I went to Iowa City this week for a class, and even though I'm there all the time for most of the year I feel like I'm at a destination when I'm not living there. I stayed with a friend and it almost felt like a little vacation. And what do I do on vacations? Buy books. More than I need.
My first stop was my all time favorite book store The Haunted Bookshop. No offense to Prairie Lights enthusiasts, but I think The Haunted Bookshop is the best bookstore in Iowa City. It just has so much class. For none ICers, the bookstore is used, rare, and out-of-print, but mostly used and that is why I go there. I justify my purchases by claiming I am recycling books. I went there to search for Ariel by Sylvia Plath or some Anne Sexton, but was not lucky in that respect. I did run into my fitness walking TA though, who I love mostly because she enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice reference I made in my fitness walking paper.* I did pick up three books though, Good Girls Bad Girls: Feminists and Sex Trade Workers Face to Face, Talking Ip: Young Women's Take on Feminism, and The Feminine Mystique. What can I say, The Haunted Bookshop has an awesome women's studies section.
But I was still sad I couldn't find Ariel so I headed to Barnes and Noble. I had a couple of gift cards and I decided to use one. Barnes and Noble is a less exciting bookstore, although I'll admit that I do like it there. The Iowa City one has some neat displays on Iowan writers and they have the best magazine selection I have seen at any Barnes and Noble. Ever.
But I must admit I missed the two lovely cats The Haunted Bookshop has.
*In case you were wondering about the Pride and Prejudice reference, we had to write a paper about how walking is perceived now. I talked about how people think walking long distances will kill them (at least that is my mother's reaction when I head off on a three plus mile trek), but people used to have to walk most places. For an example I used Elizabeth Bennett, and I said if she can walk to another town, in the rain, in uncomfortable shoes and clothing, then I can surely walk up to the grocery store.