Overheard at Daedalus

Man, just entering bookstore: "Rumor has it that you sell the New York Times here."

Sandy (Daedalus owner): "That is a false rumor. We have 100,000 books, but no New York Times."

Man: "Oh."

Sandy: "You can find the New York Times across the street, at Market St. Market."

Man: "OK, thanks."

Sandy: "We have three floors, and 100,000 books. Much better than the New York Times."

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I respect the New York Times, but you won't find any arguments with what Sandy said here.

They find you when you're not looking

We went to Daedalus this afternoon hoping that its travel section would provide some suggestions for an upcoming trip. I have spent a lot of time in Daedalus, particularly in the basement, where the hardcover fiction is kept.

I recall only being on third floor once, last summer when we were looking for some baby books, and so I had little to no memory of what was on the third floor, where the travel section also resides.

While searching for said section, I came across the poetry room, and knowing full well that there are many of the Riverside Editions that we are collecting that are collected works of poets, the search was on. The travel section would have to wait.

And wouldn't you know it, there was another Riverside, hanging out in the middle of the section. That's No. 19 for us.

Oh, and we haven't found anywhere to go on our trip yet...

Book added: Don Juan, Lord Byron

Publisher:  Riverside Editions, Houghton Mifflin, B40

Year: 1958

Where obtained: Daedalus Bookshop, Charlottesville, Va.

Price: $6.50

Bookseller Review: Daedalus Bookshop

Daedalus Bookshop

123 4th St. NE

Charlottesville, VA

434.293.7595

Daedalus Bookshop has three floors and over 100,000 books. They specialize in fiction, but they have a little bit of everything.

What we like: A huge selection of the kinds of books we are looking for, including the best hardcover fiction section we've encountered, by far. Sandy, the owner, is extremely nice, helpful, and funny. And they're open seven days a week.

What we don't like: Hard not to like everything here. If we had one complaint, it'd be that some of the paperback fiction is alongside the (narrow and winding) staircase to the basement, which makes it difficult to browse through a decent chunk of the alphabetical-by-author offerings.

Would we go again? Absolutely, it's a weekly visit when we are home.