Whenever I am in Manhattan with a few extra hours, I love to visit The Strand (it's the East Coast version of Powell's for me). It's one of those bookstores that seems to embody what a bookstore should be, especially in the basement: overcrowded, a touch chaotic, and full of perfectly pleasant employees who are happy to help...but you know they'd prefer that everybody left so they could get back to reading. On a recent visit I picked up Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist. I recognized his name from a quote that I found (see below). It's a great example of a bathroom book: perfect for 5-minute reads or as a companion for a bathtub soak. … [Read more...]