35 of the Best Bookstores in the USA

NORTHEAST

Talking Leaves Books (Buffalo, NY)

I’ve been going to this bookstore since I was small, but lone arsenic an big did I recognize just how bully of a store it is. The enactment is superb — they person a books-in-translation shelf, a large young big section, and tiny but well-crafted shelves throughout. Their unit recommendations are ever good, but much importantly, I tin consistently find books determination that I haven’t been capable to find anyplace else. They clasp galore events passim the twelvemonth and spouse with the BABEL talker bid with Just Buffalo Literary Center that brings authors to talk passim the year.

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Loyalty Bookstores (Washington, D.C. / Silver Spring, MD)

“I unrecorded successful Washington, D.C., wherever I’m fortunate to person entree to a ton of phenomenal autarkic bookstores, but Loyalty Bookstore is my happiest of blessed places. It’s a Black and queer-owned tiny concern that centers books from divers and unsocial perspectives. The owner, Hannah Oliver Depp, is simply a erstwhile Book Riot contributor and all-around fantastic person, and WOW does Hannah cognize however to find the champion booksellers successful the concern to enactment astatine Loyalty. They enactment unneurotic fantastic events, some virtual and in-person, and are ever looking for caller ways to get books successful the hands of readers. You tin spot the squad featured connected Good Morning America, which precocious gave Loyalty a elephantine cheque to assistance them get a bookmobile up and moving successful DC!” —Susie Dumond

The Golden Notebook (Woodstock, NY)

“This is my puerility bookstore, and I americium decidedly biased, but it has truthful galore books packed into its reasonably tiny space, and is wherever I met my puerility penning hero, Paula Danziger, backmost successful the ‘80s. It’s specified a joyousness to inactive beryllium capable to sojourn erstwhile I’m successful town, and they ever person thing I didn’t cognize I was looking for.” —Annika Barranti Klein

Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn, NY)

Greenlight was founded successful 2009 successful Brooklyn, and has grown to its immense level of occurrence today. It has 2 locations, a large feat successful an property erstwhile brick-and-mortars tin struggle, and is genuinely a vicinity bookstore. On the concern end, Greenlight is known for its startup model. Their “community-lender” exemplary has been utilized astir the state by different bookstores — asking the assemblage to springiness loans for the caller location, which would beryllium repaid and besides springiness each lender “employee” discounts until repaid. It was explicitly a indebtedness strategy alternatively than a donation 1 successful bid to stress that autarkic bookstores are a assemblage plus and institution.

Harriet’s Bookshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Jeannine Cook is the laminitis of Harriet’s Bookshop, which was founded to “celebrate women authors, women artists, and women activists,” and named aft Harriet Tubman. I’ve been successful emotion with Cook ever since her nonfiction successful Oprah Daily — she besides owns Ida’s Bookshop successful Collingswood, New Jersey, named aft Ida B. Wells. Every month, the inventory changes based connected a theme. There are philharmonic performances in-house for browsers and breathtaking events hosted each month. The Black-owned bookstore is an breathtaking rising prima successful the indie world.

Three Lives & Company (New York, NY)

“I discovered this magical bookstore successful the ‘90s, and effort to sojourn it each clip I americium successful New York…even though sometimes it isn’t there. This tiny store is jam-packed afloat of fantabulous fiction, if you tin find it successful the archetypal place.” —Annika Barranti Klein

Three Lives is simply a New York icon. Founded by 3 women successful 1978, Jill Dunbar, Jenny Feder and Helene Webb, and present owned by Toby Cox, it has been lauded by The Hours author Michael Cunningham, and different fans see Sarah Jessica Parker, Zadie Smith, and Patti Smith.

Book Moon Books (Easthampton, MA)

“This tiny but delightful bookstore is owned by writer Kelly Link, and it is 1 of the coziest and astir joyful bookstores I’ve ever had the pleasance to browse. They merchantability some utilized and caller books, but what truly sets them isolated is the selection. I’ve recovered books astatine Book Moon that I’ve ne'er seen connected a support successful immoderate different bookstore! They enactment tons of tiny indie presses, banal superb but lesser-known titles, and person an unthinkable enactment of queer lit, particularly fixed the store’s tiny size. And if each that wasn’t enough, Kelly Link besides runs Small Beer Press, whose books are ever successful banal successful the store, and the fantastic booksellers of Book Moon are the geniuses down the Reader’s Guide to Western Massachusetts representation — an unthinkable assets for publication lovers!” —Laura Sackton

McIntyre’s Books (Pittsboro, NC)

“This is simply a ace cute autarkic bookstore successful Fearrington Village, location to the beltie cows, oregon the “Oreo cows,” arsenic they’re known. (Full disclosure, I worked present a small much than a decennary ago). If you’re looking for a well-read unit who’s enthusiastic astir books (just inquire Pete astir the enigma section!) and is ever up for picking conscionable the close book, this is the spot for you. Author events, a delightful children’s section, a divers and inclusive enactment of books and gifts, and a large unit marque this a amusive spot to visit.” —Jaime Herndon

Housing Works Bookstore (New York, NY)

This bookstore and café successful SoHo hosts performances, The Moth StorySLAM, readings, and more, and sells a fantastic enactment of donated utilized books. But astir importantly for me, 100% of the profits spell to the Housing Works nonprofit, which was founded by 4 members of activistic radical ACT UP to money societal justness enactment warring HIV, AIDS, and homelessness crossed the city. When you bargain books from this stunning bookstore, you’re not lone getting fantastic reads, but you’re besides backing captious and meaningful work.

Longfellow Books (Portland, ME)

Longfellow describes itself not conscionable arsenic independent, but “fiercely independent.” Named aft writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, this bookstore is much-loved by radical for their knowledgable unit and each their recommendations and curation — successful different words, the things that astir marque autarkic and section bookstores what they are.

Midwest & Great Plains

Moon Palace Books (Minneapolis, MN)

First and foremost, the logo for this bookstore is the astir astonishing speechmaking sloth, and I emotion it. The bookstore has been unfastened since 2012. In the #BlackLivesMatter protests pursuing George Floyd’s execution successful 2020, Moon Palace Books was actively supportive, making pizzas for and talking with protestors. The owners Angela and Jamie Schwenedl won the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association Booksellers of the Year grant successful 2020, and were praised for their “radically welcoming generosity of tone that radiates passim the assemblage and the publication manufacture astatine large.” The bookstore is presently unfastened to those wearing masks, and supports a queer publication club, cinema publication club, publication launches, and more.

Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery (Chicago, IL)

This Black woman–owned bookstore and taste assemblage halfway opened successful Chicago successful 2019, and showcases authors of colour and enactment by section artists. It is presently successful the process of moving backmost to its archetypal location, and I can’t hold to visit! In Fall, it held its first-ever Lit Fest, which featured nutrient trucks, cocktails, and authors including Jessamine Chan, Dr. Tara Betts, and José Olivarez. The store has a nonprofit, Parenthesis, that supports closing the literacy spread successful marginalized communities by moving with Chicago Public Schools.

Seminary Co-op Bookstores / 57th Street Books (Chicago, IL)

After decades of being incorporated arsenic a cooperative, the Seminary Co-op transitioned to beryllium a nonprofit successful 2019: each profits are reinvested to enactment the taste ngo of bookselling. Led by manager Jeff Deutsch, they’re making the lawsuit for a caller mode to prolong our local, indie bookstores and admit them arsenic not conscionable a spot to bargain things, but arsenic the vicinity institutions they are. Plus, Seminary Co-op and its 2nd determination astatine 57th Street Books (just 2 blocks away) are beautiful, maze-like bookstores with fantastic selections.

Eyeseeme African American Children’s Bookstore (University City, MO)

This children’s bookstore describes its ngo as: “to beryllium a assets to parents, teachers, and schools successful providing the precise champion children’s books connected the marketplace that beforehand affirmative images and stories astir African American civilization and history.” I mean! The founders are themselves parents, and person created the benignant of bookstore they would privation children to have. Not lone is their enactment based successful this, but they besides big publication fairs, a mentorship program, past presentations, and more.

Books & Mortar (Grand Rapids, MI)

Jenny Kinne, who became the proprietor successful 2018, describes Books & Mortar arsenic “proudly progressive, consciously curated, and fiercely independent.” There’s thing profoundly satisfying astir an autarkic bookstore named after the ceramic & mortar model. This store is politically progressive and a existent integrated portion of the community, affluent with the feeling that you genuinely cognize your booksellers successful each the champion ways.

The Raven Bookstore (Lawrence, KS)

I archetypal discovered the Raven done their crisp and captious advocacy successful enactment of autarkic bookstores online, and person much and much fallen successful emotion with this store that fights against Amazon and for the USPS connected its societal channels. Originally founded arsenic a enigma publication shop, it’s present an employee-owned concern that was Publishers Weekly’s 2022 bookstore of the year. It is integral successful the Lawrence, Kansas assemblage and a captious portion successful the autarkic bookstore combat to thrive crossed the U.S. Oh…and they person 2 bookstore cats, Dashiell and Ngaio, who I emotion unconditionally adjacent though we’ve ne'er met.

Brain Lair Books (South Bend, IN)

This Black-owned, woman-owned children’s bookstore focuses connected stocking an inclusive enactment of books — children’s and YA books written by and written for the BIPOC, queer, and disabled communities — positive big nonfiction arsenic well. This is the benignant of bookstore I privation was disposable to maine arsenic a kid. They big fantastic readings and in-person events, including a Social Justice Book Club and writer readings by writers specified arsenic Anna-Marie McLemore and Aiden Thomas.

Prairie Lights (Iowa City, IA)

This bookstore is champion known for its nearness to the University of Iowa’s writers’ workshop, making it a halfway for literate beingness successful the U.S., having hosted authors from Toni Morrison to Susan Sontag. It besides hosts “Live from Prairie Lights,” a speechmaking series, that ran for 18 years connected WSUI and present runs connected assemblage vigor presumption KRUI-FM and online. This iconic indie is huge, and has a java store wherever writers similar E.E. Cummings and Robert Frost utilized to gather. Its poesy conception is peculiarly iconic.

Women and Children First (Chicago, IL)

“In my humble opinion, this is 1 of the champion autarkic bookstores successful Chicago. Located successful the Andersonville neighborhood, this women-owned indie bookstore is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, and they absorption connected maintaining an intersectional, trans-inclusive feminist space. Women & Children First besides has an incredibly ample and divers LGBTQIA+ publication selection, and regularly hosts fantastic writer and community-based events. They besides person a beardown concern with Chicago nationalist schools and a fig of different Chicago section organizations. They’ve created specified a welcoming, inclusive space, and it is simply a genuine joyousness to store present and lend to the bully enactment that they bash connected a regular basis.” —Melissa Baron

Out West

Skylight Books (Los Angeles, CA)

“Chris Pine (objectively the champion Chris) shops here, and they person the champion publication events of immoderate store around. Add successful a immense scope of genres and an existent histrion increasing done the mediate of the store close up to the literal skylight, and you’ve got a cleanable bookstore. And I emotion their friends with benefits programme — the benefits are books! Well, discounts connected books, which is fundamentally the aforesaid thing.” —Annika Barranti Klein

Sour Cherry Comics (San Francisco, CA)

Lesbian-owned Sour Cherry Comics is 1 of a fewer truly breathtaking caller minority-owned bookstores opening up crossed the U.S. that has maine truly excited for the aboriginal of indies. When I visited successful aboriginal spring, it was marque new, and proprietor Leah Morett and her precious tiny canine welcomed us. The enactment was unthinkable for specified a small, up-and-coming spot — a support of extremist nonfiction and memoir, a support of big and YA queer fiction, creation and zines from section artists, manga and comics for each ages, and abstraction for assemblage events. Since then, I’ve seen them big workshops, comic merchandise parties, readings, unfastened mics, and more, and they ever are the archetypal to person your queer comic faves.

Broadway Books (Portland, OR)

This women-owned autarkic bookstore has been thriving successful Portland since 1992. This twelvemonth they promoted what they called The Year of Reading Ursula K. Le Guin. I was fortunate capable to sojourn and it was warm, friendly, and a cozy spot to walk a rainy day. They effort to support their enactment eclectic and diverse, highlighting a wide range. They person a predominant purchaser programme and celebrated their 30th day past May with customized jigsaw puzzles, cupcakes, and the committedness that anyone who wore their Broadway Books T-shirt oregon hoodie in-store would get thing extra-special.

Bel Canto Books (Long Beach, CA)

Last year, contributor Stacey Megally wrote successful her fantabulous portion connected AAPI-owned bookstores and their recommendations: “Bel Canto Books’ community-led publication clubs, monthly events, and three buying options make it casual for readers everyplace to prosecute with them.” This bookstore, owned by Filipina-American writer Jhoanna Belfer, offers a curated enactment of books peculiarly by women and radical of color, and hosts pop-up events and personalized recommendations. The bookstore is presently gathering donations to enactment a 2nd determination successful Bixby Knolls, and describes itself arsenic a “proud subordinate of the #StandUpForAAPI consciousness and enactment campaign.”

Changing Hands (Phoenix, AZ)

“This is simply a store that is truthful engaged with its community, with an astir changeless watercourse of events featuring nationally-recognized to much section authors. They besides big penning workshops, publication clubs, and adjacent crafting circles astatine their bookstore/bar determination successful downtown Phoenix. And, person we talked astir the books? Both locations are truthful relaxing to browse and observe caller authors, with publication sellers that instrumentality clip to item and amplify underrepresented voices.” —Nikki VanRy

Sistah Scifi (Oakland, CA)

This indie bookstore founded by Isis Asare (which is successful the midst of crowd-funding) is the archetypal Black-owned SFF bookstore successful the US. It describes itself arsenic “a cauldron of each things afro-futurism — mysticism, subject fiction, voodoo, magical realism, speculative fiction, and fearfulness — casting spells to uplift lit written by Black and Native American women.” Their calendar boasts publication clubs and ticker parties, and their Wine Down Wednesdays person hosted guests, including Sheree Renée Thomas, Kosoko Jackson, and more.

The Ripped Bodice (Culver City, CA)

“The archetypal all-romance bookstore successful the United States is owned by queer, Jewish sisters, and it’s genuinely 1 of the astir pleasant spots successful the greater Los Angeles area. Everyone who works determination is simply a existent romance expert, and they transportation each sub-genre and a scope of property categories. I adore this store!” —Annika Barranti Klein

Under the Umbrella Bookstore (Salt Lake City, UT)

This “little queer bookstore” recommended by contributor CJ Connor is simply a spot of refuge for queer radical that’s conscionable getting started. They banal queer authors, queer stories, and queer perspectives, and each different items and gifts successful their store are made by queer artists oregon businesses. Their website states that “Under the Umbrella is meant to assistance span the spread betwixt what Salt Lake City presently has and what the metropolis needs by providing a safe, accessible, and inclusive abstraction for everyone.”

Fabulosa Books (San Francisco, CA)

Smack successful the mediate of the precise historically queer Castro District is simply a beautifully cheery bookstore. Formerly a subdivision of Dog Eared Books, erstwhile it was going to adjacent aft struggling contempt a GoFundMe during the pandemic, 20-year worker Alvin Orloff bought it instead, and reopened it arsenic it is today. “We were determined to past due to the fact that a vicinity without a bookstore is similar a time without sunshine,” he said erstwhile it was purchased. “We’re precise mindful of the information we’re occupying the aforesaid abstraction arsenic A Different Light Books, which served queer San Francisco during the hard years of the 1980s, ’90s, and aboriginal 2000s.” I’ve been there, and it’s wonderful.

Down South

Magic City Books (Tulsa, OK)

“The champion bookstores not lone observe literature; they observe their assemblage and effort to signifier it for the better. Magic City Books, an astonishing bookstore successful Tulsa, Oklahoma, does conscionable that. I emotion however thoughtfully they beforehand Oklahoma voices among their titles, similar books astir the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, section Indigenous perspectives and history, and thoughtful investigations of the lipid industry. Their Advisory Board is made up of prolific authors including calved and raised Tulsa writer Joy Harjo, David Sedaris, Sir Salman Rushdie, and galore more. MCB and its nonprofit owner, the Tulsa Literary Coalition, person been doing the incredibly important enactment of pushing backmost against Oklahoma publication bans. I’m truthful grateful for each they’re doing to physique Tulsa’s literate community.” —Susie Dumond

Black Pearl Books (Austin, TX)

“This Black-owned bookstore is beyond astonishing for aggregate reasons. It is family-owned and this emotion is evident from the infinitesimal you locomotion into the store, wherever you’re greeted with a grin and salutation. They enactment intimately with the section schoolhouse territory done galore initiatives, specified arsenic the Redacted Reads Club which helps to get banned/challenged books successful the hands of the students. They besides started a non-profit called Put It In a Book, which is designed to beforehand representation, inclusion, and diverseness successful literature. In short, everything astir this store is amazing!” —P.N. Hinton

WordsWorth Books (Little Rock, AR)

“Arkansas, the location of Walmart, tin beryllium a hard spot for a tiny section concern to thrive. I grew up determination and saw mode excessively galore beloved places close. But WordsWorth Books has stuck astir for 40 years present acknowledgment to its ties to the Little Rock assemblage and its passionate booksellers. From celebrating section authors to partnering with the Clinton School of Public Service to supporting section hospitals and libraries, WordsWorth is close astatine the halfway of Arkansas’s literate heart. And though it’s not a immense storefront, they someway ever look to person conscionable the publication you’re looking for — on with a large proposal for a caller favorite.” —Susie Dumond

Parnassus Books (Nashville, TN)

Founded by novelist Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes, Parnassus Books describes itself arsenic “the autarkic bookstore for autarkic people.” They person an online mag that includes Patchett’s blog, speechmaking lists, and astir importantly, stories from the store’s store dogs (and determination are a batch of them). The bookstore was built to beryllium a existent vicinity bookstore from events to collaborations with section organizations. Patchett’s prestige successful the publication satellite assemblage and the affluent ambiance that Parnassus has forged brings authors to the store. And their subscription boxes are cautiously curated.

Blue Bicycle Books (Charleston, SC)

Each year, publication lovers and authors swarm to YALL Fest, a young big publication festival successful Charleston, South Carolina. And Blue Bicycle Books is down it all, their unit moving overtime to get it going. In 2022, authors including Adam Silvera, Angie Thomas, Casey McQuiston, Cassandra Clare, Daniel José Older, Dhonielle Clayton, Neal Shusterman, Nic Stone, and many, galore much gathered to sermon their enactment and the authorities of YA today. And of people it’s a fantastic bookstore successful its ain right.

Lark & Owl (Georgetown, TX)

“This is simply a woman-owned bookstore adjacent to downtown Georgetown. When you locomotion in, you’re instantly greeted by a unit subordinate truthful you consciousness welcomed from the start. They besides regularly volition big unrecorded podcast recordings and person aggregate publication clubs available. No substance what your preferred genre is, you’ll beryllium capable to find 1 for you. In summation to promoting an unfastened and harmless situation for everyone, they besides judge successful civic work and volition unfastened up their bistro to the Voter’s League and adjacent down to springiness their employees the accidental to spell vote. They besides item section artists and authors and volition regularly unfastened up their courtyard for Market Days for them.” —P.N. Hinton