Kate the Great's Book Emporium is "not only a bookstore, but a haven for the artistic community," says Jeanine Vaughn, one of the store's co-managers. A short walk from the Bryn Mawr stop on the Red Line, this welcoming shop offers all sorts of weekly readings and events. Most notably is the reading series Sexy Bald Men, a free, monthly event featuring guest readings and an open mic. You don't need to be sexy, bald or a man to attend or participate.

The shop is small and shabby chic, with comfy couches, chairs and tables that offer ample seating while you peruse the books or relax and listen to the reading. Towering shelves cover its walls, packed full of high-quality, primarily used books rising from its floor to its pressed-tin ceiling. In addition to boasting a substantial sci-fi section, plays, poetry, non-fiction, biographies, comic books, romance, mysteries, classics and pop-fiction, the shop runs a flexible and cost-effective used book trade-in program that allows patrons to bring in up to 15 used books and essentially swap them for credit towards KtG merch. Once you've unloaded your unwanted lit, you can keep your credit and use it at a later date.

Centerstage Reviewer: Beth Dugan