We all know there’s no shortage of online reading material and companies that will ship just about any book straight to your doorstep, but there’s something magical about finding something rare, unique or just plain weird in a hole-in-the-wall bookstore, and you better believe we have them. The experience is twice as gratifying if you discover unique environments to meet and engage with quirky bookworms in a delightfully diverse destination such as Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta. Since you might already be exploring the area along the river, at least pop your head into Bookworks (4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW) or Books on the Bosque (6261 Riverside Plaza Ln. NW) where they’ll be having an Author Event during Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 4 with local writers at noon and “touring” author Lorena Hughes at 3 p.m. promoting her newest endeavor The Night We Became Strangers. Albuquerque’s got really cool stores with hidden treasures spread all across town including Quirky Books (120 Jefferson St. NE) in the artsy Nob Hill area and Don’s Paperback Book Exchange (1013 San Mateo Blvd. SE) in the city’s diverse International District. Don’s could be considered The Paper.’s “staff favorite” because of their selection of used sci-fi and fantasy, their huge warehouse of comics and convenient access to the Weed & Read cannabis dispensary next door (which they also own). Their staff is known around town for their kindness as well – it’s a family biz that’s been around since the early ’70s. This might be a spot to bring the kiddos if they’re into superheroes – on select weekends they are liquidating their awesome comic collection for as little as $1 a pop, and they are quite passionate about getting young folks into reading and collecting.
