Featured Bookstores

By Zoe Perzo

Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been in operation since 1927.

For nearly 100 years, the store has resided in Harvard Square, and though the store’s ownership has changed a few times, its mission remains the same: to connect people through poetry.

I sat down with Ndidi Menkiti, co-owner of Grolier, to learn more about this historic store and the community it’s built — both locally and globally. 

By Zoe Perzo

Baker Rogers is the owner and founder of Queer Haven Books in Columbia, South Carolina. Born and raised in South Carolina, Rogers created Queer Haven to be the safe and inviting space they wanted to see in their community.

I sat down with Rogers to learn more about the store’s mission, origin, and growth.

By Zoe Perzo

Peter Milazzo and his younger brother, James Leavy, had always loved the idea of opening a small business. Today they run Mayhem's Bookstore & Board Game Cafe in Lancaster, PA. 

The store features a highly curated collection of graphic novels, comics, and manga, as well as a collection of over 300 games customers can play in-store, and a full-service cafe. With their prime location and mission to “complement rather than compete,” Mayhem’s is perfectly situated to become a Lancaster staple.

By Zoe Perzo

Lavish Booktique is a pop-up shop in the Bronx that focuses on diverse titles written by women. 

I met with the owner, Christine Osoria, to learn more about her store’s collection, her community, and her long-term goals.

Osoria decided to open the pop-up after she self-published a children’s book called Rosalia - The Honduran American.

“While marketing my story, I realized that women’s stories were not as highlighted as I would like them to be,” Osoria recalled. 

Since opening Spelled Ink in Orange, Virginia, owner Cindy Pagan has been adamant about finding unique ways to serve her community. Today, the store features notary services, events for homeschooling families, and partnerships with multiple organizations, including the local food bank.

By Zoe Perzo

By Zoe Perzo

The Food Temptress Cookbook Store in Virginia Beach, Virginia, specializes in cookbooks written by Black authors. As the owner and sole employee, Rekaya Gibson is on a mission to “connect customers to cookbooks by Black authors that inspire creativity and preserve food traditions.” 

By Zoe Perzo

The King’s English Bookshop has been serving Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1977. With 47 years of bookselling behind it, I met with co-owner Anne Holman to learn more about the store’s history, its growth, and what’s in store for the future.

Holman described The King’s English’s growth as “organic.”

By Zoe Perzo