About Bookstores

Reader’s Digest is giving readers the chance this summer to nominate any town, city, organization, or business across America as the kindest, nicest place in the country.

On April 27, CEO Oren Teicher represented the American Booksellers Association at the grand opening of The Lit. Bar, the new independent bookstore and wine bar in the South Bronx.

In situations where weather, illness, or an accident disrupts a bookseller’s ability to make a living, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation will help with both business and personal expenses.

In contrast to the previous two years, #HarperCollinsLovesIndies videos will focus more on hand-selling in 2019 than on store tours. This year’s livestreamed videos will air on Thursdays instead of Saturdays. 

Lark and Owl, 2nd Act Books open; Storied Owl, Capital to open; Writer’s Block, Charis relocating; New owners for Browsing Bison; Orca to go co-op; McIntyre celebrates 30th; Raven Book Store tweet goes viral; Battenkill hosts Bold Stroke Books author panel; New Dominion, Johns Creek, Third House, Boswell, hello hello, Changing Hands, The Center for Fiction, Café Con Libros, Mil Mundos, The Lit. Bar, Word Up, The Last Bookstore, White Whale, Journeys of Life, Novel., and Burke’s featured in local news; Paragraphs named small business of the year; and more. 

April 23 marked World Book Day, an international event that celebrates books and reading. Take a look at what bookstores, authors, and literacy organizations around the globe did to celebrate the day.

“We have something special here," said new owner Nick Ballas, "and I’m delighted to be able to keep this store here for St. Paul readers.”

Epilogue, Reads & Company, Madison Books to open; Second Star to the Right to expand; An Unlikely Story, Bookmarks, Trident, The Silver Unicorn, Gibson’s, EyeSeeMe, Lavender’s Bleu, Book Culture, Birchbark, Fenton’s Open Book, Powell’s featured in local news; Little City Books hosts Hoboken Literary Weekend

Here, R.J. Julia Booksellers founder Roxanne Coady shares the history of book subscription service Just The Right Book, along with a humorous bit of customer feedback.

“It’s easy to forget how intimidating a bookstore can be for some customers,” said Kerry Halls of Auntie’s Bookstore. “Displays provide a really friendly access point for people who maybe don’t have the time or energy to get lost in the stacks.”

In celebration of this year’s Earth Day on Monday, April 22, booksellers shared the ways indie bookstores can incorporate green practices and policies into their stores year-round. 

The year-to-date’s openings include a bilingual bookstore and community space, the signature bookstore for a literature nonprofit, new branches of established bookstores, and more.

This April, booksellers nationwide are sharing their favorite poems and promoting poetry events on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in honor of National Poetry Month.

Indie stores highlighted by Voice of America; The Story House, [words], Porter Square, McNally Jackson, Midtown Scholar, Walls of Books to open new locations; Turning Page, Alibi to open; Byrd’s Books owner, Second Star to the Right honored; EyeSeeMe, Main Point, Narberth, Towne Book Center, Papercuts J.P., Talking Leaves, River Dog featured in local news; Karlee Nussbaum joins Women & Children First

“We all know most pre-orders go to the ‘Big A’ company, even though those customers shop with us as well,” says Liberty Bay Books owner Suzanne Droppert. “We’d like to keep more of that business.”