Although I may be partial, book stores are actually the best. They are a great place to go on dates, to go on a leisurely Sunday, or to go literally any time you want to de-stress and get out of the GW bubble. Here are my top five recommendations for book stores you must visit this fall.

1. Carpe Librum

Location: 1030 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Hours: Monday-Friday 10:30-7:30 and Saturday and Sunday 11:30-6:00

Once a pop-up store, Carpe Librum is now an amazing little bookstore near Farragut Square. Because it is in a great location, you can stop by Carpe Librum while shopping downtown and find some great deals. One of my favorite parts about it is that all the books are between $1-4 and you can even donate your old books to a great cause!

2. Kramer Books

Location: 1517 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 7:30am-1:00am and Friday and Saturday 7:30am-3:00am

Located in DuPont Circle, Kramer Books is an amazing book store to go to at almost any time of the day. Because it also has a cafe which stays open until 3am, it is a great place to spend a Friday or Saturday night. They also host great events and have a book club!

3. Bridge Street Books

Location: 2814 Pennsylvania ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:00-9:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00-10:00 and Sunday 12:00-6:00

Bridge Street books is an excellent bookstore to stop by if you are doing some shopping in Georgetown. They have a great selection of classics and poetry books, and it is a great place to get lost in. Maybe even grab a book and head to the Georgetown Waterfront, you'll forget you are in D.C. in an instant.

4. Second Story Books

Location: 2000 P St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Hours: Open every day from 10:00am-10:00pm

Once again located near DuPont circle, Second Story Books is a great place to go if you are interested in history, the arts, or almost any other topic you can imagine. Because Second Story Books houses new, used, and rare books, there are so many interesting things to find while browsing.

5. Politics and Prose

Location: 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00am-10:00pm and Sunday 10:00-8:00

Although it is located near American University, which is a bit of hike, it is definitely worth the trip. Politics and Prose is a huge bookstore which is known for its large selection for all ages and numerous events by authors. They also have a coffeehouse and wine bar called The Den which serves delicious food starting at 8:00am in the lower level of the store.