There’s nothing like an impartial bookstore.
From cozy studying nooks, writer occasions and even the occasional wine bar, indie bookstores serve a necessary objective of their communities.
In honor of the twelfth annual Indie Bookstore Day, PEOPLE has assembled an inventory of our favourite indie bookstores. Try one in every of our suggestions, or assist your native bookstore on Saturday, April 26 — and all yr spherical!
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The Ripped Bodice
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Each day Information by way of Getty
Store to your subsequent romance learn at The Ripped Bodice, situated in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The shop shares solely romance fiction and is proudly lady and queer owned.
Books Are Magic
With two areas in Brooklyn, Books Are Magic is a family-owned bookstore that provides an inclusive area for readers. The store affords a big selection of books and loads of occasions for readers of all ages.
Candy Pickle Books
Often known as “the pickle bookstore,” Sweet Pickle Books is strictly what it seems like: a used bookstore that additionally sells its personal line of pickles. Positioned in Manhattan, the store has an eclectic mixture of books, artwork and merch.
Yu & Me
Yu & Me, situated in Manhattan, is a community-focused bookshop with a various choice of books that commemorate Asian and immigrant voices. Remember to take a look at the store’s café and bar.
The Strand
The Strand is New York Metropolis’s most well-known impartial bookstore. Based in 1927 and situated in Manhattan, The Strand carried over 2.5 million new and used books and continues to serve locals and vacationers alike.
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
Take a step again in time at Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks— a small bookstore in Manhattan specializing in classic cookbooks. Run by Slotnick herself since 1997, the store affords a wide selection of recipe books that date as far again on the nineteenth century.
Three Lives & Firm
Three Lives & Company, an iconic Manhattan landmark for over 45 years, is dedicated to preserving the spirit of the community-focused impartial bookstore alive — a lot so to cease by for a deal with baked by a employees member on Indie Bookstore Day!
Ebook Tradition
Book Culture is a brand new and used bookstore dedicated to stocking a various vary of latest and used books, significantly scholarly and educational books. The bookstore has two areas, one in Lengthy Island Metropolis and one in Pittsford, N.Y.
The Lit. Bar
The Lit. Bar serves the Bronx as its solely impartial bookstore. True to its title, the bookshop additionally serves as a wine bar. The Lit. Bar formally opened its doorways on Indie Bookstore Day in 2019, so make sure to cease by and need them a cheerful birthday.
The Subsequent Chapter
The Next Chapter, Lengthy Island’s largest impartial bookstore, lives as much as its title— actually. After the Ebook Revue closed in 2021 after 44 years in enterprise, the store’s workers raised cash to open a brand new bookstore as an alternative. The Subsequent Chapter opened a yr later and continues to serve Huntington, N.Y.
Buffalo Avenue Books
Buffalo Street Books is Ithaca, N.Y.’s non-profit indie bookstore. The store additionally options loads of workshops, writer occasions and even its personal ebook competition.
Rodger’s Ebook Barn
Rodgers Book Barn affords the uncommon and strange— each in books and placement. The used bookstore operates out of a small barn in Hillsdale, N.Y. Cease by to get pleasure from the great thing about the Berkshires and the bookstore’s chaotic attraction.
The Ebook Cove
The Book Cove, situated in Pawling, N.Y., affords a big selection of latest books. Additionally they inventory uncommon and vintage books for resale.
Politics and Prose
Leigh Vogel/Getty
Politics and Prose is a Washington, D.C. traditional. Together with books, items and occasions almost on daily basis, you possibly can have a cup of espresso or a glass of wine at their in-house eatery, the Den. Politics and Prose has three areas throughout the District.
East Metropolis
East City Bookshop can also be celebrating its birthday on Indie Bookstore Day. Cease into its Washington, D.C. location for a brand new ebook or be a part of one in every of its many book clubs.
Kramers
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Put up by way of Getty
Kramers opened in 1976 as D.C.’s first bookstore-café. After almost 50 years, Kramers continues to be a premier bookstore and occasion area. Their restaurant, All Day, has a pleasant solarium and patio to learn a ebook whereas consuming lunch.
MahoganyBooks
MahoganyBooks is a Black and family-owned bookstore situated in D.C. and on the Nationwide Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD. MahoganyBooks is devoted to amplifying Black books and internet hosting cultural occasions to celebrating Black voices in literature.
Browseabout Books
Positioned proper off the water in Rehoboth Seashore, DE, Browseabout Books has been serving the seashore reader neighborhood since 1975.
Flyleaf Books
Flyleaf Books, based in Chapel Hill, N.C. by two lifelong neighborhood members, hosts free occasions each week and shares new and a curated choice of used books.
Parnassus Books
Parnassus Books is a bookstore in Nashville owned by famend writer Ann Patchett. Parnassus affords a stacked listing of writer occasions, a ebook subscription service and loads of merch. Plus, each Patchett ebook purchased at Parnassus is signed by the writer herself!
All of the Tropes
All the Tropes is Atlanta’s first romance-only bookstore. The store is billed not solely as a bookstore, however a sanctuary for the romance reader neighborhood.
Ladies & Youngsters First
Women & Children First is a Chicago-based bookstore with a neighborhood focus and an emphasis on social justice.
Semicolon Books
Semicolon Books is Chicago’s solely Black woman-founded nonprofit bookstore and gallery. Semicolon highlights minority authors and provides away books to Chicago-area college students, freed from cost.
Name & Response
Call & Response can also be a Black woman-owned bookstore in Chicago. Name & Response amplifies Black literary voices by means of ebook curation and neighborhood occasions.
Metropolis Lit Books
City Lit Books is a comfortable impartial bookstore within the coronary heart of Chicago. Plus, it is canine pleasant!
The Ebook Cellar
The Book Cellar is a picturesque Chicago bookstore chock stuffed with occasions and signed John Greene books. (Significantly— they solely carry signed copies of John Greene’s books.)
Bookends & Beginnings
Positioned in Evanston, In poor health., Bookends & Beginnings affords each new releases and used books.
The Ebook Stall
The Book Stall in Winnetka, In poor health. is a neighborhood staple. The shop affords loads of particular occasions, together with youngsters’s story time, studying teams and writer Q&As.
Magic Metropolis Books
Magic City Books is operated by the Tulsa Literary Coalition in Tulsa, Okla. The bookstore not solely affords a curated literary assortment, however an occasion area for the neighborhood.
The Final Bookstore
The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles is a hodgepodge of latest and used books, artwork and kitschy distributors. There’s actually one thing for everybody there — cool decor, attention-grabbing structure and a uncommon ebook vault.
Clio’s Books
Named after the Greek muse of historical past, Clio’s in Oakland, Calif. organizes their new and used books in chronological order. There are additionally many occasions supplied within the area, and no units allowed.
Inexperienced Apple Books
Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle by way of Getty
Green Apple Books is a long-standing pillar within the San Francisco neighborhood. The bookstore has new and used books, information and writer occasions.
Powell’s Bookstore
Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, Ore. is the world’s largest impartial bookstore. The bookstore is now third-generation household owned and nonetheless serving the Portland neighborhood with over 1 million books at their flagship location.
Homosexual’s the Phrase
Gay’s the Word is the U.Ok.’s largest LGBTQ+ indie bookstore, situated in London. The bookstore has a curated choice of books and neighborhood occasions.
