The Booket List reviews: after-words bookstore
The Booket List reviews: after-words bookstore
#140: A new quarterly feature from Bite Size Reviews by Camille Casey
Hi everyone, this is Kyle. This year I’m excited to introduce a quarterly feature where new resident guest contributor, Camille Casey, will review a bookshop she’s visited. It could be a location from her Bookshop Bucket List, a local spot from a recent trip, or an altogether spontaneous find. The review will include a ranking based on a somewhat subjective set of criteria, including: Coziness Quotient, Nooks & Crannies, Staff Picks, S.W.A.G., Title Selection, and Overall Charm. Take it away, Camille!
Camille here, and welcome to The Booket List!
Before we start, a bit about me. While I am not a library purist, the check-out is certainly my preferred method of book procurement. Give me your cracked spines, your tattered edges, your huddled masses of covers encased in plastic – I welcome the feel of a worn-in read. The rhythm of the library rigmarole suits me.
The gamble of an unknown title from the display, zany!
Notification that your hold is ready, LFG!
The inevitable accidental reservation of the Large Print copy, well THIS is fun!
And I’d be lying if I didn’t take what some may consider to be an oversized pride in returning a title by the due date.
But oh, what an absolute treat visiting a bookshop can be! Cozy and cramped or posh and palatial, there is no better way to enhance a trip than peeping the local indie book scene when traveling.
I recently spent a weekend in Chicago, and as is my custom I had a few bookshops on my list:
The timing of our trip provided the perfect excuse to browse local bookshops as it coincided with the pub date of one of my most anticipated novels of 2024: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. Zero chance of scoring a copy from the local library based on the lengthy queue, so the purchase of a first edition was necessary. Commence search!
Ranking matrix in hand, I found my way to the unassuming neon promising “new & used” books wedged between an industrial kitchen supply store and a crossfit warehouse. I had arrived at after-words bookstore. I entered and was greeted by a friendly, but firm, cashier requesting I use the sanitizing station prior to browsing. Throwback vibes, cool. The street-level section was minimal (nary an Akbar in sight), so I made my way downstairs to the spacious basement which was chock full of new & used books. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling with plenty of wooden chairs nested amongst the stacks to encourage a leisurely perusal experience. I steeled myself for the inevitable overloaded armful of books that I would lug upstairs and subsequently squeeze into my weekender. Already crafting excuses for the increased bag weight.
However, after a full sweep of the floor, and then another half sweep I realized that Martyr! was not here. Disappointed but not defeated, I began to search for the next book on my list, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Again, no luck. In fact, nothing by Paul Murray at all. At this point I was beginning to panic. What would I read on the plane? What would I write about? I checked for a few of my go-to authors, and again came up empty handed, so I settled for Elektra by Jennifer Saint. I recently read Ariadne, and it was a fun ride. Not the book I came in for, but a safe bet nonetheless. Feeling somewhat deflated I made my way upstairs, paid for my book and trudged back to the hotel.
Guys, I gotta be honest. I was hopeful my first bookshop review would be a glowing one, but we keep it real at The Booket List, and I am here to report that after-words’ score landed it at the unenviable bottom slot on my list. While I was sufficiently charmed and dangerously aligned with Bev’s Staff Picks – the overall selection and general coziness was notably lacking. See below for the full scoring and rubric.
Look, I get it. We can’t all be The Book Stop, my beloved movie-theater-turned-bookshop (which is now a Trader Joe’s) but we do have to maintain our standards. Finding a dud just means a diamond is around the corner. And all wasn’t lost. I did manage to snag a copy of Martyr! in the end.1 And boy was it worth it. Until next quarter…see y’all in the stacks.
Bucket List Bookshops
Have a favorite bookshop? Something on your bucket list? Help us build our map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SoL3DrvThpX4qtS97.
The Booket List on-going Rankings
Ranking Criteria
Coziness Quotient: Going for a goldilocks level of cozy here. Not so comfortable you feel compelled to toss off your shoes, but not so cold you couldn’t thumb a few pages in the aisles.
Nooks & Crannies: All the best bookshops have ample spots to park it and steep yourself in the sacred selection process that is finding your next read. For this criterion, the more nooks & crannies, the higher the score.
Staff Picks: When it comes to staff picks, I’m looking for two things: quirkiness and alignment. Ideally, these two come together in a way that says, “Hey, we’ve got similar taste. You can trust me. Go on, get wild and take a gamble with this obscure title. I got you.”
S.W.A.G.: Stuff We All Get. That free bookmark they throw in at the register, it’s the hallmark of a good bookshop. Design and quality are they key metrics. I will consider accepting a sticker or tote in place of a bookmark, but not much more.
Title Selection: Speaks for itself.
Overall Charm: Belle’s library is really the high-water mark here. Afterall, aren’t we all just chasing that dream of rolling through mile-high stacks on a ladder?
Ranking summary for after-words bookstore
Coziness Quotient — 3
There was a stark contrast between the natural light streaming through the industrial windows on the first floor and the dimly lit, low-level ceilings in the basement. It was a struggle to get a feel for the identity of the space.
Nooks & Crannies — 3
While there were plenty spots to sit among the stacks, there weren’t any uniquely appealing corners.
Staff Picks — 4
Bev gets me. And her inclusion of a Janet Evanovich title was just left field enough to spark my curiosity.
S.W.A.G. — 1
No bookmark. No totes. No stickers. No thank you.
Title Selection — 2
I’m not looking for obscure titles here. These were mainstream requests. You gotta deliver the goods.
Overall Charm — 3
Despite its shortcomings, after-words still had a charm about it. There is potential here, perhaps yet to be fully realized.
Total Score — 16
Scores based on scale of 1-5 where 1 = lowest score, 5 = highest score
Titles mentioned
About Camille Casey
Long-time reader, first-time contributor. Working mom by day, Camille moonlights as the founding member of the Houston-based Ladies Who Read (LWR) Book Club. A self-proclaimed connoisseur of bookshops sharing hot takes on the best spots to browse and buy.
Shouts to Barbara’s Bookstore at O’Hare airport for coming through!
I love Townie Books in CB. :)
Might be useful to keep the context of where it is mind. In a small mountain town like Crested Butte, having *any* bookstore presence is a fun surprise. I love that it's attached to a coffee shop. And, knowing that it's a small town shop tempers my expectations for selection. For me, a smaller selection means it's more curated, which I don't always mind. Gives ya sense of their taste.
Aside: I visited and enjoyed Book People in Austin, TX last weekend. Classic store with a lot of history. Bought a couple of books and an enamel pin.
Well, this is super fun! I love this idea.