What: Get Lost Books
Where: 8 S Ninth Street

For a book lover, a bookstore can be either heaven or hell. It is heaven because of the vast number of books offered at a store, be it new or old. The genre doesn’t matter, as long there are books and plenty of them. A bookstore can be hellish because, again, there are so many books it’s so difficult to make a decision on which ones to buy. The historical biography about Henry VIII? The comedic book about Chelsea Lately’s latest adventures in her wild escapades of parties and sex? Or what about the guilty pleasure Doctor Who science fiction novels that you would never admit to anyone that you read? Then you must walk up to the front of the shop, your arms loaded down with books, and you’re just dreading the total amount at the end of the transaction. I am guilty as charged. I am a book nerd.

Since I am said book nerd, I took it upon myself to find the best independent bookstore in Columbia. I trudged through every independent bookstore I could find in Columbia: Adam’s Walls of Books, Columbia Books, The Peace Nook, Trade-A-Book and Village Books.

Adam’s Walls of Books, located at 214 N 8th Street, is a small hole-in-the-wall with a sign professing from Adam himself that he is “the king of clutter.” The store is only open for a few hours on Saturdays. Walking around Adam’s books lives up to the sign outside – cluttered and proud of it. There is wide variety of used books, but the prices were high for my tastes. Columbia Books came in a close second as the best bookstore. They specialize in rare books and everything is neat, in an obsessive-compulsive way. The staff is very friendly and their first priority is customer service.

Trade-A-Book is the place for anything and everything related to the romance novel genre. It has the largest used romantic book collection I have ever seen. There are at least three rows running the entire length of the store dedicated to romance – Desperate Housewives-like books. Trade-A-Book’s policy is to let patrons bring in their gently used books to trade for one in the store. But the overwhelming collection of romance with titles like The Millionaire’s Baby and the Italian Gentleman was too much for me to handle.

I even spent two hours trying to find Acorn Books, which had moved from downtown Columbia to Anderson Avenue, only to find a residential home that looked occupied, but certainly not a bookstore. After further research and asking around, the store closed two years ago, for those who are interested.

The last bookstore I visited was definitely worth the wait. I found the Mecca of new and used books in Columbia – Get Lost Books.

Located on South Ninth Street, Get Lost Books is a newer addition to the downtown Columbia atmosphere. The store is framed by a large window neatly filled with books and magazines. Get Lost Books beckons pedestrians on the street to walk in and browse. Upon entry, the shop is very small, but very organized. Bookcases of all sizes frame the interior of the store, and homemade signs point out which genre of books each bookcase holds. Get Lost Books has a wide variety of new and used books, and a very impressive selection of poetry, anything from Keats to Whitman. The store also has large selection of magazines to purchase such as The New Yorker. The only type of books it seems to lack is romance novels (what a shame).

There is a small love seat towards the front of the shop where browsers can sit and read. The bookstore has a very homey feel, small, but comfortable. I didn’t feel pressured to buy anything, and didn’t get strange whiffs of smells that are displeasing to one’s nose, unlike some of the other bookstores I visited. It often becomes very crowded because the space is very limited, so be wary. The prices are adequate for whichever type of book you’re looking for. If you’re not sure of the title, author or genre, just ask the knowledgeable staff.

As for Get Lost Books, it’s a bookworm’s paradise.