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In recent years, independent bookstores have become a wellness center for me. Whenever I find myself in a new neighborhood or go traveling, my first instinct is always the same: pull up Maps and find all the bookstores. Every single one. That’s not just because I’m hopelessly addicted to buying books (I’m going to read Infinite Jest one day, I swear), but because indie bookstores are an installation of my core values: creativity & community. Finding hidden gems at used bookshops, discovering the works of local artists, or just getting into conversations with the cashier about Russian literature. Bookshops don’t just remind us of reading's inherent value, but how much it welcomes us into culture. Personally, I need bookstores more than ever.
I’m not alone in that, either. Bucking the troubling trends of the last few decades, readership has ascended upwards and people are going back to bookstores. For those of us who find bookstores to be our comfort zones, they’re not just spaces for commerce and transaction but staples of our lives and continued sources of inspiration.
That’s why Roadmap Writers is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day by giving a shout-out to our favorite independent bookstores. From the RoadCrew to our Social Media Committee, here are Roadmap’s favorite indie bookstores--emphasis on indie (sorry Barnes & Noble). Both epically huge and quaintly small, iconic institutions to hidden gems, these are bookstores all around the country that showcase the wide range of literary offerings out there.
We’re shouting out bookstores because, even as a screenwriter whose work probably won’t be on bookstore shelves, going to a bookstore still recharges my imagination and gives me at least a little more hope for humanity. We’ve got our failings as a species, but if we produced bookstores like the ones on this list, then we can’t be all bad.
Dorian’s Pick - Page Against The Machine
This “fiercely independent” bookshop in Long Beach, California deals in activist literature meant to foster civic engagement and sociopolitical consciousness. In addition to their literary offerings, Page Against The Machine hosts pop-events such as live music and locally-sourced art exhibits. Page Against The Machine isn’t just a rad bookshop but a community hub for grassroots involvement.
2714 E. 4th Street,
Long Beach, CA 90814
Alex’s Pick - Best of Books
Best of Books is an independent bookstore based in Edmond, Oklahoma’s Kickingbird Square with hometown pride. They have a Local Authors program to support independent and self-published works. It also supports local schools through their 20% Program and Bodacious BOB's Book Drive that offers a discount to schools and pre-schools.
1313 East Danforth Road
Kickingbird Square
Edmond, OK 73034
Terra’s Pick - Kramer’s
This beloved D.C. bookstore/restaurant opened its doors on America’s bicentennial in 1976. Since then, it’s been a staple of Washington’s literary scene, and its solarium dining room known as “Afterwords” has made it an essential hangout spot. The book selection is esoteric, intellectual, and always engaging, so grab a book and read it with a cup of coffee or a craft cocktail.
1517 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC
Marisa’s Pick - Powell’s City of Books
Perhaps the standard-bearer of indie booksellers, Powell’s City of Books is a venerated institution of Portland, OR that’s remained the largest independent bookstore in not just America, but the entire world.
Taking up an entire block in Portland’s Pearl District, Powell’s City of Books has ten color-coded rooms, 3,500 sections, and roughly one million books in their selection. There’s so much to see that they offer store tours. Fiction, cookbooks, travelogues, rare books, out-of-print books, memoirs, gardening manuals, City of Books has everything and more. You could spend all day going from all the different rooms and still only scratch the surface of all the literary riches City of Books has to offer. They also have a Coffee Room where you can enjoy a Portland brew while you’re reading.
1005 W Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97209
Gabriel’s Pick - Huxley & Hiro
Named after the two pets (a cat and dog respectively) of the founding partners, Huxley & Hiro is an independent bookstore in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. Located on the Market Street corridor, this book store is as much about community as it is about a love of literature. In addition to their inventory of fiction/non-fiction bestsellers, curious history, and LGBTQ+ literature, Huxley & Hiro is a venue for local artists and a space for social events. It’s also one of the most pro-cat spaces that you’ll enter.
419 N Market St
Wilmington, DE 19801
Alexis’ Pick - The Iliad Bookshop
Huxley & Hiro isn’t the only bookstore on this list to have mascots. NoHo’s Iliad Bookshop has an entire pet gallery on their website to showcase all the cats they’ve welcomed into their store. If that’s not reason enough to support them, the Iliad Bookshop is one of the largest used bookstores in the entire Los Angeles area and boasts a treasure trove of texts that range from sci-fi/fantasy/horror to curiosities of the histories and humanities. Make sure to also check out their mosaic mural of literary icons. Just don’t make the mistake of trying to enter through the front door.
5400 Cahuenga Boulevard
North Hollywood, California 91601
Megan’s Pick - The Sweet Read
The Sweet Read lives up to its name with a selection of used books and homemade pastries. A cozy shop that feels like your own personal nook, the Sweet Read is southern charm in bookstore form, and is one of Georgia’s only used bookstores. Proudly so. It’s also a rare third space that has the comfort of a living room. That is, if your living room has locally-made cupcakes and brownies.
8990 Main Street
Woodstock, GA 30188
Sarah’s Pick - Greenlight Books
You can’t go wrong book shopping in New York, but make sure you don’t miss out on this local favorite. Based in Brooklyn, Greenlight Books is a welcoming bookshop that curates top-shelf reading material and good vibes. With a staff of bibliophiles, Greenlight Books encapsulates a love of literature and of conversion. It also welcomes community partnerships and collaborations, including a sister stationary store also located on Fulton Street.
Greenlight Bookstore
686 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Honorable Mentions:
The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles, CA)
Brazos Bookstore (Houston, TX)
Chevalier's* (Los Angeles, CA)
The Little Gay Shop (Austin, TX)
The Ripped Bodice (Los Angeles, CA)
*The oldest independent bookstore in Los Angeles!