Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

Kindles are convenient. Piles of books, not so much. Heavy and cumbersome, the push towards electronic literature has its merits but also its drawbacks. No digital readout can match the feel of a book in your hands or capture the beauty of a well-bound tome and the folks at A. Parker’s Books over on Main Street know this fact well. With shelves filled to bursting, it’s a book-lover’s haven and, for the patient, full of buried treasure. Peruse the stacks for some light reading, but don’t forget to ask about the back room, where first editions and rare books lie in wait for the discerning customer. Closer to the front, casual collectors can find the midpoint in classic works with the weight of history but little of the cost. Find a 19th-century English translation of The Aeneid and an illustrated copy of volume one of Homer’s Iliad, published in 1853, each for less than $100. For trips to the rare books in the back room, the staff recommends calling ahead.

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

A. Parker's Books, 1488 Main St., Sarasota, 941-366-2898.