Used bookshops are a great place to spend an afternoon. Unlike chain bookstores, these unique shops offer a wider variety of books to choose from rather than just stocking up on the latest book-to-film novels featuring movie posters on their covers, and filling up their aisles with useless book paraphenalia such as the twistable booklight, paint your own bookmark kits and (ugh!) the extensive aisles of magazines! Used book shops are filled with character and rare finds. Keep reading for my favorite spot.
South Florida can often seem a place devoid of literary culture. However, there are a few hidden shops that provide a book haven for the fervent reader.
One of these bookstores is My Book Place, located one block south of Tequesta Dr. at 124 Bridge Road. Wedged between a hair salon and a few knick knack shops, My Book Place is a multi-room shop featuring a variety of books and collectible.
The entrance houses numerous antiques and furniture while the back room is floor-to-ceiling books. The books range in every genre from travel, comics, history, literature, photography and dozens of other categories.
The room containing these books is cramped and crowded with only a narrow winding path leading customers from one end to the other. It’s not uncommon to find books with copyrights dating back to the early 20th century and even the late 19th century.
They are primarily in good condition, mostly hardback and often with illustrations. There are also hundreds of paperbacks. In fact, the store boasts of holding over 50, 000 books. Among my own collection is a circa 1930’s illustrated hardback of Wuthering Heights, a 1927 volume of Victorian Poetry and a 1950 hardback edition of Vanity Fair.
A 1950's MLA edition of Vanity Fair For those of you who are particular about the publishers of your books, My Book Place offers a wide variety including Norton Critical editions, Oxford University Press, MLA editions and Penguin. Now,understandably in this economy, people are watching their wallets, which is another reason this book shop is such a great find. The owner sells books at a shockingly low price. After perusing the aisles and prices, it is difficult to find anything over $15. Most of the books range between five and ten dollars.
This includes the antiquated, early hardback editions of the classics mentioned earlier. The reason My Book Place is able to sell books at such a cheap price is because the majority of their products are purchased in bulk at estate sales for a low price. It’s a great place to find one-of-a-kind gifts for book lovers without breaking the bank. My Book Place is truly a great South Florida find for book lovers who are looking to save cash and find something unique.