A Novel Idea has been Lincoln’s used-book headquarters since 1991, when it started in a chilly basement and grew into a two-story (technically three-level, counting the lower floor) downtown shop at 118 N 14th. Over 50,000 used, rare, and out-of-print titles: fiction up top, strong nonfiction downstairs, and custom shelves with carved leaf-like tops that give the place its unmistakable look.
The browsing is the point. Signed first editions sit next to leather-bound collectibles and $4 paperbacks; the staff will walk you to the right shelf. Resident cats Charlie and Cricket have become the shop’s mascots — plan on being supervised. Literary candles, socks, puzzles, and bookish gifts fill the gaps between the stacks.
Open Wednesday through Saturday, 11–6, and Sundays 1–5 (closed Monday/Tuesday). It’s a First Friday participant, so evenings get lively. Give yourself more time than you think — nobody does a quick trip to A Novel Idea.