All posts tagged: Bookstore

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2026 with Libro.fm

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2026 with Libro.fm

Published by José Betancourt

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 25th, is Independent Bookstore Day, and book lovers across the country are preparing for a day of celebration. Libro.fm has some extra ways to get in on the fun for audiobook lovers, including the chance to win free audiobooks, a sale on bestselling titles, and a sweet offer for new members to get started. Golden Tickets More than 1,500 Golden Tickets—each good for 12 free Libro.fm audiobooks—will be hidden in participating bookstores for customers to find on April 25th. Source link

📚 Get thee to an indie bookstore this Saturday

📚 Get thee to an indie bookstore this Saturday

Published by José Betancourt

The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America is a YA nonfiction book about the history of the AIDS crisis in the USA that is out this week from Knopf Books for Young Readers. Below, co-author David Levithan discusses how queer memory is a form of resistance. At a time when politicians are trying to pull our stories off shelves, at a time when our humanity is questioned, tested, and argued, it is paramount that we tie queer memory to queer history, that we as individuals tell our collective story. This is, ultimately, a form of resistance, defying those who would want to erase us. And it is a form of strategic survival, as we remember and thwart the tactics of those who would prefer us dead. There’s nothing intrinsically “queer” about HIV—it’s just a dangerous virus. But LGBTQ+ people were targeted and ostracized because of our association with AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. Honoring our stories and experiences as a community is a profoundly moral thing to do. Even our recent history threatens to …

📚 Get thee to an indie bookstore this Saturday

Independent Bookstore Day 2026

Published by José Betancourt

More than 2,000 indie bookstores across the U.S. will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day this Saturday, offering exclusive special editions, literary swag, games, and (if you’re lucky) snacks. Available goodies include: Participating stores may also offer a selection of free bookmarks, activity books, and stickers. 📍 Use this interactive map to find an indie near you, or make a day of it with a bookstore crawl. The Book Riot Newsletter Join over 300,000 readers who get the latest book buzz, smart commentary, and must-read picks delivered straight to their inbox. ✓ You’re subscribed! Before you go, sign up for these other great newsletters and never miss a beat! Subscribe to Selected No Thanks Want to get the latest book news, new releases, reading recommendations, bookish trivia, and more delivered straight to your inbox? Join over 300,000 readers and make The Book Riot Newsletter your go-to source for all things bookish. Sign up here! Source link

Are We in the Age of the Indie Bookstore?

Are We in the Age of the Indie Bookstore?

Published by Jenni Sidey

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail The past couple of years have felt like Big Business is winning, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see that indie stores are the ones actually having a moment. The American Booksellers Association reported that 422 new indie bookstores opened in 2025, a 31% increase from 2024. There are probably a few things we can point to as the reason for this. One of them is the shrinking of third places and the realization that going into a physical book store is more fun than buying books online from major retailers. Then there’s also the support that indie bookstores have been getting from organizations like Bookshop.org since the pandemic. More on that below. Bookshop.org’s Sales Grew 55% in 2025, Sparked by Romance and E-books Speaking of indie bookstores, Bookshop.org …

April 7 is National Black Bookstore Day

April 7 is National Black Bookstore Day

Published by José Betancourt

The National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2), founded on Juneteenth, 2025, has announced the first National Black Bookstore Day to be celebrated on April 7. National Black Bookstore Day is intended to “recognize, elevate, and drive support to Black-owned bookstores across the United States.” NAB2 founder Kevin Johnson, who owns Underground Books in Sacramento, CA, noted in a release that the event also honors the legacy of his late mother, Georgia “Mother Rose” Peat West, who opened Underground Books in 2003. Participating in National Black Bookstore Day is easy: Consult NAB2‘s directory to locate a Black-owned bookstore near you. Make a purchase. Share on social media using #NationalBlackBookstoreDay and #NAB2. Your support matters. Per data from the State of the Black Bookstore Report NAB2 released in February, the 306 Black-owned bookstores in the U.S. account for just 8% of all indies, and the vast majority (more than 90%) report annual revenue under $250k. The Book Riot Newsletter Join over 300,000 readers who get the latest book buzz, smart commentary, and must-read picks delivered straight to …

Mother Foucault Bookshop Has The Best Bookstore Name Around. And Now They Bought Their Own Building.

Mother Foucault Bookshop Has The Best Bookstore Name Around. And Now They Bought Their Own Building.

Published by Jenni Sidey

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. Mother Foucault Bookshop Has The Best Bookstore Name Around. And Now They Bought Their Own Building. Powell’s is the iconic Portland bookstore, but for real heads, Mother Foucault Bookshop might just edge it out. Specializing in used and rare books, Mother Foucault also hosts performances by local musicians and artists. It’s the kind of place you want in your city if you care about the arts. And like all indie bookstores, MF is subject to the vicissitudes of the economy, labor, and real estate. One thing I have learned covering bookstore news is that the single most stabilizing thing a store can have is ownership of its own space (it is no mistake that the two best-known indies in the US (Powell’s and The Strand), control their own real estate destiny. Mother Foucault has now joined them by …

Minneapolis Comic & Bookstore Owner Greg Ketter Emerges as a Symbol of Protest Against ICE Actions

Minneapolis Comic & Bookstore Owner Greg Ketter Emerges as a Symbol of Protest Against ICE Actions

Published by José Betancourt

Boy, have I got a whole bunch of headlines to share with you today. Scroll down for both major headlines and exciting opportunities to support worthy causes! News From DC and Marvel Sal Buscema, celebrated Marvel artist and inker (and younger brother of the legendary John Buscema), passed away just short of his 90th birthday. Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to step down early (to spend more time with his superyacht, allegedly). What the restructuring will mean for Marvel and the other eleventy billion companies hoarded by Disney is not yet clear. Marvel is celebrating two milestone anniversaries this year: the 50th anniversary of Jack Kirby’s Eternals and the 20th anniversary of Civil War. Sebastian Stan joins a lengthening list of actors who are a part of both the Marvel and DC movie franchises: he is slated to appear in The Batman Part II in an as-yet-unknown role. Alan Cumming, the once and future Nightcrawler, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and talked about how he accidentally injured Pedro Pascal/Mister Fantastic on the set of Avengers: …

Get To Know The First Black Bookstore in the United States

Get To Know The First Black Bookstore in the United States

Published by Jenni Sidey

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. The First Black Bookstore in the United States: D. Ruggles Books Last year saw the publication of Char Adams’s groundbreaking book Black Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore. It chronicles the history of Black bookstores in the United States. In honor of Black History Month, Mariame Kaba shares the history of America’s first Black bookstore, D. Ruggles Books. As Kaba writes, “If illiteracy was a key form of oppression, then books were a pathway to freedom. No wonder, then, that Black-owned bookstores have been a central rallying point for Black resistance throughout US history. That resistance started with the very first Black-owned bookstore in the country, D. Ruggles Books, established in New York in 1834 by one of the country’s most courageous and uncompromising abolitionists, David Ruggles.” Margo’s Got Money Troubles – Official Teaser Rufi Thorpe’s …

The Best Bookstore Newsletters from Women and BIPOC Owned Bookstores

The Best Bookstore Newsletters from Women and BIPOC Owned Bookstores

Published by Jenni Sidey

I’ve spent most of the past decade reading, writing, reviewing, and talking about books. But it wasn’t until I became a bookseller that I realized just how powerful independent bookstores are when it comes to helping connect readers and great books they’ll love. Booksellers develop a special talent for pairing readers with the perfect books. (Maybe we should be called book sommeliers?) They know what books speak to their specific community and customer base. Staff picks from my favorite bookstores consistently lead me to new favorites. And I’m not alone! Our 2025 Book Riot Reader Survey found that independent bookstore newsletters are one of the most popular ways folks stumble upon new books. If you’re looking to escape the algorithms and bestseller lists to find great, lesser-known books, hit subscribe on these best bookstore newsletters. As a bookseller myself, I’m obviously a bit biased. My personal favorite bookstore newsletter comes from Loyalty Bookstore, the Black, Asian, and queer-owned indie in Washington, DC, where I work (co-owned by Hannah Oliver Depp, a former Book Riot contributor!). …

The Books That Ruled Holiday Bookstore Sales

The Books That Ruled Holiday Bookstore Sales

Published by José Betancourt

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more. The Surprising Books That Ruled Holiday Bookstore Sales The holidays couldn’t feel further away in this moment, but Christmas was just 15 days ago, and data from holiday book sales is starting roll out. Absent one clear Big Book of the Year, the season was defined by surprise hits and pop culture phenomena. Publishers Weekly rounds up the books that buoyed indie bookstores as 2025 came to a close, and it’s a fascinating mix of sleeper hits like Virginia Evans’s The Correspondent, crowd pleasers like Sophie Elmhirst’s A Marriage at Sea (maybe the closest to a four-quadrant book we saw last year?), and Heated Rivalry fans looking for a fix while they wait for season 2. Michelle Obama’s The Look flew off shelves and onto coffee tables, and many, many kids unwrapped copies of the latest Dog Man …