Unnameable Books

Yes, the enormous central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is located in Prospect Heights, but sometimes you just want the experience of purchasing a new book, with its fresh-paper smell and spine that crackles upon opening. Enter this narrow bookstore, which moved to its new location on Vanderbilt Avenue from a storefront on Bergen Street in 2009. The shop carries a wide variety of genres—though owner Adam Tobin namechecks its poetry and philosophy sections as being particularly good—and can satisfy any lit craving. “We have a lot of weird books,” Tobin laughs, calling out Robert Walser’s Microscripts ($24.95)—which showcases the Swiss writer’s method of composing text onto tiny sheets of paper—as one title he’s particularly excited about. If you’re on the hunt for bargain tomes, hit up the selection of used books, many of which can be found on carts outside the store for as little as $1.