Bookshop Visit//The Friends of the Public Library Used Bookstore at the Warehouse

The Friends of the Public Library Used Bookstore at the Warehouse is in Cincinnati, Ohio, and supports the public library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Our decision to visit was motivated by the fact that it was hot and I wanted something to do inside and the obvious choice of an indoor activity was a bookstore. The bookstore is housed in an unprepossessing brick building but it is a treasure trove of books inside.

When you walk in the front of the building is devoted to sorting the donations they receive. I believe there is also a room leading off to the side that houses movies and music. If you walk straight back you come to shelves and shelves and shelves crammed with books. There were so many shelves and so many books that I found it a bit overwhelming at first and simply walked in circles around the store. However, it did not take me long to come across the vintage book selection. That is always what I look for first in a used bookstore.

I did find a couple of older mysteries but they had very few vintage paperback detective novels. Of course, they can only stock things that are donated but I am always hoping to find authors beyond Agatha Christie. There were a couple of other good finds in that section but they were things I already own like Miss Mole by E. H. Young.

There was a huge stock of classics, a very good history section, and an extensive selection of literary criticism. Of course, there were also shelves and shelves of more current novels. It is probably good that I don’t live any closer because it is the type of bookshop where you could stop in every day and always find something interesting. We all know that if I lived any closer I probably would stop in every day and my shelves would eventually collapse under the weight of my purchases. So, what did I buy during my one short visit?

I was particularly pleased to find the Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Of course, I read and loved Understood Betsy as a child and I also enjoyed The Homemaker when I read it a few years ago. Persephone Books has republished The Homemaker as well as The Deepening Stream. I was also very happy to find Jane’s Fame since we were in Cincinnati to see a Jane Austen exhibit. Not pictured is the copy of The Count of Monte Cristo that I bought. I realized as I was writing this post that it is an abridged version and that irritates me intensely. I only spent $1.00 on it so I will donate it and find an unabridged version at some point. I read it years and years ago but remember very little about it and recently read a rave review so feel I should revisit it.

If you are ever in Cincinnati I definitely recommend visiting the Book Warehouse. Just think, you can fill your own shelves to overflowing and support libraries all at the same time. What more can you ask for?