Colophon Books

I’ve found this a great place to buy UK science fiction titles that haven’t been published in the US yet. The import titles are a bit pricey, of course, but not as bad as ordering through Amazon UK would be, for things you just don’t want to wait the year or so on for US editions (Alasdair Reynolds, Neal Asher, Adam Roberts, Ken Macleod — stuff like that). Note that they have a mix of (US published) new books, and used/​remaindered titles as well, so despite the store’s small size, it’s a pleasant place to browse as well.
I’m glad they have survived this long in an era when stores like theirs are dropping like flies.

This place feels like Audrey Hepburn’s bookshop in «Funny Face,» except much smaller. Also, the proprietor was left safely undiscovered by melodious fashion photographers.
(She called reading «the best of all the vices.» Isn’t that cute?)
Colophon’s a good spot to score price-​slashed «remainders» — still-​new remnants of overstock, or out-​of-​print stuff. My boyfriend got a new math book for $ 6 (original price: $ 40) and I got «Defining New Yorker Humor» — still in plastic — for $ 8-​something (retail: $ 20).
The proprietor happily boasts the biggest Lord of the Rings collection in Ithaca.
Also, ask about the picture book with alphabetical pictures of the (fictional) dying kids. Or the one about the pornographic couch.
Seriously. You need to come here.