A Better Big Apple: Top Bookshops in Kansas City
September 23, 2015
Welcome back to A Better Big Apple. Every day, fall approaches closer and closer. The leaves will begin turning colors and, in a couple of weeks, we’ll be able to wear sweaters and cardigans and hot coffee will make its popular return.
Along with all of these amazing happenings that make fall my favorite season, it’s also, along with winter, considered to be book season. One of my favorite things to do in the fall — besides watch football and cruise with the windows rolled down while blaring my music— is read. If you’re an avid reader like me, here are a few of the best bookshops in Kansas City to expand your collection. If you’re not a big reader, these places prove to be an interesting place to explore.
Prospero’s Books
Prospero’s Books off of 39th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.
The main floor of Prospero’s Books.
Ah, Prospero’s. As one of my absolute favorite places in Kansas City, it certainly hold a place near and dear to my heart. Located off the beloved 39th Street in, Kansas City, Missouri, this three-story shop is filled to the brim with literature, complete with a wall dedicated to DVDs and CDs, as well as a large section of the top floor devoted to vinyl records. Mismatched chairs ranging from lawn chairs to ones you would find at a dining room table are scattered throughout the shop, and customers are encouraged to snuggle up in them with a book.
Its warm and inviting environment makes it easy to get lost in the mountains of books. Prospero’s is for the instances where you want to stumble upon a good read, not if you want to find a specific book — even though the staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The holy grail of bookshops, as I like to call it, is a must-visit for any Kansas Citian.
Clint’s Comic’s
Clint’s Comics off of Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri.
If Prospero’s is the holy grail of all bookshops, that makes Clint’s Comics the holy grail of comic-specific shops. This past Saturday was the first time I ever visited the 48-year-old shop, even though it’s right off Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The shop’s comic’s include mainly D.C. and Marvel comics, with an independent section and a section devoted to old-school comics that are, for the most part, $20 and over.
The inside of Clint’s Comics.
As one of the more unique shops I’ve ever been to, Clint’s Comic’s struck me as a happy place for superhero enthusiasts, the young or young at heart and old souls like yours truly. I will definitely be back with my youngest brother in tow, and I suggest you check it out as well.
Rainy Day Books
Rainy Day Books off of Shawnee Mission Parkway.
I came back to Rainy Day Books for this blog for what seems like the hundredth time. While Rainy Day Books isn’t as quirky as the two prior shops, it’s definitely a place to keep in mind and visit on occasion. If Prospero’s is the place to go if you want to discover a great read, then Rainy Day Books is the place for missions to find a specific work. The staff is super friendly and organized, and can inform you on the location of any book in the shop.
The inside of Rainy Day Books.
What makes Rainy Day Books unique is that is hosts and runs literary events, such as book discussions and signings, as well as book clubs. Authors such as Stephen King, David McCullough, Sue Monk Kidd, Nick Offerman and the author of one of my favorite books, “The Glass Castle,” Jeanette Walls have visited and signed some of their most famous works through Rainy Day Books. Overall, Rainy Day Books is an excellent shop to go to if you’re in need of a book for classes, or leisure, as well as an excellent business to support.
Well there you have it. The top bookshops in Kansas City. Exploring these places already seemed to relax me after a fun and sleepless week, and I suggest everyone go and check them out for themselves. One of these days, when the weather gets cooler, venture out to any of these shops to grab a good book, sit back, relax and read.
Senior Elizabeth Fleming loves and supports all things Kansas City — from the barbecue to the sports teams to the small businesses that make it the best city in the world. She spends her weekends exploring her home city and discovering the best of Kansas City.
Ethan Fleming • Sep 25, 2015 at 2:10 pm
I LOVE THE COMICS THE STORE HAS YET IT STILL LOOKS VINTAGE IT WAS PROBALY MADE THE PAST 5 YRS. ACCORDING TO THE BARCODE AREA.