Last weekend, my boyfriend and I packed up my tiny Kia Forte for a short getaway to Buffalo, NY, one of our favorite cities.
Something that you guys may not know about me is that I am a pretty huge hockey fan. Despite living smack dab in the middle of Islanders, Bruins, and Rangers territory, I am a huge Montreal Canadiens fan, thanks to my boyfriend. Buffalo is a really great hockey town, and it was the reason for our first trip there a few years ago: the NHL draft was being hosted there, and we quickly fell in love with the city.
After stopping by Toronto to visit some friends (who have a gorgeous bookshelf and a bunch of plants all over their house, but you are going to have to take my word for that because I didn’t want to be the weirdo taking pictures of their home), we made it to Buffalo in time to indulge in some fantastic hockey: the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) was in the midst of their playoffs. Their city’s team, the Buffalo Beauts, have a huge amount of support and are a massively successful team, having made it to the championship finals in all four years of the league’s existence. It was a thrilling game, and the Buffalo fans made it all the better. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I got a little emotional seeing a women’s league being so heavily supported. :’)
We had amazing seats to boot. If you’re in the area, please do go support the Beauts and other hockey teams in Buffalo. There’s an incredible energy when it comes to sports in this city!
Anyway, back to bookish things. On Sunday, we had a lot of time on our hands to explore the city–my boyfriend had surprised me with tickets to Hozier that night, which was the reason for our trip, but we had until 8:00 to meander around the city.
Of course, I was on the hunt for a bookstore, even though my shelves are as full as they possibly can be.
I came across a little indie bookstore called Westside Stories, and I am so incredibly glad that we decided to go there, because it is a very special little place.
Filled to the brim with used books of all kinds, Westside Stories is a cozy space with a definite community focus. I was amazed at the mix of vintage editions and newer titles, with a few ARCs sprinkled in. I found a truly gorgeous copy of Paradise Lost by John Milton that I couldn’t pass up, along with the ARC of Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, a title I’ve been wanting to pick up for a long time.
Westside Stories also carries totes, tee shirts, and other adorable bookish gifts like pins, bookmarks, and postcards, many of them from Out of Print. They also had their own merchandise, which I could not pass up: a gorgeous tee shirt featuring an illustration of their storefront.
Joe, one of the owners of the store, he helped us out and chatted with us about the store and the area. He clearly has a lot of passion for his store and it shows–he was incredibly friendly and had recommendations for other customers, even going as far as to recommend another bookstore down the street when a customer couldn’t find a book they were looking for. We chatted about Westside Stories’ “Blind Date with a Book,” something they began featuring one Valentine’s Day, but was so popular that they kept it as a tradition in the store: they have wrapped books at the counter with a list of basic topics and themes that the book is about. They’re nice enough to offer that if you have the book already, you can return it after opening.
I picked up a book with this description:
- 1800s England
- Social justice
- Romance
Eagerly waiting to see what book lay inside, I unwrapped it in my car to find that it was Emma by Jane Austen, a classic I haven’t read before and am excited to dive into soon!
If you’re in the Buffalo area, please visit Westside Stories. It’s a wonderful place run by wonderful people.
I also picked up some nerdy, bookish merchandise from BoxLunch Gifts, a store in the Walden Galleria (with other stores across the US) specializing in fandoms of all kinds that donates a meal for those in need for every $10 spent.
I, like many people, am eagerly awaiting the newest season of Game of Thrones. When I found this House Stark dad hat, I knew I had to get it.
The sigil is embroidered! How could I not?!
After grabbing a beautiful plate of wings (Buffalo’s specialty) at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery that I ate too quickly to get a proper picture of, we headed to Shea’s Performing Arts Center for the Hozier concert!
Shea’s is a newly-restored theater with an absolutely stunning interior: nineteenth century designed ceilings; intricate lattice designs; and patterned, lush carpets make up the interior of this theater. I feel like Hozier’s music, already ambient and otherworldly at times, fit right in at this place, filling the cavernous ceiling.
Hozier’s newest album, Wasteland, Baby! is an ode to love and perseverance during a time that feels like the end of the world. It’s as soulful and crushing as it is electric and bouncing, and this tour only enhances its magic.
And I only cried, like, twice. It’s fine.
The opener for this tour, Jade Bird, completely blew me away. She’s a spitfire of a vocalist with an incredible range and plucky songs about heartache. Her new album is coming out in the middle of April, and she’s worth a listen. Her set earned her a well-deserved standing ovation in the first show of the tour, and she has kept receiving them as the tour has continued. If you’re a fan of artists like The Civil Wars, Joy Williams, Brandi Carlisle, and Julien Baker, please check her out!
Now for the full haul from our trip:
I had, as you all can imagine, a pretty large haul from this trip. Buffalo is a city that keeps inspiring me to come back to it, and one that my boyfriend and I truly have grown to love. We will definitely be coming back to our favorite corner of upstate NY soon.
Bookish Kristen 