibraryThing.com – Oh how I love thee! I joined in 2006 and have catalogued and reviewed my books on LT ever since. I keep track of what I own, what’s recommended, what’s loaned and what I’ve read each year.

2) Paperbackswap.com – As soon as I hear about a new book I want to read I add it to my wish list on PBS. Sometimes I cave and buy it before it’s available or get it from the library, but other times I’m willing to wait until a copy is up. I couldn’t afford half the books I own if it wasn’t for PBS.

3) Indy Reads Books – This incredible bookstore has only been around for a year, but I am so in love with it. All the proceeds (100%) support literacy in Indianapolis. They host community events all the time and have a great used book selection.

4) Voice Memos app – I have this on my iPhone and I love using it to record quotes from my audiobooks.

5) My Library – I have a list of 50 books (the limit) on constant rotation at my library. I always have a stack of audiobooks at home and use my library for a lot of new books and eBooks.  

6) Half Priced Books – There are 3 in my state and I am a frequent visitor, both buying and selling books. This is also the one place everyone knows I love getting gift cards to!

7) Audiobooks – I always have at least two audiobooks going at a time; one in my car and one in my house. In the past 10 years I think my reading has become about 50% audio and 50% print. They give me the chance to read so many books I never would have gotten to.

8) Wikipedia – I use it for a quick fact check for nonfiction or historical fiction books when I’m writing reviews.

9) My kindle – It took me a LONG time to actually use my kindle regularly. Now I still tend to reach for a hardcopy first, but I use it a lot when I’m traveling and when I’m reading a huge chunkster.

10) My Clippings (option on my kindle) – I love that you can highlight lines that you read on your kindle and it saves them in a single document. I use this whenever I read an eBook to remember lines I want to include in my reviews.

Photo by moi of my library.

Indy: What to See, Eat and Do

(Me with the giant Vonnegut mural on Mass Ave and the 

Funky Bones Sculpture from The Fault in Our Stars)

Oh Indianapolis, how I love you. I’m a lifelong Hoosier and am constantly shocked when I hear people say there isn’t anything to do in our city. We have so much to offer! We may not be a literary capital of the world, but we have wide and diverse cultural offerings. There are a dozen theatres, a symphony, that little race track, and tons of independent restaurants and parks.

So all of that has been on my mind lately and I thought I would make a list of a few of my favorite MUST SEE things in our city. I hope you’ll check them out if you’re ever in my neck of the woods!

Yummy Places to Eat:

Yats: Cajun/Creole food, cheap and so delicious!

Rathskeller: German food, really fun outdoor biergarten in the summer (Building designed by Kurt Vonnegut’s father)

Brugge: Belgian food, think frites, mussels, crepes and wonderful beer

Saffron Café: Moroccan Food, I’ve never had a bad meal here!

Mesh: A little bit pricey, but a good, unique menu

Creation Café: Located right on the White River, beautiful view of the city

The Tamale Place: Best tacos ever. No seriously. The tamales are obviously really good too.

Traders Point Creamery: Amazing cheese, yogurt, etc. made there!

Free Place to Check Out:

Indy Reads Books: My favorite used bookstore in the city. Every penny of their sales supports literacy in Indy!

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home

Indianapolis Art Museum: Everything from Monet to the famous LOVE sculpture. Bonus: In the summer the art museum has an outdoor amphitheater where they show classic movies!

Indianapolis Central Library: I’ve spoken before about how much I love this library. Not only does it beautifully combine the old and the new, it also provides one of the best views of the city.

HART - Free Shakespeare performance on the White River Canal.

100 Acres Park: A beautiful park to wander in, plus it includes the huge Funky Bones sculpture from The Fault in Our Stars!

Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library

Sun King Brewery: A local brewery that offers free tastings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Crown Hill Cemetery: Gorgeous cemetery with walking tours, the final burial place for author James Whitcomb Riley and outlaw John Dillinger.

Holliday Park: Beautiful park with crazy old ruins (mentioned in The Fault in Our Stars)  

Local Farmers Markets

Who North America: For any Whovians out there, this is store entirely dedicated to Doctor Who. It is mainly an online store, but you can shop at their actual facility too and they’re incredibly nice.

Lew Wallace’s Study (The author of Ben Hur)
The Cultural Trail: Biking and walking trails through Indy

Other Random fun Stuff:

The Children’s Museum: One of the most incredible in the country. It’s fun for adults too and includes a huge Dale Chihuly glass sculpture.

Keystone Art Cinema: They show wonderful movies and have a bar, so you can take your drink in with you. Yes please. 

Fountain Square Duck Pin Bowling

Chatterbox Jazz Club

A few other resources if you plan a trip:

Indy Venues

Visit Indy 

Do It Indy 

Around Indy

50 Cheap Dates in Indy

Photos by moi. 

Where in the World Are You Reading: Bookstores - Indy Reads Books

 

 On July 13, 2012 Indy Reads Books opened in Indianapolis. I could not be happier! We have almost no independent bookstores in our city and all of the proceeds for this one go to the adult literacy not-for-profit organization that runs it. It sells both new and used books at great prices and the selection was wonderful! The store is decorated with books, using pages glued to the walls and books stacked to create a checkout table.

 

I visited for the first time on July 14th and left with two beautiful classic editions; a 1925 copy of one of my favorites Twelfth Night and a 1901 copy of Tennyson's The Princess. I was thrilled! Also, local author and literary rock star John Green was there on Friday, July 13th to kick off the festivities and do a reading and signing. Two thumbs up for him supporting local businesses!

This post is for the Where in the World are you Reading event hosted by Trish this month. Join in if you want. Next month's category is libraries.
 
Photos by moi.