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My favorite stores are bookstores — especially independent ones. The atmosphere is calm and personal, and I can make choices by opening a book and reading a few pages, sitting on a chair or bench. I feel good supporting small businesses, particularly women-owned ones. The staff gladly orders titles if they aren’t in stock. Most of all, many employees are true readers and knowledgeable, eager to make recommendations based on your tastes.
Indie shops offer special events with authors, book signings and even book clubs. Some are niche and quirky, others are more traditional. Here’s a selection of stores across the country — many of which offer online ordering — where you can get lost in the magic of words.
Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
I want to plan a trip to Nashville just to visit Parnassus, especially because Ann Patchett, one of my favorite writers, owns it. Opened in 2011, it touts itself as “an independent bookstore for independent people.” Patchett curates a selection of local authors and interests. The store’s name stems from Mount Parnassus in Greek mythology, home to literature and learning. Its mission is to connect customers with books and authors. In Musings, Patchett’s online magazine, she conducts author interviews and makes reading recommendations. They even offer personal inscriptions from authors for mail-order books.
Explore Booksellers, Aspen, CO
Step inside this Victorian home in the middle of town to find books in every corner on business, history, art, regional, literature, politics, travel and more. Aligned with Aspen’s culture, there is a strong collection of body, mind and spirit titles. This 50-year-old indie hosts local and visiting authors. Take advantage of educational events, workshops and roundtable discussions. Explore Booksellers is supported by a nonprofit devoted to social change. There’s a good selection of cards, gifts and writing journals. On the second floor, you can stop for a veggie-forward lunch.
Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, IL
Walk down a cobblestoned alley and you’ll discover this general-interest indie with curated selections by owner and writer Nina Barrett. Vintage rugs, velvet couches and cozy armchairs are available to relax on while making selections. The MiniBar serves beer, wine, cocktails and snacks. You can also browse locally designed gifts, games and gourmet treats from a local chocolatier.
Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
Grad students from Washington University launched this store in 1969, making it the oldest indie in St. Louis for new and used books. Its mission is to spark public conversation with a diverse reading selection. The store produces more than 300 events a year, many free, including book clubs and pop-up discussion groups. Former President Jimmy Carter has appeared in its River Styx Reading Series. They are proud of partnering with libraries, churches and schools to promote literacy.
City Lights, San Francisco, CA
Perhaps no other indie in the country is such an iconic literary landmark. More than 70 years old, this three-floor indie began as the nation’s first all-paperback bookstore. Today it offers a wide selection of contemporary and classic hardcovers from major publishers and small presses, including books on social issues and alternative politics dating back to the Beat poets who once gathered here. Events are hosted by City Lights Foundation. Sign up for a weekly calendar, which includes virtual events, and enjoy staff picks.
Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C.
In 1984, Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade started a business run by just the two of them. Today, Politics and Prose has more than 100 employees across its three D.C. stores, with the 18,000-square-foot Connecticut Avenue NW flagship featuring The Den café, known for some of the city’s best coffee and pastries. There are author talks nearly every night, a dozen book clubs and a subscription service. The current owners describe their highly regarded indie as cultivating community and the common good through reading, programs and the freedom to express ideas.
New York City Bookstores
Visitors may put the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Museum of Art on their list of top attractions, but I recommend the diversity of bookstores in my hometown, the center of the publishing industry. There are too many to mention, but luckily, my three favorites are within walking distance of my apartment.
The Strand (East Village) — Opened in 1927, it boasts 18 miles of books: author-signed hardcovers, new and used paperbacks, out-of-print editions, cookbooks and every genre imaginable. Browse the bins on the sidewalk for deeply discounted books.
Three Lives & Company (West Village) — One of the city’s most beloved, intimate bookshops.
McNally Jackson (SoHo) — A warm and welcoming indie with multiple locations around the city.
From the Rizzoli Bookstore (NoMad), an architectural gem with high ceilings and a curated selection of art, design and international titles, to Pillow-Cat Books (East Village), NYC’s first animal-themed bookstore brimming with new and vintage books on photography, fashion, literature and more, there truly is something for everyone.
What's YOUR favorite independent bookstore? Let us know in the comments below.
