Brookline Booksmith is one of those great local bookstores that are so hard to find in the age of mega stores. The well-read employees help you find the books you want, offer excellent staff picks, and never pressure those who just want to browse the shelves for hours. For a medium-sized store, they pack in a ton of books, magazines, gadgets and gifts. Break away from the bestseller list in this charming local haunt.
Paper crafts in America have never achieved the kind of popularity they have in other countries, but this store aims to change that notion. Hand-marbled papers with a dizzying display of colors and wavy lines will entrance your eye as will the elaborate Japanese silk-screens. Find an incredible assortment of floral papers made from rose petals, carnations, and daisies. When your creative side strikes, this is the paper to write it down on.
Ritual Arts stocks an eclectic mix of incense, herbs and books on pagan rituals and ceremonial traditions. The distinctive odor of sandalwood incense greets you as you step into the store, followed assuredly by the cat that keeps the guard from evil spirits. The shelves are filled with titles on ceremonial witchcraft, pagan beliefs and other alternative religions. There's even a photocopy machine for emergency copies.