Almost a week ago I held a giveaway over on Instagram, and asked everyone to mention their favorite independent bookstore in the comments. Not only did people list a million different indies that I had never even heard of (including those in other countries), they also occasionally added comments and tagged the bookstore so they could see the nice things said about them. Even though the giveaway is over, I didn’t really want that list of lovely shops to get lost in the archives of Instagram, so I decided to try and compile them all here. I’ve linked each store to its website, and added a couple of the sweetest comments that highlight what makes an indie bookstore so special.
Additionally, if I saw that the store is LGBTQ or black-owned, I marked it in parenthesis. However, I know I missed some, so please let me know if that’s info I can add that isn’t already here! Feel free to leave the names of other independent bookstores and kind words in the comments and I’ll keep this list updated.
Hooked on Books Wildwood, NJ
“They’re a used bookstore with stacks from the floor to the ceiling.” — @ick.abelle
Blue Willow Houston, TX
Twice Loved Books Elora, Ontario, CA permanently closed
“they delivered amazing second hand books to my house during quarantine.” — @marleyhughess
The Bookshelf  Thomasville, GA
Gottwals Books Macon, GA
Better Read Than Dead Sydney, AU
The Dock Bookshop Fort Worth, TX (black-owned)
Joseph-Beth Booksellers Cincinnati, OH
“I love their selection, their events, and they have all sorts of other fun goodies too!” — @laurenashleybecker
Rubys Folsom Folsom, CA
Antigone Books Tucson, AZ
“There’s a lot of reasons why, but I love the owners, and that they’re 100% solar powered, and the oldest feminist bookstore in the US!” — @thepaperbackbruncher
Books of Wonder New York City, NY
Epilogue Books Rockford, MI
“I especially love their bookstore dog!” — @ryles.reads
Bull Moose Keene, NH
The Book Haus New Braunfels, TX
Semicolon Chicago, IL. (black & woman-owned)
Browsers Books Olympia, WA
King’s Books Tacoma, WA
The Lit Bar New York City, NY (black & female-owned)
The Bookshop Nashville, TN
“It’s tiny and intimate and full of love.” — @serbrienneofbooks
Coastside Books, Half Moon Bay, CA
Books and Crannies Martinsville, VA
Powell’s Portland, OR
Mysterious Galaxy Books San Diego, CA
Left Bank Books St. Louis, MO
Daunt Books London, UK
“They do the best author events (with a complimentary glass of vino — what’s not to love??)” — @kendalsbookcase
McLean & Eakin Booksellers Petoskey, MI
Birchbark Books & Native Arts Minneapolis, MN
Bookalicious Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Litbooks Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Atticus Cafe New Haven, CT
“( . . . ) it smells like freshly baked bread.” — @jhbrattlof
Hicklebees San Jose, CA
Recycle Bookstore San Jose, CA
“They have adorable bookstore kitties and the best used books vibe.” — @alpal_collective
Unabridged Bookstore Chicago, IL
LGBTQ bookstore since 1980!
Toppings & Co Booksellers  Bath, UK
Flyleaf Books Chapel Hill, NC
“It’s a fantastic place great layout and location and wonderful staff.” — @cindywindy_blogs
The Bookshop Delhi, India
“I love this store because they always have the books that I’m looking for and they also send you cute little notes with every book.” — @sharanya_bookstagram
Park Road Books Charlotte, NC
If your comment made it on this list and you’d like it removed, just let me know!
“I love walking into a bookstore. It’s like all my friends are sitting on shelves waving their pages at me.”
— tahereh mafi
“a town isn’t a town without a bookstore”
— neil gaiman
