Jack if you're interested the Brooklyn Book Festival is tomorrow and there are events all day with authors and also independent publishers selling their books usually at a discount :) I've been a few times and also volunteered there and really recommend it!
@@sgab so true; I live in the Czech Republic and I can find English books, but they are sooooo expensive and the selection is pretty limited. I’m sure that looking for non-English books in the USA is even more frustrating 😭
@@lauraelizabeth_ I'm not sure how it works in the Czech Republic, but at least in Germany your local bookstore should be able to order most English books for you without a problem. Won't help with the lack of browsing experience, but if you know what you want, it shouldn't be too difficult to get.
The most underrated bookstore in NYC: Housing Works Amazing selection, beautiful store, reasonable prices, proceeds go to a good cause, *and* their marketing copy is hilarious
Yes I was going to comment to recommend this store!! It is such an amazing place with a beautiful collection of books. I still treasure all the books I got there and its been 7 years since I last visited!
the regular independent stores are much better than the housing works bookstore. i can get books for like $5 and under at the regular housing works but theyre only 50% off the cover price at the bookstore? it was really disappointing when i finally got there after the pandemic.
Standard price!! I’m very into the public library and there’s ton of little free libraries around too. When there’s doom and gloom headlines about Americans not buying books-this is why. ETA: the doom and gloom is that we’re becoming dumber. Really we’re just poor.
The UK is actually super cheap with books! I’d say for most of European countries it varies around 9,99e-29,99e per book, but can go up to 35e plus for hardback covers of novelty/highly sought after books😅
You should go go Yu & Me (first female Asian American owned bookstore in NYC)! The staff are so so kind :) westsider rare books is also super gorgeous! My personal favorite is Mercer street books
Jack, I really have to say that I appreciate how you do the most out of your opportunities!! With the freedom and financial stability of your job, living in different places for different periods of time is the best thing you can do. You deserve it. Thanks for taking us with you! Love you🥰
You should go to a college bookstore for real sticker shock! If you walk through the textbook section you will see books for hundreds of dollars EACH! My daughter bought her books through UK source - same books (often softcover versions) for much, much less! To save postage, she ended up using a group on campus that started a “business” by buying textbooks in bulk from UK that they sold to their Harvard classmates at steep discounts while making a profit (but cheaper then if bought individually and paying postage).
That’s a pretty smart idea. I ended up downloading pdfs of most textbooks online, or sharing pics of obscure textbooks with classmates, or just buying used online, because otherwise I’d be spending like $500 per semester😀
Jack I hope you see this! Shipping books from the US is dirt cheap! Only rule is that the parcel can ONLY contain books. I always ship books to Europe that way, regular post office.
New York Bookstore Recommendations: 1) McNally Jackson. The staff picks are always on point, they publish their own line line of forgotten classics, and they have a bunch of stuff not available at B&N. There are 4 locations and I love all of them. The Seaport location has a cute little cafe!!! (Although my fav is the Nolita store) (they also have cool speakers and events) 2) Westsider Rare and Used Books. The cutest used bookstore in the city, with a great selection and an entire floor dedication to rare/vintage editions. Excellent vibes and atmosphere. Very dark academia. They also have a cat named Pig who is very friendly. 3) Albertine. For if you’re missing Paris. French bookstore with BEAUTIFUL decor. Other cool bookstores that I like: Argosy, codex, and the housing works bookstore.
Edit to say: KRAVE BEAUTY IS THE BEST. I SWEAR BY THE CLEANSER AND GREAT BARRIER RELIEF. It’s THE best!! Kicking myself for not going to this B&N when I was in NYC last fall!! So excited to see some indie stores featured in future videos :) It was so, so nice of your friend to set up a dinner for you to meet more people in the city 💜
One HUNDRED percent agree with everyone recommending The Strand - it’s the shit. If I may also suggest: Word Books in Greenpoint (snappy and tiny) Books are Magic in BK McNally Jackson (there are a few locations, but SoHo is my fave - pop next door, get some wine 😊 and pour over the books you just got!) I lived in NYC for 11 years, and took myself on Book Crawls all the time :) so excited for you to discover your favorite shops, too, as you stroll around… Maybe a video on that, when you find some?
I Spent hours and hours in the Barnes & Noble at Union Square when I was doing my semester abroad in NY! I studied there all the time because I couldn’t concentrate anywhere else, it was just so hard to walk out without a book when I only came to study 😂 (I absolutely failed that btw, it was a very rare occasion when I actually managed not to buy anything)
Since you’ve been learning French you should check out the Albertine on the UES. They have French and English books and it’s a cool spot. It’s a few blocks south of the Met. Also, not a bookstore, but check out the main library at Bryant park. They have a museum where they do exhibitions. And you can work in the rose reading room if you need a free place to get some stuff done and want to get out of your apartment. They don’t let the tourists in that room so it’s peaceful and it’s really beautiful. And the Morgan library is also amazing (it’s the kind of library we all dream about having lol)
There is a whole load of hidden bookstores around NYC. One of my favorites is hidden in the back of the french embassy. It has books in French and English and is SO pretty. It's located down the street from the MET!
As far as indie bookstore go, Three Lives & Co. is a hidden gem in the West Village! It's super tiny but jam-packed with books and they have a great selection!
I used to live a few blocks from that BN and quite loved Union Square. The head of BN came from Waterstones, so it will feel familiar. BUT The Strand was a way superior store. It is "used" books in a way - many of the books are review copies, so you could find great new titles at steep discounts. How wonderful for you to be able to live in that neighborhood. Another great thing was all the low cost or free arts things such as concerts at church venues. I do miss - but have moved to South Africa, so one adventure to another. I shall vicariously visit my old neighborhood...
Jack, public libraries in the US (especially NYC I bet) are pretty well stocked so I recommend you check those out for books that haven't come out in paperback and are more pricey.
Omg you’re totally right about B&N being large but not having a ton of books. This is the case for almost every single B&N I’ve been to & I literally grew up walking distance to one of the big 3 story B&N stores in LA. One of my favorite indie bookstores, Vroman’s in Pasadena, is a fairly large 2 story bookstore but it’s nowhere near the size of the B&N I grew up next to & it still has at least 2x the amount of book. I always thought that the B&N layout is the standard layout but now you mention it the more packed Vroman’s layout is definitely closer to the layout of most bookstores
I 100% recommend visiting Yu & Me Books! it's the first Asian American woman-owned bookstore in NYC, and the owner, Lucy Yu, is so friendly. plus the name of the bookstore is a fantastic pun, which I feel like you'd appreciate :)
I loved the strand book shop, when I was in New York! They also have the most amazing tote bags, just in case you want some more variety to match your outfits :)
watching you have a field day in barnes & noble for the first time made my day!! I'm a student at Ole Miss/ the University of Mississippi, which is in Oxford, MS (which was the home of William Faulkner and his inspiration for most of his work)! If you're ever thinking about traveling elsewhere in the states I would highly recommend coming here. It is the absolute cutest place, your typical "small" southern downtown with a square, and the famous Square Books store is something you would absolutely LOVE here!
I'm korean and my last trip to nyc was like 5 years ago. but i cannot forget the first time i stepped into Strand bookstore. i bought this gorgeous vintage hardcover of jane eyre and everytime i look at it, i think of strand bookstore. you must go there...
It’s so exciting that you’re on this side of the world! But also, not you coming here as soon as it starts getting cold 😭😭 it’s going to be such a blast being here though, I hope you have an amazing time here!
Sunday Book Shopping Vlog in NYC? Excuse me while I clear my schedule to watch a British nerd go to Barnes & Noble and hopefully be successful in achieving a library.
The great barrier relief product is AMAZING. Also, the packaging is unbelievable. The way that pump is designed means you use every single drop of the product - then everything is recyclable.
Cafe Con Libros (and add on a food stop at Ursula BK!!) in crown heights! Also Greenlight Books in fort greene, Book Thug Nation in Williamsburg, and Community bookstore in Park Slope. Archestratus in greenpoint is really cool but their books are mostly food related.
My first Barnes and Noble visit was in Chicago with some friends and… it's great! Got a book on chocolate history, harvesting, creation of products etc. You'll have your library soon enough I’m sure!
B&N was heaven when I was a child! It was a bit of a different experience then because they used to have these big comfy chairs everywhere. 😍 Have you heard of Powell’s? Portland would certainly be a flight to get to, but so, so worth it!
Glad you liked the Barnes&Noble! Also hope you get a chance to go to the Strand (truly book overload, and every book nerd in the city HAS to get a tote from the Strand). And if you get a chance there's a Shakespeare & Co passed Columbus Circle that's really quiet and cute most days. Hope you get to explore some of the bookshops in the outer boroughs too! Welcome to the city!
i can’t believe you move to nyc the exact time i go back to the uk for uni!! anyway enjoy it, many people have already mentioned some of these, but go-to bookstores in manhattan are the Strand (obvi), then the Albertine in the upper east side (BEAUTIFUL), Mcnally-Jackson is a fav in Nolita, with some other branches in the area with the most beautiful stationary, and the Rizzoli in NoMad (italian bookstore but w great international selection and curation)
also go go go to the New York Public library!!! it’s in bryant park and huge and gorgeous, you can study/work in the Rose Reading room which is beautiful if you can prove you have stuff to study, and there is a fantastic free exhibition called Treasures with all insanely famous original texts and manuscripts of any famous writer/orator/scientist/politician in the world, so so cool
No offense, Jack...but this is the equivalent of going to Dominos for NYC pizza. You also live dangerously close to The Strand (just down a couple of blocks away) where you could have picked up your quintessential tote. Also, the Brookies at Trader Joe's are life-changing. Welcome to the city.
holy fuck. I live in New Zealand and that barnes and Noble actually makes me want to cry. we have like, one good book store, and it's so small, and I'm so SAD
As someone who has shopped at B&N her entire life, it was so fun to see it from the perspective of a first-timer. I hope one of these days I get to visit the UK and have a similar experience at Waterstones.
You should definitely hop around the B&Ns because their selection of buy 1 get 1 50% off books differs by store and doesn't always match the online selection!
bookstore recs I haven't seen much down here: bluestockings (a cooperative that supports the community; tons of zines, theory, and queer lit), sweet pickle books (for used books and pickles!), and yu & me books (focus on uplifting asian voices). there's also two shake & co.s in the city if you're feeling nostalgic (though they have closed the coziest one). have fun in nyc!
Hi Jack! I've been following your channel for about 2 years and you with Uncarley reignited my love of reading with your recommendations and commentary. Funny enough I just got back from a trip to London and I loved the Waterstones on Grower St where I got a few UK books not yet available in the US. I've been to New York too and I must say the Tube is easier to navigate than the New York subway. New York people are tough and intimidating because of the harsh city but they are kind people. Strand on Broadway is a must, it's the American Shakespeare and Co. P.S. I enjoyed Pizza Girl too (althought I wished the main character changed a bit more in the end) but you need to see the US cover, I'm pretty sure it won an award.
The Corner Bookstore in Carnegie Hill was the inspiration for "The shop around the corner" bookstore in "You've got mail." It's fantastic and often has staff who are writers themselves.
“Glory” in hardcover is currently $13.59 on Amazon. Barnes and Noble is the most expensive place to buy books. You would think that such a huge chain would offer at least 10% off the cover price. If you buy from an independent bookstore, you’re at least supporting small businesses.
If you know anyone in the states that may have an active B&N membership. Ask them if you can use it; all you need is their phone number and you can get 10% off each item. And if they have a FREE Educator membership (Pre-K to 12th), they get 20% off books and other select items. Just be aware, some stores may enforce the “Educator Only” policy.
This! I stopped paying for BN membership years ago and got the educator card instead. I do work for a school district though (library media tech) so it qualifies.
Books are magic and the center for fiction are amazing and I also absolutely love Yu & Me which is the only Chinese owned book store (I believe) in NYC. Also please go to our libraries :) they are incredible
Welcome to NY! I love that Barnes and Noble! You’re also in for a treat as you start exploring NYC bookstores. The Strand, Yu and Me, Book Culture…so many. Also explore the NYPL. I use my library card all the time. I actually went to the library today to pick up a book I had on hold, and left with a copy of The Bluest Eye to keep - they were giving away banned books for free!
Also…so the metro card thing. Use the same card or device on their tap to pay system. It charges you per ride, but if you reach the cost of a weekly unlimited pass between Monday and Sunday, the rest of your rides until the following Monday are free. So you can’t do any worse than an unlimited weekly pass, but if you don’t take enough subway trips to equal an unlimited pass, you’re not out the extra money.
They say Barnes & Noble is one of the best book stores out there to exist. Never been there myself, but hopefully I will, if granted the opportunity. I don’t live in the States so that explains why. I’m sure this blog will be interesting.
Your review of Barnes and noble is pretty spot on with my experiences in them as an American. I’ve never been to any of the ones in nyc but I’ve been to a couple on the west coast that are obviously far smaller than this one. Most of the smaller ones seem to be to be basically what you described on the first three floors of this one (huge square footage but not actually that many book). B&N is never my first choice for book stores for this reason, they don’t stock that many options and mostly carry only the big name pop books-which is objectively fine I just tend to borrow those sort of books from my library if I want to read them. Small indie book stores imo are soooo much better for finding off the beaten path, small publisher, out of print, and unique local books-which is what I tend to prefer to actually buy since I could never borrow them from my local library. That being said if I’m ever in nyc I will absolutely go here just to bathe in the utter insanity of a four floor book shop! ♥️💙💚
as a new yorker I'm so excited to see you explore the city! I'm sure you're already planning on it but def hit up mcnally jackson, book culture, and books are magic, and the strand like you said! also there's a super cool used bookstore on the upper west side called westsider books :)
Jack, you’re finally in my city! Now our love story can begin LMAO 😂 I’ve never been to the Strand bc it seems overwhelming but I went to a used book and record store recently called Mercer Street Used Books & Records and they have a cool neon sign in front with somewhat quirky books inside lol
Glad you had a good time at B&N. NYC has a good amount of independent book stores, could even be a fun way to visit different boroughs, my faves are Cafe con Libros and WordUp Community Bookshop
As a born and bred New Yorker, the other bookstores that I would recommend are Kinokuniya (best and largest selection of Japanese literature), the Strand (must get the quintessentially NYC Strand tote bag from there), Westsider Books (resident cat librarian and just a lovely opportunity for bookstore photos with their piles of books in every inch, the wonderful smell of yellowing books etc), Three Lives & Co. (for a cozy west village day) and so many more! Welcome to the circus!
OMG! I'm from NYC and live abroad now but the Union Square B&N was my childhood and also where I went in between classes at Uni (there and the Strand, which you HAVE to visit because it's impeccable). I'm glad i don't live in the states anymore but I do miss New York bookstores with my entire soul. Go to Books are Magic in BK too! Emma Straub owns it with her husband
"30 dollars!" oh jack, in Israel where I'm from all books cost around 30 bucks - usually makes me order them from book depository. Greatly enjoyed this video! much love
I would love if you’d read and review “My story” by Marilyn Monroe herself. I just found out about this book, because someone who reviewed “Blonde” (on Netflix) said they should’ve made the movie based on her own book. I am really tempted to read it and I wanted to know your opinion on it
Definitely check out some of NYC's indie bookstores as well. McNally Jackson, Bluestockings, East Village Books, Unnamable Books (in Brooklyn), Borough of General Services Queer Division, and Cafe con Libros (also in Brooklyn) are some of my favorites. Bluestockings, BGSQD, and Cafe con Libros are all feminist and queer bookstores, and EV and Unnamable have excellent used selections. Unnamable also is home to a lot of great reading series.
I am from Australia and when I went to the US for holidays the first and only Barnes and Noble I went into was in LA, The Grove and it was beautiful! LA had some great bookstores like 'The Last Bookstore' in downtown LA.
