Our guide to some of the most treasured bookstores in the country—from California to Alaska to Minnesota. Read more
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Category: Bookstores
‘City Lights: Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the Biography of a Bookstore’
Ferlinghetti was an orphaned child of immigrants, a self-proclaimed anarchopacifist, and a GI-Bill funded doctoral student at the Sorbonne. From his arrival in San Francisco in 1951 to his death on February 22, 2021, he was a poet, painter, critic, editor, activist, translator, and business owner. He was one of the most important public intellectuals of his day, an uncompromising champion for literature’s power, freedom of expression, and the necessity of both to democracy. Even as our civic institutions suffer, independent bookstores like City Lights have become stronger. And we need them now, more than ever. Universities are under threat of government interference, book banning has reached unprecedented levels, journalists and artists and media outlets and attorneys are being punished, silenced, and doxed, and dissent everywhere is being criminalized. Read more
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At Some Bookstores, Pets Are the Most Popular Sales Associates
Docile dogs and aloof cats have long been fixtures of independent bookstores, as ubiquitous as free bookmarks. For the most part, they serve as quiet mascots — steadfast and loyal, deigning to have their heads patted or ears scratched while humans tend to the business of words. Now, thanks to social media, many stores have put themselves on the map with the help of little creatures, including some unlikely stars (bearded dragon, anyone?). The pairing makes sense: Books and animals both provide joy, companionship and windows into other worlds. The former are, admittedly, a lot tidier. Read more
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How to Shop in Used Bookstores: 14 Tips From a Bibliophile
Being now a grizzled veteran of many, many expeditions to used bookshops, I’ve gradually assembled a set of principles to guide me in my quests for biblio-treasure. What follows are a few of the unofficial rules and insider tips to bear in mind when you go out “booking.” Read more
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Montolieu: The French Village Dedicated to Books
Set in a stunning location near the Pyrenees mountains, the tiny village of Montolieu is home to roughly 800 people and has no ATMs, but it boasts 15 bookshops. Read more
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Barnes & Noble Aims to Open 50 Stores in 2024
As well as opening new stores, Daunt said the business was also investing in its IT and distribution operations. The planned expansion follows a ‘very solid’ holiday season and ‘a good year’ for the chain, with a makeover of its membership program more than doubling the number of customers enrolled. It also comes as staff at five B&N stores have voted to unionise. Read more
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The Largest Open Air Bookshop in the World Is Threatened
Paris’ bookstalls are a centuries-old tradition. Read more
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Bookstores Named the Top Recession-Proof Business of 2023
Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and indication of popularity from Google search trends, Forbes Advisor assessed 60 small business types and determined which of them are most and least recession-proof in 2023. Read more
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How Octavia Butler Inspired a Pathbreaking Black-Owned Pasadena Bookstore
On Nov. 22, after weeks of trying to find the right space for her dream, Nikki High signed a lease for a 621-square-foot space on North Hill Avenue. This is where she began in earnest to plot out her independent bookstore. Octavia’s Bookshelf would feature books by Black, Latino, Indigenous writers and other authors of color in the same neighborhood where Octavia E. Butler, the store’s namesake, lived and found inspiration for her novels. Read more
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The Renaissance of Feminist Bookstores
In the face of book bans and attacks on women’s and LGBTQ rights, vibrant activist communities are coalescing around feminist bookstores. Read more
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