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| - After going to the West Side Market the other day I ventured into Horizontal Books (I believe, from searching for this store online, that there was once another bookstore in its place called, weirdly, "Bookstore on West 25th").
I hadn't visited before, mainly because the inside--in full view from the outside via floor-to-ceiling windows--looked a bit depressed, with no flair whatsoever. The makeshift, plywood bookshelves are unattractive and, unfortunately, give off an unpleasant, "home improvement" odor.
However, I quickly learned the appeal of this place, which is that they offer a progressive discount: 50% off one book, 60% off two, 70% off three, etc. So, duh, I bought three books. What, you ask? A Jewish Cookbook - originally $35, a musicology text, still in plastic shrink wrap, that was undoubtedly leftover from a college course, and a book detailing the history of Tiger Stadium (for my husband). The total? $25!! Score!
The guys here are nice, and it really is a pretty good store. They do also have a (limited) selection of books on CD. Plus, all the genres are clearly marked on cute chalkboards that introduce each aisle.
Basically, if you're in the mood to browse, and if you love the used bookstore appeal, it's a great find. You'll walk out with books you didn't know you wanted. But if you're looking for something specific, better hit up Borders.
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