Half Price Books

Out of the several locations in Austin, this Half Price Books is understandably the most artsy and intellectual, given its location just off The Drag and a stone's throw from the University of Texas. A bargain-hunter and book-lover's paradise, the store is arranged into sub-shops, each devoted to a category of books. This isn't the place to find the most up-to-the-minute best-seller or the latest entry in Oprah's Book Club, but it is the spot for an out-of-print, hardbound copy of "The Catcher in the Rye", at half off the cover price. CDs, cassettes and other forms of music, even a huge collection of LPs, can be found in another room. Sit on the floor with a book or search the racks of albums for the one that got warped in high school. Loitering is encouraged. The staff is uniformly well-read and helpful, and they will search the store computer for a specific title upon request.