bookstores

Haley Pham is asking booksellers to name their favorite book, then reading each recommendation herself. The format is drawing attention for spotlighting independent bookstore staff and their personal picks, turning shop-floor conversations into a reading challenge. Viewers are engaging heavily, sharing their own favorite bookstore recommendations and adding the suggested titles to their reading lists.

Author Eric Percak is holding a book launch for 'What About the Scientists?' at The Book Loft, the independent bookstore in the German Village neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The event marks the release of Percak's new title, and locals can attend the launch to meet the author and get signed copies of the book.

The Bookies Bookstore, a Denver-area independent bookseller, is highlighting fiction recommendations that cut across genres, blending elements such as mystery, literary and speculative storytelling. The piece offers readers a curated selection for those looking beyond a single category, reflecting a broader trend of genre-crossing fiction gaining attention among booksellers and readers alike.

A traveller arriving in Ljubljana headed straight to Slovenia's largest bookstore to find a paper map covering most of their route, and later checked into a Japanese-style capsule room for the night. The trip combines old-school navigation with novelty accommodation, drawing small but friendly attention from followers interested in Slovenia travel.

Bookstores and at least one new dating app are leaning into the idea that being a reader is now seen as attractive. The Washington Post reports that reading has become a desirable trait, with retailers and dating platforms alike marketing to people who display their literary tastes. The trend points to books functioning as a signal of personality and status in both commerce and dating.

A bookstore in Evansville, Indiana is celebrating its fifth anniversary of operation. The milestone has drawn local news coverage, with the shop highlighting half a decade of serving readers in the community. Independent bookstores have faced pressures from online retail, making the anniversary a notable achievement for the local business.

Staff at Parnassus Books, the Nashville bookstore co-owned by novelist Ann Patchett, have shared their five recommended reads for the fall season. The list includes a novel described as 'riveting' that Patchett herself singled out. The recommendations are drawing attention from readers looking for seasonal book picks endorsed by booksellers rather than bestseller charts.

Residents of North Escambia County have opened a bookstore in Flomaton, Alabama, in an effort to support and lift the local economy. The project brings a new retail option to the small town, and organizers hope it will draw shoppers, encourage local spending, and contribute to the community's economic revitalization.

The former Barnes & Noble building is set to be filled by four new tenants: a swim school, a jeweler, a fitness center and an ice cream shop. The leasing plan revives a large retail space left vacant by the bookstore's closure, replacing a single big-box occupant with a mix of recreational, retail and food businesses.

A new bookstore has opened in Flomaton, Alabama, with owners and local officials hoping it will help draw foot traffic back to a downtown strip marked by vacant storefronts. The shop is being positioned as more than a retail spot — a small anchor intended to encourage further investment and activity in the town's core.

Dave Killian, co-owner of Tacoma Book Center, is sharing stories of rare and notable finds from the store's decades in business as the independent bookshop approaches its 40th anniversary. The Tacoma bookstore, a fixture in the city's literary community, has built a reputation among collectors for turning up unusual and valuable volumes. Local coverage highlights the shop's longevity at a time when independent bookstores face ongoing pressures.

The largest used bookstore in Washington state is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Tacoma. The milestone is being marked with a look inside the long-running shop, a fixture for book hunters in the region. Locals are noting the rarity of a used bookstore surviving four decades as independent booksellers face ongoing pressure from online retailers.

MoJoe's Book and Brew has opened in Cortland, adding a combination bookstore and coffee shop to the local business scene. The opening was reported by regional news outlet 607 News Now. Combining books with a brew café, the shop gives residents a new place to browse titles and gather over coffee, joining a wave of hybrid bookshop-café openings in smaller communities.

Maria's Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Durango, Colorado, features in the screen adaptation of a book by a local Durango author. The Durango Herald reported the appearance, highlighting a moment of local pride as the hometown store shows up on screen. Details about the production and the author's reaction were not immediately available.

The children's and young adult book manager at Bookends & Beginnings, an independent bookstore in Evanston, Illinois, is profiled for deliberately seeking out unusual, offbeat titles for kids and teens rather than stocking only mainstream bestsellers. The piece highlights how her curation gives young readers access to less conventional stories and keeps the shop distinctive.

Author and essayist Amy Fusselman is set to appear at Chevalier's Books in Los Angeles' Larchmont neighborhood on Wednesday. The independent bookstore is hosting the event, giving readers a chance to hear from Fusselman and get books signed. Local coverage highlights the appearance as part of the store's ongoing author programming for the neighborhood's book community.

Litquake, San Francisco's long-running literary festival, is back for its 27th year, bringing readings, panels and author events to venues across the Bay Area. Coverage highlights the festival's role in keeping the region's independent book scene visible, connecting local writers with readers and drawing attention to a literary community that continues to adapt despite pressures on bookstores and publishing.

Author Devon Kelley, who grew up in Spokane, is releasing a new book about Pacific Northwest cryptids and is set to appear at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane. The event highlights local interest in regional folklore and legendary creatures of the PNW, giving readers a chance to meet the author and pick up the new title.

A mobile book boutique is traveling across Maryland and Delaware to spread the joy of reading, according to WTOP News. The roaming bookstore brings titles directly to communities in the two states, giving residents easier access to books and promoting literacy locally. Details about its operators, schedule and routes have not been widely reported beyond the initial coverage.

Books-A-Million has named The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon as its 2026 Book of the Year. The retailer's early pick spotlights Lawhon's historical novel and is expected to drive attention and sales ahead of its release, with readers and book industry watchers weighing in on the choice.