Don’t believe anyone who tells you that print books and bookstores are in trouble. During this trip to Cleveland, we visited seven bookstores (one of them twice) and every single store was hopping.

I liked every store for different reasons but Black Cat Oddities and Books won the award for atmosphere. This store is actually located in two houses that are within walking distance of each other. 

Themed rooms packed with new books for all ages are charming and fun to browse, even if they are outside your preferred genre. True crime, mystery, romance, fantasy, horror and general fiction are among the genres you’ll find here. Banned books are displayed together, behind drapery in a closet, no less. The children’s book section is so whimsical and charming I couldn’t help but wish there had been a store like this when I was a child.

Those themed rooms are decorated in ways that are both creative and smart. Frankenstein’s laboratory, Narnia and Sherlock’s Study are just a few of those themes and the attention to detail is fun to see.

Both locations ooze with charm and the variety of their chosen genres is impressive. Note that we didn’t find a lot in the way of non-fiction like history or science but they make up for that in other ways. 

My pictures from this visit are absolutely terrible. I think that’s partly because both locations were busy and I was so preoccupied with just enjoying the fun that I didn’t put much effort into photos. That means you should go visit so you can see for yourself how cool it is! 

Black Cat Oddities and Books is located at 420 S. Court Street and 119 Lafayette Street in Medina. Note that their parking lot is small but customers are welcome to park at the Autozone across the street. Learn more at www.blackcatmedina.com.