BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS

1315 N. Milwaukee St., Boise, 375-4454

www.barnesandnoble.com

There aren’t many places in the Treasure Valley where you can sit down for a cup of coffee with John Steinbeck, Miley Cyrus, Michael Corleone, Cosmo Kramer and Maya Angelou.

Barnes and Noble is one.

Books, magazines, movies, TV shows, music and other media are available for nearly every interest, all situated around a coffee shop with food and drinks.

The store also hosts discussions with authors and artists, book clubs, game nights and children’s readings, so it is much more than a collection of books. The social aspect gives customers a place to meet friends while maintaining the choice of diving nose-first into a story.

Whether you have a specific title in mind or you’re just looking for something that catches the eye, it’s easy to lose track of time wandering the aisles, inspecting the inside of book jackets, listening to music samples, reading a chapter or judging books by their covers. When it is finally time to leave, usually with a padded wish list, the same vow will pop into numerous heads: “I really need to read more.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Rediscovered Bookshop, 180 N. 8th St., Boise, 376-4229, www.rdbooks.org

• Hastings, multiple locations, www.gohastings.com

• Hyde Park Book Store, 1507 N. 13th St., Boise, 429-8220, www.hydeparkbookstore.com

• Deseret Book, 7147 W. Overland Road, Boise,322-1855; 1180 N. Eagle Road, Meridian, 895-8668, deseretbook.com