Kelmscott Bookshop, 34 W. 25th St., Charles Village
MON.-SAT. 10 A.M.-6 P.M.
Baltimore's oldest used-book store, the Kelmscott, has been at this spot 28 years. It's now owned by Fran Durako.
The hit: She has a copy of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, printed by William Morris at his Kelmscott press, namesake of the bookshop. Bibliophiles might have to mortgage the house for this one.
Drusilla's Books, 817 N. Howard St., Antique Row
TUES.-SAT. NOON-5 P.M.
Drusilla Jones has been selling antiquarian and out-ofprint books for more than 20 years. Children's books are a specialty, but there's room for a vintage Playboy's Host and Bar Book.
The hit: A handdrawn map of Mount Vernon by Richard Q. "Moco" Yardley, a former editorial cartoonist at The Sun. Yours for $250.
Unicorn Book Shop, Route 50, Trappe, Talbot County, Eastern Shore
DAILY 9 A.M.-5 P.M.
About midway between Easton and Cambridge, the Unicorn is a serendipitous rest stop on the way to the ocean. Owner Jim Dawson offers 5-cent paperbacks to rare, signed first editions.
The hit: A Mercator map printed in 1609 of the coast from the Chesapeake down to north Florida. Price: $2,400.
Book Rendezvous, 218 E. Lexington St., downtown
TUES.-FRI. 9:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M. SAT. 10:30 A.M.-5 P.M.
Long a haven for browsers on Calvert Street, Rendezvous is now across the street from City Hall. Bookseller Diana Botteon says the books are wellpriced and none is tattered.
The hit: Collectible Modern Library classics, many with the original dust jackets, and vintage sci-fi paperbacks.
Normals, 425 E. 31st St., Waverly
DAILY 11 A.M.-5 P.M.
The gold standard. "We have really broad scholarly ... stuff," says Rupert Wondolowski, one of four owners. "Everything from classic fiction to philosophy to art books." Plus a great selection of vinyl records.
The hit: The Red Room presents weekly experimental improvised music, usually at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
-- Carl Schoettler, Sun staff
Reader's Pick
Patrick Holmes of Baltimore suggests High Grounds Espresso & Books
"I enjoy browsing their organized collection of books. They have something for nearly everyone's taste. And the coffee, danish and sandwiches aren't bad, either." High Grounds is at 3201 Eastern Ave.