Midway Books   

1579 University Ave W
St Paul, MN 55104
651-644-7605
www.midwaybook.com/

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The Scoop: The printed page rules here. Lining the walls and crowded together in the middle of the room are hordes of literature and comics: shelf after shelf of used books in every category imaginable, from military history to the occult to biography to kids' books. Literature takes up the entire second floor, hardcovers on one side, paperbacks on the other. Art books, a specialty of the store, are found on the first floor, while the basement houses discounted books. The place is a treasure trove for book hounds and comic-book fanatics. Hardcovers have the price penciled in the flyleaf; paperbacks are half the cover price, $1 minimum.The Scene: From the front entrance, bins of comic books stretch deep into the store. Beyond them, glassed-in cabinets house rare books, including first editions and inscribed copies. The bookstore has a hushed, sleepy quality, like an old library. There are seldom more than a few people browsing through the stacks. You can spend hours absorbed in book browsing without any employee intruding on your privacy.Insider Tips: Looking for a particular title? The store lists its inventory on its Web site, so you can see if the title is available before you go to the store. -- Heather Rose Henderson