Rediscovered Books

As any bibliophile knows, a good bookstore is more than the sum of its shelves. Of course, Rediscovered Bookstore in the heart of downtown Boise on Eighth Street carries a voluminous collection of volumes but it's also a community gathering place where signings, readings and celebrations are de rigueur. As a hub for local book clubs and host to regular sales, Rediscovered is worth rediscovering over and over and over again. rdbooks.org

2nd Place: Rainbow Books—There are only seven varieties of color in a rainbow, but the variety of titles at Rainbow Books is positively kaleidoscopic. Specializing in used books (and open to trades), the shop has offered its wares in a quaint little white-and-blue house next to DK Donuts on State Street since 1993. rainbowbooksidaho.com

3rd Place: Trip Taylor Bookseller—The quintessential used-book store might look a little like Trip Taylor Bookseller: floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with spines, bits of vintage marginalia for decor and a cozy sense that you could browse for hours in hushed solitude. Set in a narrow, two-story space on Ninth Street in downtown Boise, Trip Taylor nails the ambience and selection of a true big-city haven for lit lovers. facebook.com/Trip-Taylor-Bookseller