Thursday 2 May 2013

The Indie in the Indie

My only complaint about moving to the suburbs is the lack of really cool indie bookstores. I'm sure they will come eventually but, as of now, if I want to do the indie bookstore crawl I have to come into downtown Toronto.
Luckily the really good ones are all very close to each other so I can hit a few, then sit in one of my favorite coffee shops and peruse my purchases.

Today's hawl includes:
The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo Graphic novel Book 2 - I admit I have a bit of an obsession with this series (all versions), visually. Its darkness, and the avante garde look of Lisbeth Salander really speaks to a deeper part of my being.
The Queen's Pawn by Christy English - after reading many glowing reviews of this book I finally found a copy of it and I am very excited to crack it. Its hard to find a depiction of Eleanor of Aquitaine that's generally liked by everyone.

When We Were Gods by Colin Falconer - a novel about Cleopatra that is hard to find. I debated over this but when I went to put it back I physically couldn't because I knew I would regret it, and if I came back looking for it it would probably be gone. I am fascinated by Cleopatra and her sister, Arisone.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - children of infamous parents? Yes, please! I have been looking at this book for years and always had something more pressing to pick up, but now was the perfect time. Moran is apparently brilliant, I have Nefertiti and Madame Tussaud on my TBR pile.

I also do a lot of people watching in these stores because I'm curious about what other people pick up in a non mainstream situation.
And indies are my people. Its important for me to support the community, especially the locals.

So, if your ever in Toronto make sure you hit up BMV books, and Seekers Books on Bloor Street between Bathurst and Spadina. BMV has an enormous range, and a graphic novel section that can't be beat, and Seekers is eclectic and amazing, also with a wide range but not as much floor space.

Do you shop at indie bookstores? Give them a shout out any way you can!