Book Culture

Profile

Despite its proximity to Columbia University, Book Culture (formerly called Labyrinth) is much more than a student bookstore. True, textbooks are the specialty�the shop handles orders from nearly half the school’s faculty�but there are also plenty of mainstream reads, too. Downstairs is a generous selection of magazines and journals, ranging from the major newsweeklies to the hard-to-find arts journal Esopus, along with new hardcovers and some comfy chairs. The upper floor�best avoided around the time classes are starting up, when it’s packed with boxes and students�is lined with tomes on everything from travel to cooking, in addition to a respectable children’s section. Scholarly authors regularly come in to do readings and signings. The store also buys all kinds of used books Mondays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Stephen Berg

Spring and winter sales: about 20 percent off remainders, bargain books, and new releases.