To the Bookshop Around the Corner
Proof positive that print is anything but dead, we present some of our favorite independent bookstores across Corcoran markets nationwide.
These stores are remarkable for their amazing selections, passionate staff, welcoming atmosphere, and most importantly, a sense of wonder in each — the sensation that there’s something new and unexpected waiting to be discovered on the shelves. Housed in spaces big and small — everything from a full city block storefront to an island cottage — these bookstores are owned by well-known authors, husband-and-wife pairs, a veteran, loyal customers, and many other colorful characters, all of whom are dedicated to the printed page.
Brooklyn | Books Are Magic
After Cobble Hill lost its independent bookstore in 2016, novelist Emma Straub and her husband decided to open their own shop the following year, just a few blocks away. Their mural proclaiming “Books Are Magic” is a popular Instagram backdrop, beckoning shoppers from near and far.
225 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY
South Florida | Books & Books
This local chain started in 1982 and its flagship store in Coral Gables is set in a historic 1927 building centered around a large courtyard café. The affiliated branch in Key West is co-owned by beloved author Judy Blume and her husband, George Cooper.
265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL
East End | Black Cat Books
Founded in 1996 in Sag Harbor, this eclectic shop relocated to Shelter Island in 2006. With its particularly well-curated cache of used books, Black Cat Books’ wares range from $2 paperbacks to $2,000 vintage collectibles. However, it’s particularly known for its strong selection of fine art and photography titles.
54 N. Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY
Boston | Brattle Book Shop
Steps off Boston Common, Brattle Book Shop has been a Downtown Boston staple since 1825. Used books covering an immense genre range prevail here, with a particular emphasis on antiquarian texts. The shop also offers appraisal services. Proprietor Ken Gloss has appraised books for everyone from Harvard to the FBI, and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow.
9 West Street, Boston, MA
Manhattan | The Corner Bookstore
This is the ultimate neighborhood bookstore, with all the flourishes that make it a Carnegie Hill mainstay, ever since its opening in 1978 in a former pharmacy. Customers, including children, can open a house account, allowing regulars to simply say, “Put it on my account.” Free delivery for doorman buildings on the Upper East Side.
1313 Madison Ave, New York, NY
San Francisco | Green Apple Books
A Richmond District institution, having opened in 1967, Green Apple has one of the best (and unionized) staff anywhere. It has an immense selection of used and new books — large enough to be comprehensive, but also chosen with discernment. Staff picks here are legendary.
520 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA
Washington, D.C. | Lost City Books
The logo for Lost City Books — a staircase headed toward journeys unknown — is an apt metaphor for the reading experience. With its two-level space on the main drag in Adams Morgan, this shop invites the curious — locals and visitors alike — to explore its collection of new, used, and rare books.
2467 18th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Houston | Murder By The Book
Despite its name (and the tales it stocks), Murder By The Book fosters a welcoming community around the ever-expanding crime fiction niche. In addition to its brick-and-mortar operations, this West University Place bookstore offers robust a subscription service, delivering curated picks and signed book copies from visiting authors straight to the doors of loyal customers.
2342 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX
Chicago | Quimby’s Bookstore
Self-described as specialists of “unusual publications, aberrant periodicals, saucy comic booklets, and assorted fancies,” Quimby’s has been selling weird, independently published stuff, including a whole lot of ‘zines, in Wicker Park, since 1991.
1854 W. North Avenue, Chicago, IL
Charlotte | Park Road Books
The queen of Charlotte’s independent bookstore scene, opened in 1977, is owned by two longtime booksellers with deep publishing ties. The store has a wide-ranging and well-curated selection, as well as a full slate of author events. Plus, the bookstore is canine-friendly — it even has a store dog, Yola.
4139 Park Road, Charlotte, NC
Nashville | Parnassus Books
Owned by novelist Ann Patchett, Parnassus Books’ motto is “the independent bookstore for independent people.” The bookstore, located in Green Hills, offers themed reading lists and subscription services, catering to readers of all ages and tastes, with options including a monthly picture book pick or a monthly romance tome.
3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14, Nashville, TN
Portland | Powell’s Books
The Powell’s flagship Pearl District location has a gravitational pull like no other. Known as “Powell’s City of Books,” it’s the world’s largest independent bookstore, sprawling across four stories on a full city block. It houses approximately one million books separated into 10 color-coded rooms and over 3,500 subsections. Talk about something for everyone.
1005 W Burnside Street, Portland, OR
Hudson Valley | Rough Draft Bar & Books
As its punny name might indicate, Rough Draft Books sells craft beer alongside its books. Opened in 2017 by a couple of ex-Brooklynites, this bright shop at Kingston’s Four Corners has plenty of seating inside and out — perfect for sipping an IPA with your newest read.
82 John Street, Kingston, NY
Hawaii | Talk Story Bookstore
Billed as the westernmost bookstore in the United States, Talk Story Bookstore is named for a Hawaiian phrase meaning “to chat.” It’s a friendly place, but don’t bother the boss — a cat named Natalie, who inherited the role from her beloved feline predecessor, Celeste. Started in 2002, Talk Story was the only bookstore on Kauai from 2011 to 2020.
3785 Hanapepe Road, Hanapepe, HI (Moving June 1, 2025 to Kaumakani. Check on the store’s site for more details.)
Denver Metro | Tattered Cover Book Store
This Denver chain of independent bookstores has changed owners and locations several times since its founding in 1971, but one thing has remained constant — it’s always been a haven for the city’s bibliophiles. The Tattered Cover also has a curatorial service in partnership with the Hue-Man Experience, which was Denver’s first Black-owned bookstore.
