How to shop for books

There's always a niggling feeling that I'm missing some lovely book because I don't take the trouble to look properly. One of these days, I'm going to get my act together and order Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux's catalogue, as they consistently publish authors that I enjoy reading (Flannery O'Connor, Madeleine L'Engle, Marilynne Robinson). My friend Joni recently plugged for Bas Blue. In her brief review of a book that they sell, she writes:

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy has been reprinted by Loyola Press. I found it in Bas Blue, (bä blũ French, blue stocking, a literary woman; a bluestocking) bookseller-by-post. Bas Blue is the self-proclaimed "champion of the odd little book." This odd little book will make an indelible mark on you. For purchasing information: Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy, I'd suggest that you patron Bas Blue, rather than Amazon, as it's a chance to promote a bookseller than hunts for good reads.

After a brief perusal of their site, I'm not sure they're really my thing, but I very much like the idea of a taste-driven bookseller. I am too accustomed to the smorgasbord that Amazon offers while trying to predict my buying habits based on my propensity for following other peoples' buying habits. Perhaps it all amounts to the same thing in the end, but there is something to be said for a discerning publisher or bookseller!

Any other good publishers to keep an eye on, let me know...