Read below to find out more about us, our shop, and our stock... our philosophy of bookselling, and why we chose our business name.

Specialties

Though we carry books in many subject categories, both fiction and non-fiction, some of our specialties include:
• Military History
• American History
• Science and Technology
• Theology
• Wisconsin / Regional Titles

Monday - Wednesday & Friday	10:00am - 5:30pm Central Time
Thursday	10:00am - 7:00pm Central Time
Saturday	10:00am - 4:30pm Central Time
Sunday	Closed

How to Find Us

	Our store is located in Downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin at 310 S. Barstow St.
	For an interactive map and point-to-point driving directions:

Our Philosophy of Bookselling

Crossroad Books has been selling used, rare and out-of-print books to both on-line and to instore customers since 1996. Similar to other out-of-print book stores, we are unique and unlike any other shop. We carry the books you can't find or order from a new bookstore. We don't have sixty copies of Danielle Steele's latest novel or the latest tell-all scandal book dominating our displays.

What we do have is more than 40,000 books for book lovers who appreciate the beauty of hand-sewn, leather bindings; the thrill of touching the very page Ralph Ellison touched when he applied his signature; volumes from small, specialized presses; or books on esoteric subjects, new bookstores don't find profitable to carry.

Though we share our individuality with other used book stores, we are different from many of these stores where searching for a gem can be a dusty, frustrating process. You won't find teetering stacks of books covering the floors or books leaning haphazardly on shelves. We respect books too much for that. You also won't have to dig through six copies of Jane Fonda's Work-out book, book clubs without dust jackets or Readers' Digest condensed books just to find what you are looking for.

Why? Because we know we have or may have the book that will keep you reading until 2 a.m. because you can't bear to put it down; the book you read as a child and now want your daughter to read; the book your best friend cherishes but that you accidentally dropped in the bathtub; the book that makes you want to start a reading group because it's so good you have to talk about it to someone; the book that changed your life or the book you will read aloud to your child every night.

We want to carry the books that provide a portal to worlds worth visiting - books that stimulate wonderful conversations and new ideas or that just make you wish you could write that well. We want to carry books of merit......the Hemingways and Steinbecks - not the books that burn brightly in new stores for a short time and then are promptly forgotten or replaced by another "book of the hour." We have books that are of value today and that will still have a place of honor on your bookshelf decades from now.

So, like other used book stores, we are unique, different than any other. What we are reflects our interests, biases and dreams. You will find that we specialize in hard-to-find, unique, esoteric but significant books. We work hard to find and offer titles few other book stores do. We strive to sell books that are only in the best condition so that you will be proud to display them on your shelves too. We do that because we care deeply about the written word and the power it has. We also love to hear a customer exclaim, "I've been looking for this for years!"

Crossroad Books.....it is the books that pass through our hands, the customers that come through our doors, and the book scouts that bring us their great finds. It is the store where scholars, thinkers, readers and book lovers go to find the books they hunger for.

Our Shop Name

CROSSROAD BOOKS.......WHAT'S IN A NAME????

Cross Road Blues Robert Johnson I went to the crossroad     fell down on my knees I went to the crossroad     fell down on my knees Asked the lord above     have mercy, now         save poor Bob, if you please

We are often asked why we named the business Crossroad Books. The truth is we have always been intrigued by the frequent mention of crossroads in mythology and music. We appreciate the fact that crossroads represent where the spiritual and earthly meet and where the future tempts us with all its possibilities and allure. The name is also a subtle reflection of our deep appreciation for the raw power of early, sitting on the front porch pickin' or juke joint jumpin' blues.

Hellhound on My Tail Robert Johnson I got to keep movin'     I got you keep movin'     blues fallin' down like hail     blues fallin' down like hail And the days keep on worryin' me     there's a hellhound on my tail

Being at a crossroads implies that a decision must be made and action taken. Years ago, we stood at our own crossroads in life and though the business name means many things to us, it reflects the terrifying decision we made to leave other endeavors to open a used and rare book store and to become full-time booksellers. We took Goethe's words to heart...... "What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

Looking back on that time of indecision, we like to imagine that Hecate, the Greek goddess and wise, compassionate guardian of crossroads was looking over our shoulders. Hecate possesses the power to see in three directions at once - past, present and future. Since she has the intuitive ability to recognize the patterns of existence that blend the past and present of our lives with the future unseen to us she can unlock the mysteries of life. She is often depicted standing in shadow, by a crossroads, accompanied by a large black dog, while looking on concerned as mere mortals reach a critical crossroads in life.

In choosing Crossroad Books as the name of the store, we also were able to pay tribute to the blues musician Robert Johnson whose life has since taken on a mythology of its own. Appropriately enough, some scholars believe that Johnson's songs, "Cross Road Blues" and "Hellhound on My Tail," not only express his fatalism but also contain veiled references to the Yoruban god, Legba. Of special significance to us, is the fact that Legba is another mythological figure associated with crossroads. In Yoruban folklore, crossroads are visited by mortals seeking Legba in order to divine their fate. The crossroad becomes a place where people reach out to the divine.

Scholars aside, what has captured the imagination of most blues lovers is how Johnson's own life and music has become legend and is steeped in its own mythology. According to many accounts, Johnson became angry with God after his wife died giving birth to his child. He became bitter, restless and consumed by ambition. He longed for fame and fortune. His ambition compelled him one night to go to the intersection of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi at midnight to make a pact with the devil. He conspired with the devil to trade his eternal soul for the ability to wail and play the blues like no one ever has or ever will. Whether the myth is true or not, Johnson's own lyrics do nothing to dispel the legend. Regardless of what Johnson's skill is attributed to, he did achieve the notoriety he longed for by becoming known now as one of the most influential blues artists and by being acknowledged by many as the "King of the Delta Blues."

Johnson stood at his own lonely crossroads and made his pact with the devil and we have never looked back either. Perhaps J.M. Dent said it best......

The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A stream of events issues from the decision, raising unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

Gods, goddesses, human ambition, immortality, human frailty, life choices......what better to provide a name for a depository of books. All these things live and breath in the pages of books and we do not regret our decision to listen to our intuition and open Crossroad Books.