Tucson, Arizona: The Book Stop
The Tucson Festival of Books was this weekend, and a greater hive of scum and villainy—readers and publishers—you will never see. Tucson also has at least one nice bookstore: The Book Stop on 4th Avenue.
I didn’t pick up too many books here last time, but that’s mainly because I’m trying to cut back on my addiction. The two books I did pick up have been on my list for a long time, and I haven’t seen them at any of the many bookstores I’ve visited. Basic Economics is a great introduction to just what the title says, including the subtitle, “A Citizen’s Guide”. Thomas Sowell very deftly covers the economics that people need to know to be informed voters.
Fouad Ajami’s Dream Palace of the Arabs is a fascinating look at the history of artistic intellectuals in Arab politics, and turns out to also be a nice introduction to the factions of the Arab world.
As you can see from my purchases, prices here are a bit higher than in other reviews, but that may be a reflection of the scarcity of the books in question in used bookstores. Also, Basic Economics is a textbook, and those tend to be higher priced as well. As I recall, their prices were better in their science fiction/fantasy section; they also had some great selections there, but ones I already had.
I spent at least an hour browsing through their books, and I am definitely going to be stopping here semi-regularly on my drives between California and Texas. It pairs mightily fine with Reb’s Café 45 miles east in Benson. Pick up some books and then browse them while eating, when you’re going east, or rest your stomach after good comfort food when you’re going west.
The Book Stop is also a relatively short walk from the Festival (and thus the university). And if you need something to eat, walk a couple of blocks to Latin It Up, a Cuban sandwich place with a very nice cubano and a great lime-flavored lemonade.
The Book Stop
214 North 4th Avenue
Tucson, Arizona
March 14, 2018
| Tarzan the Untamed | Edgar Rice Burroughs | $3.00 | mass market paperback |
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March 12, 2016
| The Steps of the Sun• | Walter Tevis | $3.00 | mass market paperback |
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Oct. 20, 2015
| Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy (Revised and Expanded Edition)• | Thomas Sowell | $17.50 | hardcover |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Dream Palace of the Arabs• | Fouad Ajami | $7.00 | trade paperback |
In response to The bookstores less traveled: These aren’t the bookstores people travel across the country to visit. But if you’re already traveling across the country, you’ll want to take advantage of the opportunity to visit them.
- Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy
- Economics is an important topic, because unlike every other complex field, “from botany to brain surgery”, we cannot avoid taking part: while we can, and usually should, refuse to perform brain surgery, we should not refuse to vote for politicians (and, in some states, initiatives) that have wide-ranging economic effects.
- The Book Stop
- “Dealing in fine used, rare and out-of-print titles… The Book Stop has served readers in Tucson since 1967… Our stock is general used and out of print.”
- The Dream Palace of the Arabs
- This is a great introduction to the strange factions of the Arab world, the Shiites, the Sunnis, the Orthodox Christians of Lebanon, Saddam Hussein vs. the princes of Kuwait.
- Tucson Festival of Books
- “where Words & Imagination come to life”
More bookstores
- The Thrifty Peanut in Shreveport
- A great little bookstore in Shreveport off of I-20, and a great place to relax in the middle of a long road trip.
- New Orleans: Beckham’s Bookshop
- Beckham’s Bookshop is a musty must-stop if you’re in the French Quarter.
- Las Cruces, New Mexico: Coas Books
- Coas Books is a chain of two bookstores in Las Cruces, and well worth the visit.
- Palestine, Texas: The Palestine Public Library
- The Palestine Public Library opens their booksale room about once a month. If you’re in the area, it’s well worth a look.
- Buffalo, Texas: The Horse’s Mouth on Highway 79
- This tiny little bookshop and coffeehouse is worth stopping at if you’re on Highway 79 and need a browse, a coffee, or a shake.
- 18 more pages with the topic bookstores, and other related pages
Update: Latin It Up has closed.