If you want to read, you need to know the

Best places to get books

I enjoy shopping at the so-called independent bookstores whenever I run across one.

For years I have visited Horizon Books in Traverse City, Michigan. I used to go there when it was located at another spot on Front Street, the same time I would visit Little Professor. Little Professor is long gone.

Brilliant Books is also in TC, and is top notch. It's the first book seller I remember selling journals and pens and all those cool writing tools. I'm probably wrong about that, but they have some cool stuff.

McLean & Eakin in Petoskey is all right as well. They have books, puzzle, and even Blackwing pencils. That's pretty cool. McLean & Eakin also has a great section on Hemingway.

If you like the online option for used books, consider Thriftbooks. I use them all too regularly.

I used to call the Goodwill in Traverse City my favorite bookstore, but they have made some changes recently that has caused that to dwindle. The books are moved, it seems like they got rid of a bunch, they raised the prices — and created tiered pricing — and, well, it just isn't as great as it was for the previous 30 years.

Finally, the new favorite for used books in TC is Blue Vase Books, located in the old Ric's building in Interlochen.

Judging from this, I must only look for books up north. There are a couple of good stores downstate in the Detroit area, but the modern book store needs to make a comeback. Malls used to have a Waldenbooks, a Borders, and a Barnes & Noble. Now, they usually don't have even a single bookstore.

Read a book today. That is all.