Top Used Bookstores in Las Cruces, NM
Number three on the list is A Book Affair, which is located in a converted boarding house in the Solano district. A minor maze of corridors and rooms stuffed to overflowing with books, the store almost requires a thread trail (a la Theseus) to be sure of extracting yourself. However, a wide variety of books are available, including perhaps the largest Las Cruces selection of romance novels and chick-lit style books. If there is any area that this store is deficient in, it is in science fiction and fantasy. Larger collections of such books are readily available elsewhere, though.
A Book Affair runs an intriguing book credit program that allows individuals with overstuffed libraries to liquidate a portion of their stock. The payments on these books are then placed down as credit, and permit the offering of deep discounts (sometimes as much as 60% off) on existing store stock. As an incentive, there is no restriction placed on the type of book that can be purchased with the program; one does not have to turn in historical fiction to purchase historical fiction, for instance, but may use the aforementioned book credit to purchase non-fiction or reference material as well.
The Basics:
Name: A Book Affair
Location: 1496 S. Solano Dr., Las Cruces, NM
Areas of specialization: Romance, historical fiction
Number two on the list is run from its new home in the best of all places for bibliophiles: the local library. Bookworms is an outreach program of the local Friends of the Library, and acquires most of it stock from library discards. As the space is donated, acquisition costs are low and the store is staffed by the friendly and knowledgeable volunteers of the TBML Friends, prices are correspondingly low and the proceeds directly benefit the library, allowing upgrades to the stacks. A wide variety of books are always available, with larger sales taking place once a month in the library meeting rooms. Of special import to non-fiction readers is the ability of this store to lay hands on almost any biography, no matter how obscure.
Bookworms runs a cash-only basis, and also accepts donations, the value of which can be deducted as a charitable gift (the TBML Friends happens to be a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation). The store is open roughly the same hours as the library itself and is both open and airy, making it easy to find what you are looking for.
The Basics:
Name: Bookworms
Location: 200 E Picacho Ave., Las Cruces, NM
Areas of specialization: Non-fiction, especially biographies
Topping the list, however, is COAS Bookstore, a massive affair that has recently split itself in two to accommodate the backlog of books currently held. The newer store is located on Solano, the older one in the Downtown Mall: both function as venues for the Border Book Festival held annually. Between these two locations, it would be surprising if you could not find any of your interests represented. The Solano store specializes in crafting and how-to books, while the downtown branch (appropriately named “My Bookstore”) holds a wide selection of fiction. Both stores participate in a book credit program similar to the one described under “A Book Affair,” but the credit is categorized, unlike the credit at A Book Affair.
Of special note to aficionados of role-playing and fantasy: My Bookstore stocks a wide variety of books for virtually every system from TSR to Whitewolf to Warhammer 40K. Miniatures are also available, and occasional demos of new or unusual gaming systems occur throughout the year at the Downtown location. The twin stores have nearly half a million books in stock, although only a small portion is on the shelves at any one time.
The Basics:
Name: COAS Books
Location: 1101 S. Solano., Las Cruces, NM
Areas of specialization: How-to books, non-fiction
Name: COAS My Bookstore
Location: 317 N Water St., Las Cruces, NM (Parking Lots #4 and #6)
Areas of specialization: Fiction, role-playing games
