Best of Boston

This charming suburban bookstore scores big points for originality. Not only do folks at Newtonville Books attract a superb crowd of writers; they up the literary ante with unique events like Books & Brews, which features beer and free snacks following author appearances. Readings take place upstairs in this former 19th-century fire station. Last year Newtonville Books also helped launch the ultra-successful Earfull series, which pairs authors and musicians at the Kendall Café in Cambridge for evenings of unadulterated creative combinations.