A jaunt down East Ave. will display all sorts of shops – a museum, a deli, a few restaurants, coffee shops and best of all, Greenwood New and Used Books. Immediately after entering this quaint book haven, you are surrounded by wall-to-wall books. Stacks of books rise from the floor and coffee tables.
I discovered this small store a year ago while strolling from Spot Caf to the Eastman stop for Bus 72. I quickly entered the shop,in hopes of escaping the frigid weather and was excited to find such a large variety of used books.
The walls and shelves each have a small tag to help determine whether the books are ancient history, gardening, religion, fiction or children’s.
I have found that the most enjoyable books are those in the children’s section. The shelves form a small nook and a chair has been placed amongst them, providing the ideal place to curl up and test a potential purchase.
Continuing along the walls is a large variety of books on World War II, the Civil War, war strategy, ships and boats – the list continues. For the eager reader, this book boutique is ecstasy.
My most recent visit led me to a shelf full of feminist works. Near this shelf are the cookbooks and one in particular caught my eye – “The Art of French Culinary.” My next find was the ancient history section in which the “Cambridge Anthology of Roman History” was hidden.
Moving along, I found the mystery section and the adjoining wall held a shelf, floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall, of fiction novels.
After perusing through the store, I spoke briefly with the attendant at the counter. This attendant, I soon discovered, was the owner, Franlee Frank. She explained to me that the store, while it may be called a “new and used” bookstore, is primarily for used books. Nevertheless, she does special order new books when customers request.
Greenwood, she explained, has been sitting on East Ave. for the last eight years. She purchases books, yet is very picky about which books she will take.
She spoke proudly about her relationship with the customer and understanding what they will like, therefore selecting books accordingly.
Whether stopping in to hide from biting Rochester winds or to procrastinate from midterm studies, Greenwood Books is the perfect location to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. With the extensive range of topics and vast variety of texts, every customer of this quaint establishment is guaranteed to find something enjoyable. For those who know that books are not just for the classroom, Greenwood New and Used Books is the ideal stop.
Ricketts can be reached at aricketts@campustimes.org.
