Black Swan Books

Pretty much the best bookstore in all of Kentucky. A must for a real book lover and collector. I found some good obscure Joyceana and the gem of a bookseller was very glad I found a book or two for myself and told me of knew Wendell Berry well and used to know Ken Kesey when he came Lexington.

Black Swan Books is the BEST bookstore around. I have lived in Philadelphia for many years (grew up in Lexington) and a visit home is never complete without stopping by. I took one of our kids with me on this visit and I heard her (quietly) scream with glee when she found a book she had been looking for - she was thrilled. Don't be overwhelmed when you walk in. Take your time. Find a section of interest and start browsing. You'll find something. And a review of Black Swan Books would never be complete without noting Mr. Courtney. Always ready with a great story or just to chat. He is what makes this place so special. He talked to my daughter about her book selections and gave her a little background/history on a few of them. She's a Black Swan Believer now! I have only scratched the service of this little treasure. The longstanding relationship with Wendell Berry is quite unique as well. Please make Black Swan Books one of your stops when you are in Lexington. And if you live in Lexington and have never been... well... all I can say is you're missing. Get over there.

You know those places that catch your eye in town and you say "we should go there" every time you pass it? That's what Black Swan Books was to me. When we walked in, we were greeted with the nostalgic smell of thousands of old books. The place seems small at first but it unravels into a more expansive store as you move towards the back. The man working there was immediately attentive and accommodating. He would occasionally scope out the store to see if people needed help, but respected our space whenever we were entranced by the collection. He was friendly and made a few silly jokes. I got the impression that he really cares about his readers and their books. You can find a lot of older books and we even found some 1st & 2nd printing of some good books. I highly recommend this place. Any reader who wants to pickup some older books would be at home here. Contemporary books are harder to find, but you can find a bit here and there.