1. Borders
500 First Street #1, in the Davis Commons
2. UC Davis Bookstore
Memorial Union
3. The Avid Reader
617 Second St.
Borders Books in downtown Davis has won the gold for best bookstore – no small accomplishment in a college town full of readers.
“Borders is a combination of a bookstore and a coffee shop,“ said Christy Vice, Borders training and operations supervisor.
Once inside, the aroma from the coffee shop will entice a sleepy student to grab a latte and have a seat on the couches to catch up on some reading.
Borders, which has expanded to 1,100 stores since its 1971 debut in Ann Arbor, Mich., aims to have something for everyone.
Parents can drop of their kids in the children‘s corner and head to the adult fiction. Anime and manga fans can gather to catch up on the latest books and videos. Students who need a refresher on a course they didn‘t do so well in a few quarters ago can buy books ranging from English to the sciences to engineering.
Regulars are welcome to come read, listen and see what Borders has to offer.
One important thing that Borders keeps in mind is the budget of the student, Vice said. There are often bargain books throughout the store as well as coupons through e-mails that club users receive.
The UC Davis bookstore came in second place with its wide selection of textbooks and all the essentials to be a student from electronics, to lab supplies to scrapbooks. Third place goes to The Avid Reader, an independent bookstore that hosts an author event series and readings.
– MINH PHAM
