One of the best things about being in Florida for the Winter, other than the beach and weather of course, are the great bookstores. Over the past few years we have become quite familiar with some of the wonderful bookstores in Southern Florida. They should be on everyones bucket list when in the area because of the amazing inventory and wonderful staff. I have been fortunate to get to know many of the owners of these eclectic stores. If you are a book-lover, bibliophile or bookscout, the following bookstores need to be on your radar for a visit.
Old Florida Bookstore
One of my personal favorites when it comes to great bookstores is this unique 1200 sq. ft. store. The minute you walk into the narrow entrance way you feel like you have been transported back in time. Between the classical music playing in the back ground and the thirteen rows of book shelves traveling from floor to ceiling, your senses are immediately switched to overload.
The owner, William, has been a bookstore owner for almost 45 years and knows all there is about books and the book business. He is a fascinating man to talk to when he is available to chat with.
There are plenty of books here (more than 50,000) and he keeps buying them. There is also plenty of art, maps and ephemera at the location as well. You could easily spend hours at this location (I have on more than one occasion). The bookstore is located in an old, nondescript strip mall in Dania Beach. Once you step inside the door, though, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the height of the vaulted ceiling, all the books on the shelves, artwork hanging on every inch of wall space and you'll even get entertained by Peter, the cat, who hangs out there.
I will let you in on a little secret, check behind the initial row of books that you see. There are sometime an additional two or three rows of hidden books that most people never even see. Wow! Can't say enough about this special place.
Location: 3426 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 / Phone: (954) 319-1441
BookWise
The share size and scope of this amazing bookstore is one of the first things you notice. On one side of the building is the FAU textbook school store (BookSmart). The other side includes rows and rows of every genre of book imaginable. Some of the many cool things regarding this store, plenty of comfy chairs to sit on while reading and even two bathrooms if needed. The staff here, some of them family, are both very helpful and knowledgeable. The owner David, a lawyer by trade, is quite the bibliophile. He is very interesting to talk with and he has more books than you can imagine. I have found some great books at this location. On one visit I found a signed copy of Joseph Heller's (1967) We Bombed in New Haven. There are also occasional book signings here which I have attended.
One of my favorite things about this bookstore, though, is the owners private book collection found upstairs. There may be even more books upstairs than down if you can believe it. This amazing upstairs space is more of a business office, however, and typically off limits to most customers.
Location: 145 NW 20th St, Boca Raton, FL 33431 / Phone: (561) 347-6455
Book Exchange & Comic Shop
This bookstore may have more of a reputation as a comic book and paperback bookstore but don't let that stop you from visiting. I have found plenty of nice modern first editions here including Steinbeck's Cannery Row and a signed, leather bound edition of Red & Me by Bill Russell. Both were first editions that sold in our own store!
Make sure you check out the two glass book cases in the middle of the store. This area offers the best inventory! Take your time in the very back of the store too, you can find some nice editions if you're willing to spend the time looking. If it's paperbacks you're looking to read or bring to the beach, then this is the store for you! The store owner, Curt, is a nice guy who is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to both comics & book collecting.
Location: 807 Northlake Blvd, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 / Phone: (561) 863-1555
The Dancing Elephant
It is always nice when you find an unexpected, new bookstore, with great books, that also happens to be a short drive from where you live. That was the case with The Dancing Elephant. I had heard about it after reading some recent press on the owner, Shane Logan and his fairly new store. So I took a short drive there the other night. One of the first things I noticed, in addition to staying open until 9 PM a few nights, was the wide selections of books and authors. They basically have something for just about everyone. From astronomy, meta physical, poetry, art, to even children's books. I was pleasantly surprised to even see a nicely curated area for modern first editions. Shane's taste and knowledge, in this and other areas, was pretty amazing especially since he's only 25 years old. Don't let the young age fool you though, he was a business major in college and has a great understanding from a business perspective coupled with a deep passion for books. That along with his teams (girlfriend and brother) understanding of how to incorporate technology and grow their brand across all their social media platforms, will be, in my opinion, a recipe for success.
After spending two hours there, I picked up a few nice copies (Hemingway & Bukowski) along with an unexpected gift from Shane. I'm already looking forward to getting back there. The 1500 sq. ft. space is beautifully appointed, with a nice sitting area, a bathroom and plenty of books, ephemera, taro cards etc. They are also bringing in authors periodically for book signings. Again, this young group of entrepreneurs seem to already have a nice understanding of the important areas needed to become a successful business. The team spends a great deal of time buying books online so the store inventory is continually fresh with a full range of genre to meet everyones needs.
Check out this wonderful store, there are plenty of cool little venues in the area with plenty of parking to grab a bite and hangout.
Location: 801 Lake Ave, Lake Worth, FL 33460 / Phone: (561) 345-3130
Additional Bookstores
There are plenty other bookstores in south Florida worth a visit. The best known is probably Raptis Rare Books, located at 329 Worth Ave., Palm Beach, FL 33480 - I have not been there as of yet so I did not add it to my short list. Keep in mind, this particular store deals with high end, pretty pricey books.
There are also a few book dealers who I have found who have great book collections who sell out of their homes that you may want to check out. Keep in mind, you may get vetted to some degree before getting the invite. These are The Book Block owned and operated by Bruce Barnett and you can reach him at inquire@thebookblock.com and Andrew Nottman who owns The Accidental Bookseller and you can reach him at the accidentalbookseller@gmail.com
There are also many great libraries that have their own bookstores. Two that I have visited recently and purchased books from, at great discount prices, are the Boynton Beach Library and Friends of Boca Raton Library. The second of which has a big 50 percent sale in mid-March each year. You also have the option of paying for a yearly membership ($25) that in turn is good for a 20 percent discount on all purchases.
We hope you enjoy our bookstore list and love visiting them as much as we do. If you visit other bookstores in the area that you like, or want to be included as part of this list, please email us at burningtreebook@gmail.com :) Happy scouting!