Brookline Booksmith

At heart, a bookstore's job is simple: Carry the latest and greatest. The Booksmith does this handily, while rising above Blahs & Noble to stand as a true bibliophile meeting ground. Its monthly book club and near-daily readings by a formidable mix of authors (this past year saw lad-lit hero Nick Hornby, Pulitzer-winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri, and blowhard par excellence Chris Matthews) provide a safe haven for book lovers in a world clogged with TV watchers.