Books

More way to celebrate books at airports

Books, , , ,

More airport book options

We celebrated National Book Lovers Day over the weekend with mention of some airport book stores we love and will miss.

We’re not done celebrating the creative ways airports help travelers find books.

In Houston, there are Little Libraries, the kind you may see around your neighborhood, filled with free books at both William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

At IAH, you’ll find Little Libraries in Terminal A, near Gate A3 and in Terminal D, near Gate D9. In HOU, find the Little Libraries near Gates 44, 4 and 23.

You’ll also find a fun Little Library-style book swap at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

PHL’s book exchange box and the seating area in Terminal A are made of reclaimed wooden pallets. The books are “take one, leave one” and come from passengers and from airlines that donate books left onboard airplanes.

Do you have a favorite airport bookstore or book exchange? Share you tips in the comments section below.

National Book Lovers Day

Books, , , , ,
Nashville once had a supermarket library branch

Book lovers everywhere celebrate National Book Lovers Day on August 9.

Traveling and books go together. And one element of travel we’re missing is the pleasure of buying a book at the airport and reading it cover to cover on a long flight.

Although some may be closed temporarily due to health concerns, there are full-fledged bookstores we seek out at airports.

Sometimes we make sure to arrive early or book long layovers to make sure we have time to browse.

We’re fond of the great reads discovered in San Francisco International Airport at Compass Books and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at the still-new branch of the Elliot Bay Book Company.

And we hoping for a return visit to Renaissance Books at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport (MKE), among others.

But, sadly, some airport bookstores may not reopen after the pandemic.

Already Powell’s Books is permanently shuttering both its kiosk and bookstore at Portland International Airport (PDX) after a 30-year run.

But we’re confident travelers will still be able to find something great to read in airport bookshops for flights in the future.

So, to mark National Book Lovers Day today, we’re imagining a visit to Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the days when it was home to both a library and a reading room.

Do you have a favorite airport bookstore or book swap? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Powell’s Books out at PDX Airport

Books, , ,

Here’s yet another reason to curse COVID-19.

Powell’s Books has permanently closed both the store and the kiosk it operates at Portland International Airport.

Book lovers know Portland’s Powell’s Book as the iconic store that has been selling new and used books since 1971.

The company’s flagship location, Powell’s City of Books, in downtown Portland is a block long and boasts more than a million books. The store hosts hundreds of author readings and appearances each year.

The Powell’s Books branch at PDX is a rarity in airport book shops in that it carries new and used books and has been operating for 30 years.

Besides the joy of having a real bookstore at the airport, many travelers loved being able to order a book and pick it up at the airport on their way out of town. Or when they landed.

Better yet, the airport branch of Powell’s Book was located pre-security, with lot of other shops that draw locals as well.

Since Covid-19 blew in, Powell’s has shuttered all its locations, but is still offering shipping and pick-up. Powell’s plans to reopen its downtown flagship store and, perhaps, its other branches in town. But the company has decided that will not reopen its airport shop or the concourse kiosk.

“The privilege of welcoming book lovers to Portland, and sending Portlanders off on their travels with a good book in hand, has been a true gift, Emily Powell, CEO of Powell’s Books, said in a statement, “It’s hard for me to imagine our future without the airport, and without the airport’s seasoned team of booksellers.”

Shops closing at other airports too

Losing Powell’s Books at PDX is a heart breaker. But, sadly, it is not the only popular airport shop – or restaurant – that PDX and many other airports around the country are losing.

As passenger numbers stay in the dumps, many airport concessions can barely afford to stay open or reopen.

Post-pandemic, we’re sure to see a great many shuttered airport shops.

What we’re reading

Books,

On the road or off, it’s good to have a book or two handy.

In addition to book stores, some airports have free book swap stations.

This one we spotted in the airport in Walla Walla, Washington is pretty basic.

This one in the Helsinki Airport is more elaborate.

Need some suggestions on what to read? Here are some travel-related books that have recently arrived in the Stuck At The Airport mailbox.

Atlas Obscura: 2nd edition: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders is out and is full of even more odd, entertaining and must-see spots around the world.

There’s an Atlas Obscura page-a-day calendar and an Atlas Obscura wall calendar out for 2020 as well.

For anyone interested in Roman mythology or who may be traveling to Rome, David Stuttard’s book Roman Mythology – A Traveler’s Guide from Troy to Tivoli may come in handy.

And if you’ve ever been to Massachusetts or New England, you’ll likely recognize the names of just about all of the 25 Pioneer Valley towns that serve as settings for the stories in A Book of Fields – Tales from the Pioneer Valley , by my friend, Stephen Billias.

Greenfield, Deerfield, Springfield, Westfield, Sheffield and Pittsfield are all in here.

Plus one imaginary town and, says Billias, one field that is not a town at all.

What travel-related books are you reading?

(All the links here will take you to Amazon, but if you can, buy these books from your local bookseller.)