I’ve already talked about my love for Grassroots, but Reno is also home to another amazing independent bookstore: Sundance Books and Music. I’ve been super lucky enough to have gotten gift certificates here for Christmas for the last few years from my in-laws, and even though I can’t usually bring myself to spend new-book money when there are so many books I want to read that I can snag second-hand, getting to spend time and gift-certificate money here is a treat!
Sundance Books is housed in the Levy Mansion, a huge old Victorian house in Midtown Reno. They take advantage of the unique setup by separating their sections into rooms: the more open downstairs houses new releases/best sellers/Nevada local interest and (thoughtfully for little legs) children’s books, as well as the cash registers. Upstairs, there’s YA, science fiction/fantasy, nonfiction, fiction, sociology…humor is housed in shelves installed along the hallways.
This is an independent bookstore, and prices reflect that: I’ve never seen a markdown from cover price unless it’s a secondhand book, which they have a decent-but-not-huge section of, and which are themselves priced significantly over what most things go for at Grassroots. If you’re in search of a screaming deal, this is not where you’re going to find it. If, however, you’d like to enjoy the ambiance of a gorgeous old home and support a really cool local business, you should definitely stop in at Sundance. They do have a frequent buyer program, where for every $100 you spend in the store, you get $10 of your next purchase of $25 or more. Even if you only stop in a few times a year to grab a few books, it adds up, so it’s totally worth it and there’s no cost to join. So visit and snag that book your friend at work swears will change your life!
