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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Print Media, Newspapers & Magazines, Bookstores [Edit]
15 S Dubuque Street
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Nicely curated selection of books, especially literature. I've found the cookbook section a little lacking. Staff is extremely nice and knowledgeable, and it is so much more of an experience than going to a Barnes & Noble or Borders.
Great selection and easily browseable.
Outstanding. As many have written, one of the best bookstores in the country. The buyers are excellent and, unlike so many bookstores, they understand their books. It irks me when I go to a bookstore and find a Derrida book in the occult section (this happened once in Houston), and this will never happen at Prairie Lights. The emphasis here is on academic books.
One of our nation's great bookstores - up there with City Lights, Shakespeare & Co., Howard's, Cody's, Changing Hands, Seminary, etc. The coffee shop upstairs, with a whole wall of literary journals, is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon catching up in the state of the written word these days. Just make sure you buy more than a cup of java! (I walked in with the idea of having a latte and walked out with a lovely, heavy bag o' books...)
If, like one of the reviewers below, you go to a bookstore in search of warm retail relationships with store clerks, then this is perhaps not the best fit for you (though I found the staff perfectly pleasant). But if you are interested in books, this is one great place. I would consider driving from Chicago (4 hrs) just to spend an afternoon in this place.
If you love books ~ you will love Pairie Lights for SURE! How can I be so sure? You will have to check it out for yourself. Their book readings are such a comfy gathering of community and friendly Iowans. Never do I get through one without making some new friends and "six degrees of separation" buddies. All the "where are you froms" never get old.
Way to keep bringing the community together and wonderful writers coming back for more P.L!!! May 2009 bring success beyond Prairie's most vivid dreams. New owners and unavoidable changes are all the more reason to embrace this special place and visit again and again. Everbody loves you and your mini Java House toooooooo!
And of course, if I'm reviewing the University of Iowa, I CAN'T skip Prairie Lights! Acclaimed authors will always make this place a "must" stop for their readings (and to sign some copies, YAY!) Most of them are featured in the bookstore's radio show (Live from Prairie Lights on WSUI) which is hosted on site.
The first time I entered this not-too-large bookstore, to my surprise I found it had a huge, fantastic selection of books, magazines, stationery and rarities that altogether make Prairie Lights the best book store in Iowa. It also has a smaller branch of the big star Java House coffee shop in the upper level, where you can sit to sip a mocha, read any of the periodicals available in the surrounding bookshelves, or simply to write things like this one I brought for one of my classes:
"Iowa City, July 17th, 2005
I am thinking about how much I wanted the plane to land in an Iowan farm's backyard. I squashed my nose against the window to follow the sequence of the green checkered land. The corn plant leaves seemed to be waving at me, rocked by the same strong wind that shuddered the aircraft like a cocktail shaker. I felt welcome ever since.
People walk barefoot on the streets of Iowa City and their feet stay clean. The heath invites human scents to play around. My vanilla fragrance vanishes in the flesh's moist feast of colors and aromas. Sweat drops walk through my body refreshing it. I smell weird and I feel damp but light.
I walk all my summer miles on the streets of Iowa City. Most of the restaurants are the resident's beloved children, not the usual clones. The food isn't cheap, but it's great. Around their patios, kids with curly, blue coifs and large, faded-black clothes wander. Some are attached to an old, lackluster musical instrument, some to a mixed-breed, noble-eyed dog. I read a banner made out of cardboard that gives its owner the title of "broken hitchhiker stuck in Iowa." I stare at him. He greets me with a "Ma'am, spare some change? I need a beer." I smile and nod. Today, I'm penniless in Iowa City.
Why? I left all my money at the Prairie Lights bookstore. They also kept my mind. I can stop thinking about its paper inhabitants, all the books they carry that I'd like to bring home.
I stop and sit. A talking preacher walks through downtown Iowa City with a troop of young women dressed in flowered cotton. A man sleeps his afternoon nap on the hard bench next to me. The words "are you ready to face God" fly towards me. "I'm not"--I think. And I'm not ready to leave this town either.
While seating I write down memories from people I'm taking with me from Iowa City. I met the most gorgeous eyebrows I've ever seen in my life here. They're beyond being a mere physical feature. I met a poet that grills cheese sandwiches at the Ped-Mall. I scared him with my camera and a copy of "The Love in the Times of Cholera." I met Willie at a coffee shop. He smells like a never ending cigarette while amorously piles up stacks of black-and-white score sheets in order. I met Ian one midnight. He converses with me to help me banish the devilish insomnia the Mayflower and writing are giving me. I met Sam in a workshop. He told me I was writing bonito but targeting the 5% of the US population of readers.
So I'll end up saying my heart pounds to the rhythm of Iowa City.
I don't want to leave."
Yelpers interested in channeling those wonderful writing skills, think about Iowa City, Prairie Lights and the Summer Writing Festival.
I would almost move to Iowa City for Prairie Lights Books alone. I spent 2 hours in there last week and everywhere I turned I found another section chock full of fantastic books, well-organized and magically perfect for browsing.
This is my main complaint with most major chain book stores--browsing is so damn hard. There's just too much to look at and so much is crap. In Prairie Lights the small space is actually very accommodating to browsing, and some displays have description blurbs that are actually helpful in determining which books might be of interest. But really, it's not just that they have diverse selection, they really have a diverse selection of GOOD books. If I were filthy rich I'd have them send me one of everything.
The staff does have Books Are Serious Business faces on for the most part, but the chick at the checkout counter was sweet as pie. A+.
This place is a classic. I love to go and wander around, just to see what I can find on the shelves. I catch readings there when I can and they are always excellent. The best place to curl up is the window seat tucked away near the Java House upstairs.
This is a REALLY great independent bookstore and is on par with the old Cody's (RIP), Keplar's, and maybe even City Lights in the SF Bay Area. I like the "nooks and crannies" of this place which encourages you to browse and just settle in for a few hours. The selection is excellent and staff are knowledgable and friendly. Good people watching too.
So seriously one of the best bookstores I've ever been to in my life. For a split second I actually considered moving to Iowa City, in part because of Prairie Lights. Thank God I didn't.
With frequent visits from authors, a radio show on WSUI hosted there (Live From Prairie Lights), and the world-class University of Iowa Writer's Workshop just down the street it's probably the best book store in Iowa. A wide selection of everything you could ever imagine and an exceptionally helpful staff also help Prairie Lights garner high marks from everyone who visits it. They always took good care of me.
No doubt, Prairie Lights is a major part of the Iowa City experience. They've got an interesting selection and major authors love to frequent the joint. But, to be honest, I'm not impressed. Could the staff possibly be more snooty? I've never gotten a smile out of a single staff member there. Ever. I've tried. Most of them won't even look me in the eye. I'm sorry, but I'd rather buy my books at Barnes & Noble. Skip it.
The story is, Prairie Lights is named after City Lights (on Columbus Street) in San Francisco. Most of the time, when a store or business names itself after another, more famous store or business, you should avoid it all costs. Prairie Lights is one of those rare exceptions. It, is without a doubt, Iowa City's finest bookstore, probably Iowa's finest bookstore. It's selection is diverse, writers passing through the area are constantly giving readings there (a great culture boost for the area), it's second floor coffee shop has a large selection of art magazines, and it's probably the only place in town where you can find the Onion (even if it is a week late and you have to pay for it). A great bookstore and definitely worthy of the Suffix "Lights".
great atmosphere,great book selection
Iowa City, IA
Category: Colleges & Universities
Iowa City, IA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Iowa City, IA
Category: Bakeries
Iowa City, IA
Category: Restaurants
Iowa City, IA
Category: American (Traditional)
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