Publisher’s Picks: 5 Favorite Independent Bookshops to Support this Indie Bookstore Day
Lurking in a Bookshop
One of the first things I do in a new city is find their bookshops, and my favorites are often so small that you can’t help but overhear conversations you weren’t invited to. Often, it’s a used bookshop.
I recently moved to Boise, Idaho and came across Once and Future Books. It’s an old house with small rooms full of books and a narrow staircase to the attic with even more books. A bookseller and a customer were chatting about Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. “Did you know there’s a YA version of that book,” asked the bookseller. No, I thought, I did not! Their conversation went on, and I kept lurking… turns out the author (who happens to be a brilliant scientist who writes and teaches about reciprocity in nature) was headlining some virtual event—and by the time I left the shop, I’d already pulled up her events calendar and texted my teacher friends about the potential read aloud.
That’s how it works: a random moment in a little shop becomes its own kind of distribution channel as curiosity moves between people.
In my post last week, I declared that booksellers are the reason our literary communities survive and thrive. I stand by that. These are the people curating spaces where reading tastes are shaped and, often, where small press books find their way into real hands.
And, on Saturday, April 25, we get to celebrate them! I love Independent Bookstore Day. It brings a joyful buzz to shopping centers and neighborhoods; it reminds us that book culture is still a community practice. We don’t even have to visit the shops irl to support them! They tend to have online stores or storefronts through Bookshop.org.
As I continue preparing to leave Meta platforms, I’m bookmarking the bookstores I want to stay informed about. Like I’ve done with indie publishers, I’m subscribing to newsletters.
Below are a handful of indie US bookshops I follow and admire. Some of these shops are in the cities I tend to frequent. I’m a bit of a roamer, so the list spans regions and time zones—places I’ve visited, places I hope to visit, and places that simply feel like creative kinship from afar.
Five Indie Bookstores to Support
1. East Bay Booksellers | Oakland, CA
Ok, I’ve never been here. The algorithm gifted me a suggestion to follow this shop on Instagram, probably because it sensed a spiritual connection between us (or, more accurately, because I follow a lot of independent, opinionated voices in the book world and it followed the data trails like the creep it is).
Whatever the reason, I’m so glad to know this bookstore’s story. East Bay Booksellers suffered a devastating fire in 2024, and the owner rallied his community. He supported his booksellers and rebuilt at a new address on the same street, with insurance and the help of a determined network and a very effective GoFundMe.
Now I subscribe to their newsletter; it’s personal and quirky and Johnson’s willingness to be vulnerable is refreshing. They’re also doing something lovely for Independent Bookstore Day: giving their booksellers a commission on any staff‑recommended purchases made through the weekend. It’s a clear expression of their values and centers the people who make the place what it is.
2. Klindt’s Booksellers | The Dalles, OR
Speaking of bookshops that have risen from ashes, so to speak: Klindt’s—widely recognized as Oregon’s oldest bookstore, operating continuously since 1870—was destroyed in a fire in 1893. The shop moved across the street to its current location, where it has remained for more than a century.
This little gem I have visited. Its location is conveniently right where I need to stop on the drive from Spokane to Portland to rest, which is absolutely code for buy books I don’t need. When you do stop in, you’ll find easy parking in the town’s charming downtown and a creaky old building with sun pouring in. You’ll want to linger. On my last visit, I picked up a hardcover copy of Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz from a table of recommended reads—proof that their curation is people‑forward, attentive, and smart. (Also: everyone should read that book. It’s luminous.)
Klind’ts doesn’t seem to be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day outright, and I haven’t been able to sign up for their emails (there’s a button but no link), but their website functions essentially as a Bookshop—simple, direct, and easy to support. They post occasionally on Instagram, mostly snapshots of book covers and sweet bookstore moments. And of course, if you find yourself east of Portland along the Columbia River, you should absolutely “rest” here too.
3. Baldwin & Co. | New Orleans, LA
I wanted to include a bookstore that I visited while in NOLA in 2024 but couldn’t remember the name of it. I texted my nephew and he replied: “Probably Crescent City, but I think we also went to Beckham’s and Faulkner House.” So helpful. I pulled up a map (I kind of knew it was near the French Market) and of course went down a rabbit hole. NOLA is known to be a literary city and there are plenty of indie bookstores to confirm.
So, this suggestion isn’t technically one I followed on Instagram, but I’m excited about it. A little northeast of the cluster of pins on the map sits Baldwin & Co. Coffee & Books, and it is so much more than a bookstore.
I read about their values and mission and commitments including to “improving the economy and creating economic empowerment for Black youth,” and understood that this place operates as a community hub with real infrastructure behind it. The space looks bright and inviting, with a courtyard, and a steady rhythm of events.
They have a studio where they record their podcast and an event space available to rent. I just followed the podcast and am eager to listen to a few episodes; it looks like new ones come out regularly. Their literacy initiatives are substantial.
I joined their mailing list—though fair warning, it required adding a phone number along with an email—and while I wish I’d wandered into Baldwin & Co. back in 2024, it’s firmly on my list now, with intention and a sense of wanting to support the work they’re doing.
4. Birchbark Books & Native Arts | Minneapolis
This is my favorite bookshop of all time, for no rational reason. It’s likely nostalgic—Louise Erdrich (the owner) has been in my reading life since middle school, when I began The Birchbark House series. I loved it deeply. As I have grown older, I still read Erdrich books. She’s so special to me and she writes across genres and audiences, which fascinates me.
I had the chance to visit Birchbark Books a few years ago, and it felt magical. It’s in a neighborhood, and the storefront is inviting. The space is memorable, too, with beautiful beadwork, a canoe suspended overhead, and a hobbit hole for children to read in. There’s also a large Dakota and Ojibwe language section and tons of signed copies of Erdrich’s books. The shop is dark and warm, and it’s the kind of place where you naturally lower your voice. Their catalog centers Indigenous writers and artists, and they send out a monthly newsletter that reflects that focus.
It’s a thoughtful, grounded bookstore, and one I think about often.
5. The Writer’s Block | Las Vegas, NV
I’ve shopped here online, so I already subscribed to their emails and I haven’t actually visited, but this place is cool. Looks like there are plants everywhere. And maybe lots of bird figurines. It feels playful. Their Instagram profile has the same energy. Scrolling their feed is actually fun. Instagram used to be a place for images, for visual delight, for the pleasure of looking. Remember all the pictures of our breakfasts??
One (very minor) reason I don’t see Instagram as being a place I want to show up any more is connected to that. I feel like the platform makes sense for innately visual graphics, not for brands recycling marketing graphics and CTAs. When feeds fill with templated text blocks and the same messaging on repeat, it misses the point of the medium.
The Writer’s Block seems to understand that, and the images feel chosen for curiosity and delight rather than engagement or conversion. And beyond the feed, they do real literary work with Vegas students and contribute meaningfully to their community, which is ultimately what makes them worth following in any format.
Go Love an Indie Bookstore
Independent Bookstore Day is a nationwide celebration, but it’s also a “declaration,” as East Bay Booksellers puts it—a reminder that it’s our responsibility to show up, online, in person, in spirit. If you’re able, show your local shop some love. Buy a book. Attend an event. Share a post. Chat up a bookseller about something that matters. Saturday and beyond.
