Washington D.C. Bookstore Diary

November 7, 2025 | A Tale of Two Bookstores On a crisp autumn afternoon, I made a pilgrimage to the legendary Monsoon Books – reportedly Washington D.C.'s only dedicated Chinese bookstore. What awaited was more than just shelves of books, but a sanctuary of cross-cultural warmth. 🌪️ Monsoon Books The Space: A charming three-level labyrinth where: Ground floor welcomes with international titles and Chinese social sciences First floor unfolds like a literary garden with Chinese fiction and poetry Basement level hides secondhand treasures waiting to be rediscovered The Soul: Staff radiating genuine joy in their work An adorable shop dog (see Fig 4) that greets visitors with tail wags Remarkable feminist collection extending far beyond Beauvoir and Ueno Carefully curated selections that speak to sophisticated editorial vision 📖 Second Story Books The Discovery: While waiting for a delayed bus, I stumbled upon this treasure just behind the stop (Fig 5). The Magic: A young mother gently whispering "no cry in the bookshop" to her child A father quietly hushing his two boys in the picture book section The delightful contradiction of finding Twilight posters alongside signed editions of "Guess How Much I Love You" (Fig 7) – like catching a stern grandfather secretly enjoying candy 💫 Why Bookstores Heal In these spaces, I remembered: The quiet power of physical books to calm anxious minds How strangers become community through shared respect for reading That every shelf holds someone's passion and careful curation #DCBookstores #MonsoonBooks #SecondStoryBooks #ChineseBookstore #LiteraryDC