KramerBooks is smaller than Politics and Prose, and has its own unique celebrity endorsement: the Obamas have visited for their personal book-shopping. This was the ultimate browsing trip, because I had a nice long break in my conference schedule on a beautiful, sunny day; plus I had a new album (FKA Twigs) to dive into on my iPod, so it was the perfect opportunity to take a leisurely stroll to Dupont Circle and wander around a bookstore with a good soundtrack. I love bookstores that are organized into overwhelming piles of books on display, and they are so conducive to discovering a treasure you didn't know you wanted. The perfect bookstore provides that kind of discovery while simultaneously employing lots of intelligent people who will help you find what you need.

I really fell in love with the neighborhood its in as well. I was able to get a lobster roll to go and enjoyed lunch in the park. There was plenty of good window shopping, but I ended up spending most of my time and money at KramerBooks because it is...(dramatic pause)...a BOOKSTORE WITH A BAR! You can buy a stack of books and then enjoy a glass of wine. I was particularly lucky to be there on a weekday afternoon when it was pretty empty, and it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

As much as I enjoyed browsing, I had a few books in mind to pick up, and I ended up taking home Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri and Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro -- two books by lovely, talented authors that I have neglected up to this point. Both are authors I set out to read for #ReadWomen2014 so I owe them some of my valuable reading time. That said, I bought them two weeks ago and I'm still very deeply embedded in Outlander, which has quickly derailed all of my well-laid reading plans, so we'll see.