Guest Author - Marilyn Crain

Never planned your vacation around a bookstore? Once you visit this one, you may begin to plan a second trip so you can return to this book lovers’ destination of choice.

For many years, my dream vacation has been to spend at least a week in Half Price Books’ flagship location, or simply The Big Store to its many fans, located at 5803 E. Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX. I’d just camp out and have my food catered from the little café located on site. Maybe then I might, for the first time, be able to browse as long as I wanted to.

This is the kind of place that makes you want to move to Dallas and live as close as possible. At first, I thought this kind of thinking was perhaps a bit over the top, but I’ve since talked to several people who had the same plan.

Half Price Books has grown over the years and now has stores across the country, but the Northwest Highway store has always been my favorite.

First, the selection of books, used and new, is pretty astounding. If you’re looking for recent releases, you won’t always be able to find them. But, that disappointment won’t last long because you just never know what gems may be waiting for you. If you’re interested in cookbooks, this is your spot. You’ll always find a wide-ranging collection of music, videos and magazines. You may want to check out the vintage and rare books.

The children’s area is especially inviting, with lots of chairs and tables offering a place for the little ones to stop and enjoy the treasures they find.

You’ll also enjoy the comfortable seating for grown-ups throughout the store. You can also take advantage of the tables and chairs adjacent to the café; to sit and enjoy a drink while tackling the task of deciding how many of that cart full of books you’ll be able to take home. Yes, they have grocery store style shopping carts that will almost hold all your selections.

Even though this is a huge store, bigger than some small city libraries, it still feels like your hometown used book store. The size is overwhelming to some, but to most happy visitors it just means many more shelves to search. With Black Forest Coffee just a few steps from the stacks, you’ll have every thing you need to enjoy an hour or a day. If the stress of so many books and so little time gets to you, take a few minutes and have a mini-massage.

If you’re on a schedule, please be aware that you need to allow time to pay for your treasures. The line can be long at times. That brings us to one last tip. While you’re waiting to check out, be sure to scan the shelves behind the cashiers, where you will find boxed-sets and really special folio books. This wait may just turn out to be the perfect end to a perfect day.