D.C. Field Notes #7: The Thrill of the Unexpected Bookstore
Unplanned but not unwelcomed
Amid our very deliberate attempt to visit the bookstores of Washington D.C. and New York City, there’s a certain thrill when you discover a bookstore out in the wild, one not on your list and not the intended destination. It doesn’t happen too often around Washington D.C. now, but instead when I’m out of town, usually on vacation or a road trip.
The most recent example happened to me a few months ago driving on I90 across Western Montana. Missoula is the last city for 100 miles until you hit the Idaho border (and still for another 60 miles after that until you reach Coeur d’Alene, Idaho), though the highway is dotted with small, affably named towns: Superior, Haugen, Saltese, St. Regis. Well, this bookstore just happened to be in a little community in the narrow valley of the Clark Fork River river, a town called Alberton, population 524.
There’s hardly room for two-to-three streets between the highway and the mountain, and the main road, if you can call it that, has a skatepark, two taverns, a post office, a library, and the Montana Valley Bookstore.
I say that this bookstore was unexpected, but that’s only half true. Few billboards exist in this rural stretch of country, though several large yellow banners in the 15 miles before and after Alberton advertise “Historic Montana Valley Bookstore: a great family stop. RV’s/Semi’s Welcome”, and “100,000 Used Books”. Effective advertising. Who can resist 100,000 used books?
The store is a bit what you’d expect in a mountain town. A little dark, a little neglected, weather-worn and equally aged inside, perhaps accentuated by the winter rain outside. In the summer, it will smell warm and wooden, a welcome, cool reprieve from the heat.
Bookshelves run from floor to ceiling in narrow rows, symmetrical when sliced down the middle. Each row has a drawstring lamp, off by default, adding to the feeling of discovery when the light turns on. The selection is broad but old. You won’t find a lot of books from the last ten years, maybe not even the last twenty, but you will find a vast selection, a deep reserve of regional books, and enough titles to keep you comfortably browsing for an hour.
So this is my invitation - stop at the bookstore along the way, the one on a country highway with a beaten up “Used Books” sign, the store down an unexpected alleyway or basement. The thrill is always in the find, book and bookstore alike.
Washington D.C. Area Bookstores to Visit
People’s Books
As new bookstores go, it’s got a great atmosphere. A blue canopy overhang welcomes you in, and a few tables sit outside. Maybe it was because there was a young boy in loafers, a button-up, and cardigan sitting outside waiting for the rest of his family, but the whole entrance felt a little vintage… read more
Gramp’s Attic Books
Gramp’s is probably there himself, sitting behind the counter in the tight shop. You get the sense that he’s been at this book-selling thing for a while, and he offered a friendly, “let me know if you need help” as I entered… read more
A worthy use of a billboard(s)!