idlewild books

My sister and her husband are traveling to East Africa to climb Kilimanjaro and explore the safari out there. How amazing is that? So over the weekend we went to a new bookstore called Idlewild Books, close to Union Square. My eyes were opened up to this bright, beautiful space specializing in travel books, international literature, and maps. The fully-shelved walls are organized by country/region {above, you see the very appropriate East Africa section} and then you can thumb through their guidebooks {lonely planet, blue guide, michelin, time out, etc.} as well as a carefully curated collection of literature {fiction and non-fiction} that takes place in that region. So, while you research what sites to check out in Cuba, you can also read about Che Guevara's socialist revolution...or while you look up where to stay in Tokyo, you can also pick up Snow Country, a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata or read traditional Japanese ghost stories...or while you look up where to explore in NYC, you can also do a comparative read on the history of The Five Points by Tyler Anbinder and The Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury. The concept of this store makes so much sense and I love the idea that you can go here anticipating a real travel trip or an imaginary literary one.

Idlewild Books {12 W 19th St. bet 5th and 6th Aves}