Featured Bookstores

Grolier Poetry Book Shop: A Local and International Poetry Landmark

Nina Zoe Perzo — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:01:21 +0000

Grolier Poetry Book Shop: A Local and International Poetry Landmark

Nina Zoe Perzo Tue, 09/16/2025 - 12:01

9/17/2025

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.

“The store was started almost 100 years ago by Gordon Cairnie,” Menkiti explained. “And back in the day it was the stomping grounds for these Harvard guys. A lot of reputable poets from back in the day would spend time here, but I’ve heard it described as a bit of a boys club.”

When Louisa Solano acquired the store in 1974, she adjusted the collection to allow more room for women poets. And during her time at the store, Menkiti’s father, Ifeanyi Menkiti, became a regular customer.

“In the ‘70s, he was getting his PhD at Harvard and got to know Louisa. He was also a poet,” explained Menkiti. “He spent a lot of time at Grolier, and they’d become friends. He had come to value the store as this cultural institution and meeting place for poets and literary people in Cambridge — and really across the country.”

In 2006, when Solano was ready to leave bookselling, Ifeanyi Menkiti purchased the store to avoid letting it go out of business. A tenured philosophy professor at Wellesley College at the time, Ifeanyi's wife Carol ran the day-to-day activities of the store while Ifeanyi hosted poetry readings and moderated panels at the shop. Under his ownership, Grolier also started to house more underrepresented poets.

“I love the arc of the history of the store,” Menkiti said. “Starting with these two men and all these guys hanging out there, to Louisa, who wanted to encourage female poets. And then my dad, this immigrant from Nigeria, who wanted to promote international and underrepresented voices. But they all had this love of poetry and what it could do in the world.”

Ifeanyi Menkiti passed suddenly in 2019, and ownership of the store stayed with the family. These days, Ndidi Menkiti has a manager to handle the day to day operations, but she continues to handle large decisions and pops into the store to help out whenever she can.

While running a store with such a long history — and one that was so important to her father — definitely comes with the weight of its legacy, Menkiti says she was more than willing to take on that responsibility.

“This is a way of honoring my dad,” she explained, “but I was also an English major and a musician. I believe in the arts and the power that they have to connect people.”

Like every bookstore that has stuck around for a while, Grolier has been through some rough patches. Menkiti explained that much of the time, her father was using his personal funds to keep the store going.

These past several years, Menkiti has been working to minimize losses and make Grolier more financially stable. She credits the store’s manager, James Fraser, with really helping to stabilize the shop.

“James works really hard. He has great ideas and has infused new life into the store. Grolier also has a couple part-time booksellers and young volunteer interns who bring great energy to the community.” she said. “And of course, it’s also thanks to the people who love the store, those loyal customers who want to see the store survive and thrive.”

Grolier continues to offer weekly poetry readings, which Menkiti says are just as much a part of the store’s identity as its inventory.

“The readings are part of what people love about Grolier,” she explained. “We’ll move the center table and put out chairs. We can fit maybe 40 people inside. It’s a very intimate experience of being in there, hearing the poetry, and being literally surrounded by bookshelves in this small room.”

Readings are planned months in advance, and guests range from emerging writers to famous poets, from locals to international guests. And, for those not in the Cambridge area, readings are also livestreamed.

Aside from the weekly readings, Grolier occasionally has larger offsite events. And every August, the store hosts a memorial reading in honor of Ifeanyi Menkiti. (This year’s memorial reading featured Charles Coe and Regie Gibson.)

“The memorial reading is a really special event that brings all the Grolier regulars together," said Menkiti. “My dad was a staple in the community. His friends and people who know the store for other reasons all come together and it’s always one of the highlights of the year.”

While Grolier clearly has a devoted community locally, the store is also an international landmark in the poetry community. Travelers from across the world who believe in the power of poetry often go out of their way to stop by this historic store.

If you’re in the Cambridge area, don’t forget to stop by Grolier and see why this store is so beloved by their owners, their customers, and their community. You can also support Grolier from afar by visiting their website, ordering from their Bookshop.org, attending their events via Zoom, or following them on Facebook and Instagram.

Eden Books: The Romance Bookstore Built on E-Books

Nina Zoe Perzo — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 19:25:01 +0000

Eden Books: The Romance Bookstore Built on E-Books

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Mon, 08/04/2025 - 15:25

8/6/2025

By Zoe Perzo

Eden Books is an online bookstore, based out of Florida, that focuses on romance and women’s fiction. Founded by Robyn Crawford in direct response to censorship efforts, Eden Books has grown tremendously in its six years of operation and primarily specializes in e-books.

I sat down with Crawford to learn more about the incident that sparked Eden’s creation, and how Crawford has built and maintained such a unique bookstore.

Like many innovators, Crawford saw a problem and decided if no one else would tackle it, then she would.

“In 2017, K. Webster wrote a book, put it on Amazon, and it created quite the uproar in the romance community. And because people were so upset, Amazon banned the book. It just felt really wrong. I had never heard of Amazon banning a book up until that point,” Crawford recalled.

“Amazon carries things like Game of Thrones and the Bible, both of which have [content] that people could be deeply offended by, but those are books predominantly read by men and written by men. This felt like an attack on a genre that's predominantly read by women. It just felt like we were being told by a male-dominated industry that we were too stupid to make decisions about what we wanted to read.”

Crawford said that although she was upset about the incident, she initially tried to move past it. But then it happened again, and many self-published romance authors were worried about their writing careers and income. Amazon is the go-to distribution option for many self-published authors. Where else could they go?

“I kept thinking, ‘oh, someone is going to do something,’ ” Crawford explained, “but by March of 2018, no one had. So, I got to work.”

Crawford works full-time at the University of Florida, so she went down to the college’s center for entrepreneurship and said, “How do I do this?”

Eden Books launched in 2019, and while the store does carry physical books and popular romance titles, its primary focus is on e-books.

Crawford explained that a lot of thought and research went into the decision to focus on e-books, but it easily came down to what was best for the authors and the readers.

“I realized very quickly that romance readers are primarily reading e-books. For a lot of reasons, but I think the big one is that there’s still a stigma around the genre. There are also readers who are parents, and having those titles around could be potentially uncomfortable. Not to mention, e-books are less expensive and easier to access, and romance readers have a voracious appetite,” Crawford said. “It became pretty obvious to me that I needed to meet the authors and readers where they were.”

Eden’s e-book authors go through an approval process — things like verifying the work is their original piece and applying the appropriate genres and tags — then their work is available for readers to purchase and download to their preferred e-reader.

“We carry a lot of indie authors within the romance genre. We’re really known for carrying the books that other retailers don’t carry. That’s our big reputation. And after six and a half years, I am genuinely still amazed at the response that we get from authors and readers,” Crawford said.

Eden’s initial growth was slow but steady, but shortly before COVID it experienced an alarming but exciting spike in popularity.

“We had a very popular writing duo upload their entire backlog to our site, and they created a bundle with 99 of their books for one phenomenal price. They had a massive following, and we went from getting 4,000 hits per day to 12,000 hits in an hour. They hit our site so hard and we were not prepared for that push. They crashed the site,” she laughed. “I remember having a meltdown, then laughing because that was actually a good thing.”

Crawford mentioned that Eden has grown almost entirely by word of mouth, but the romance community is a dedicated one, and the store has continued to thrive.

Today, Eden also offers a membership program — the Orchard Program — that is designed to complement the buying and reading habits of its customers. Members can choose between a one month membership, three months, six months, or a year, and during that time they will receive a discount on all their purchases.

“I love the idea of an annual membership,” Crawford explained, “but I have those memberships and I know I don’t always take full advantage of them. So it’s easy for members to adjust their tier based on their budget and we do not automatically renew our members. I never want our readers to feel taken advantage of. I want to make sure that readers are getting the most out of the benefit and that it fits their budgetary needs.”

Though Crawford has already built this unique and successful venture from scratch, she’s still looking for ways to innovate in the future.

“I’d love to offer audiobooks,” she said. “Currently, the cost of making those available is astronomical. But I would love to have an audiobook production company or under the Eden umbrella because audiobooks are my favorite. And I think this may be many booksellers’ dream, but to have my own imprint and be able to support more authors and get more books out into the hands of readers…that would just be the coolest to me.”

“Those are really big goals,” she laughed, “but I think they are actually doable.”

For Crawford, the romance community — the authors and readers — makes this all worth it. And she’s thrilled that in the past few years more romance bookstores have popped up and the genre is becoming less stigmatized.

“This is a community of really good people, and they just want to be able to read and get a little bit of hope and love into their lives. And I love that these books are very reflective of what we as women are experiencing in our own lives, and that these books always give us a little hope and a little reminder that we should be loved for who we are. We should be accepted for exactly who we are and we should never change for anyone unless it's ourselves,” she said.

Crawford says she and Eden Books will be around for as long as possible to support and advocate for the romance community.

We can’t wait to see how Eden Books expands in the future. You can visit Eden Books’ website to learn more, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

Queer Haven Books: Growing a Safe Space for the Southeast

Nina Zoe Perzo — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:35:27 +0000

Queer Haven Books: Growing a Safe Space for the Southeast

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Mon, 07/28/2025 - 14:35

7/30/2025

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.

Rogers is a professor of sociology, and during their school years, they often dreamed of opening a business that would double as a safe space for the queer community. But that dream wasn’t always a bookstore.

The original dream was to open a queer bar, but by the time Rogers completed their Ph.D., the idea of running a bar was less appealing. After a little thought, Rogers pivoted.

“I'm passionate about education and community building, so [a bookstore] seemed like a perfect blend,” they explained.

Rogers established Queer Haven in 2023 as a pop-up and was able to transition to a brick-and-mortar bookstore after just a year.

As the store’s name and mission imply, Queer Haven is a designated safe space. They also explicitly extend that safe space beyond queer customers, as their website offers a clear explanation of their mission and views: “We define queer broadly to include all genders and sexualities that go against established norms, but also politically, as push back against all -phobias and -isms (homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, racism, ableism, ageism, sexism, etc.), discrimination, and violence in our society.”

And the Queer Haven staff are putting in the work to maintain this environment.

“We want Queer Haven Books to be a space for the whole family and the whole community.” Rogers explained. “Our staff is all queer, friendly, and knowledgeable about queer literature. We love to help people find the right book for them. From fantasy to non-fiction, there is something for everyone, queer or not. We also host a variety of events — readings and signings, queer comedy nights, live music, drag story hour and kids' craft time.”

They often take their events out of the store — and even out of the city!

“We get out in the community as much as possible to create queer space all around the Southeast, to let people know we are here for them, and to share other queer resources available in the area for those looking,” Rogers said.

“Last year we held over 160 events and pop-ups! That feels especially crazy because all of the owners and employees have other jobs or are in school.”

As this article comes shortly after Pride Month, Rogers and their team have just finished a month absolutely packed with events — they appeared at Pride events all over South Carolina. And they’re not slowing down! Their October plans for LGBTQ+ History Month are already on the calendar!

Queer Haven has grown rapidly in just two years of operation, and has quickly embedded itself in the community. Rogers credits much of their success not just to their community, but to their team.

“I learn something new every day,” they said, “and I’m surprised most days. We've tried a lot of things — some work and others flop. But we are learning all the way. Personally, I learned that running a small business entails endless work, and a lot of that involves technology that is above my pay grade. Luckily, I have employees who are younger than me and brilliant!”

Moving forward, Rogers hopes to expand the store. While they’re making good use of their 700-square-foot space, Rogers explained that a bigger space (with better parking!) would increase the overall accessibility of their store.

“I want to make sure everyone can access the space as easily as possible,” they said.

We can’t wait to see how Queer Haven Books continues to grow. If you are in South Carolina (or find yourself near one of their out-of-state events!) don’t forget to stop by!

In the meantime, you can visit the store online, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Mayhem's Bookstore & Board Game Cafe On Complementing Local Businesses

Nina Zoe Perzo — Fri, 23 May 2025 14:31:04 +0000

Mayhem's Bookstore & Board Game Cafe On Complementing Local Businesses

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Fri, 05/23/2025 - 10:31

6/18/2025

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.

I sat down with Milazzo to learn more about Mayhem’s origin and operation.

Up until a few years ago, the brothers' lives were going in completely different directions. In 2018, Milazzo left the Navy and went back to school, where he pursued several master's degrees (in business, strategic management, and real estate investment). He was also working at a big corporation (which he hated).

His younger brother had just graduated from Penn State with a communications degree.

Cue COVID.

“He had this master plan and a job lined up in Pittsburgh,” Milazzo recalled, “but with COVID, everything fell apart.”

Leavy had worked at a State College comic store all through college, and though he loved it, he wasn’t making enough to survive.

“Ultimately, I had the degree in business, but I didn’t know what to open,” Milazzo explained. “He had the passion for comics and was ready for a change.”

The two started looking at their options and decided Lancaster was an ideal spot. Milazzo already lived in the city, and he had seen it grow as a result of the pandemic. More and more people were moving in from big cities — Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, and D.C. — seeking a (relatively) smaller and cheaper place to call home.

Though the initial concept of Mayhem’s started as just a bookstore, it quickly evolved.

Board games had been a vital part of their childhood, and after some research trips to other board game cafes, they realized they could easily integrate board games into Mayhem’s plan. They would maintain a collection of games that customers could pay a small fee to hang out and play.

The cafe aspect expanded after they toured the space that would become their current location. Since it was on the first floor of an apartment building, the landlord wanted a tenant that would allow the residents to get a drink and hang out. Milazzo was sure they could fill that role, so the initial plan for a few carafes of coffee morphed into a full cafe.

After a year of planning and preparation, Mayhem’s Bookstore & Board Game Cafe soft opened in fall of 2024 and held their grand opening at the beginning of 2025.

“We have about 2,500 square feet, with 1,500 books, 350 games, and a full-service cafe,” Milazzo said.

Mayhem’s customers are able to hang out, grab a snack, and browse for books, or take advantage of the massive board game collection. (Any book purchase also comes with a board game pass for the day.)

The store also has a subscriber option for frequent visitors, which offers unlimited gameplay, unlimited drip coffee, and daily book discounts for a monthly fee. (Members roll three d6 at checkout to determine their discount.)

Though they are still new, they are on track to attain the brothers’ goal of bringing the community together.

Not only are they on the first floor of that apartment building, they are right next door to the Fulton Theater. There’s also an art school on the block, and several colleges within a few minutes’ drive. There are several bookstores in the area, as well as a board game store, which is where Milazzo’s idea to complement local businesses comes into play.

“We don’t want to compete. We want to complement,” he explained. “All of our games come from that board game store a block away. We don’t sell any of our games. And [although] there are several bookstores in the city, none of them exclusively sell graphic novels.”

Mayhem’s even takes it a step further by sourcing all of their cafe’s food from local bakeries and delis.

They’ve also partnered with the theater to offer a whole experience.

“You can come to our cafe, get good parking in the city, play some games, and then go right across the street for your show. You can make it a whole date night,” he said.

But Mayhem’s isn’t just partnering with other businesses, the store has its own full events calendar. In addition to regular events like Pokémon on Tuesdays and Magic: The Gathering on Fridays, the store holds a different “Social Sunday” event every week. Sunday events range from book clubs to chess tournaments, from puzzle races to bingo, and even speed dating.

“We want to be a good third space — a place to hang out, close your laptop, and be with people.” Milazzo said.

Milazzo and his family have used their combined experience to create a delightful community hub, build strong partnerships, and share their love of books and board games.

If you’re in Lancaster, be sure to stop by Mayhem’s Bookstore & Board Game Cafe! You can also find them online via their website, Facebook, or Instagram.

Lavish Booktique Brings Women's Stories to the Bronx

Nina Zoe Perzo — Tue, 20 May 2025 19:18:02 +0000

Lavish Booktique Brings Women's Stories to the Bronx

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Tue, 05/20/2025 - 15:18

5/28/2025

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.

Osoria also noticed that for the size of the Bronx, there were relatively few bookstores.

“The Bronx is a very large community,” she said, “and literacy is so important. Books have been such a large part of my life. My parents came over from Honduras, and they didn’t speak English. We always had books in our home so that they could learn English.”

“I just wanted to share these books — these resources — so that they could be available to my community,” she explained.

Determined to help fill the gap she saw in her community, Osoria launched Lavish Booktique in 2023.

Though she briefly debated what her inventory would look like, she ultimately decided the choice was obvious.

“I’m a mom of daughters, first generation, and Latina. I really feel the next generation needs to hear about our past and other stories from other women authors so they can be inspired to do what they want in their life,” she said. “There are so many women’s stories in this world that people don’t know about. So Lavish Booktique highlights those stories.”

Osoria carries diverse titles across all genres — whatever she thinks might resonate with her community — but she has a soft spot for children’s books like her own that show children growing up in different cultures.

Since Osoria also works a full-time job, she mostly operates the pop-up on the weekends, but that hasn’t stopped her from building multiple community partnerships and a steady event schedule.

“I partner with groups like the Riverdale Main Street Alliance and the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVC),” she said. “They do an annual block party in the community, so I’ll have a stand there. I also do pop-ups with KRVC every month or so.”

Most days, Lavish Booktique is a one-woman show, with Osoria handling everything from curation to operation to marketing. But sometimes her family lends a hand.

“My kids are 18, 16, and nine,” she said. “I love when they get involved. They get to see the power of books and words. And it’s a way to teach them business skills, customer service, and about being part of the community.”

Two years into operation, Osoria has gotten used to handling a pop-up, but she explained that early on she faced a lot of the same challenges as any new bookstore owner, like funding and building out inventory.

“I just jumped into it,” she recalled, “but I wish I had known more about all the different companies we can order from, or how to communicate with publishing companies, and who to reach out to in order to bring out authors.”

Another constant challenge is choosing a small selection of titles — from the vast number available — that will best fit her community.

Osoria believes that opening Lavish Booktique as a pop-up was a great starting point for her business.

“Being a pop-up bookstore owner — especially as a working mother — has allowed me to do things on my own time. I’m writing. I’m working my nine-to-five. It’s sports season for the kids. With Lavish Booktique I get to set my own schedule and still get to know my community,” she explained.

But she doesn’t plan on keeping the Booktique a pop-up forever. In the future, she wants to transition to a brick-and-mortar so she can share more stories and empower more people in her community.

She also hopes that as she grows, she can bring more authors into the Bronx, and even organize a book festival.

“It’s a huge goal of mine,” she said, “to bring more authors from different genres and backgrounds into our community. I want people to get to meet them, and hear their stories, and know that authors are just like us. They’re humans who wrote a story that they loved and wanted to share with the world.”

If you’d like to support Lavish Booktique, you can order from the store on Bookshop.org, or catch Osoria at one of her pop-up events! Follow the shop on Instagram or sign up for the store newsletter to learn more!

Spelled Ink: Serving the Community with Compassion and Creativity

Nina Zoe Perzo — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:18:42 +0000

Spelled Ink: Serving the Community with Compassion and Creativity

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Tue, 03/18/2025 - 09:18

3/19/2025

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.

I sat down with Pagan to learn more about Spelled Ink’s growth and goals.

Cindy Pagan and her former business partner, Heather Griffin, originally started Spelled Ink as an online bookstore during the pandemic lockdown.

“We thought it was the perfect time for it,” Pagan explained. “Everything was being purchased online at that time, and no one was leaving their homes.”

When the lockdown eased, they expanded into candles, soaps, and bookish goods, setting up at the local farmers market and adding those items to their store’s inventory. From there, things escalated quickly.

“Within that first year, we were contacted by the person heading the local downtown alliance. They offered to let us do a pop-up shop for the holidays, and we jumped at the opportunity!”

To their delight, once the holidays passed, Spelled Ink’s temporary home became permanent. The store has continued to grow, but Pagan says the rapid growth has caused a few bumps along the way.

Last year, Pagan and Griffin parted ways, as Griffin opened another bookstore in a neighboring town. Though originally they had planned for the new bookstore to be a second Spelled Ink location, the pair felt the distance between locations made it difficult to coordinate properly, and that independent stores would be more successful.

“It was kind of bittersweet,” Pagan recalled. “It was sad to lose a partner, but at the same time I found out I was going to be able to expand our space in the building we’re in.”

Pagan admitted that suddenly being the sole proprietor and wearing so many hats was a bit of a challenge, but she tackled it head on.

She applied for — and received — a grant from American Express and Main Street America to help furnish the store’s expansion and she’s introduced several new programs and services to Spelled Ink.

“I’m constantly trying to make sure we have as much as possible to offer,” Pagan said. “I feel like bookstores today have so much competition that we have to be more of a destination than just a bookstore.”

“Last year, I thought, ‘Would being a notary help?’ There are often times that I’m open but other places are not. Why not become a notary and have that service available for people outside of bank or post office hours?”

“It comes in handy,” she laughed, “You'd be surprised how many people really need a notary on Saturday afternoon.”

Spelled Ink also offers a gaming room, crafting classes, regular book clubs, visits from Inkling (Pagan’s bewitching black cat and Spelled Ink’s mascot), and regular events for the homeschooling community.

Pagan, who was a stay-at-home homeschooling mom before Spelled Ink, remembers how hard it was to find homeschooling events in town.

“Because the town is so small, most of the homeschoolers out here have had to travel to other communities to meet up for different groups. I always wanted to be able to offer an opportunity for the homeschoolers to meet up right here in town.”

She also works with local organizations whenever possible. One of Spelled Ink’s longstanding partnerships is with the local food bank.

“We do a free birthday book certificate with the food bank. They give visitors a little coupon that they can bring in here, and they can pick out a book of their choice for free for their birthday,” Pagan said.

In just a few years of operation, Pagan’s creativity and focus on her community has allowed the store to flourish, and I can’t wait to see what Spelled Ink does in the future.

If you find yourself in Orange, Virginia, take a moment to stop and explore Spelled Ink. You can also visit the store’s website, or follow them on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.

44th & 3rd Bookseller On Paying Homage to Obama and Uplifting Black Authors

Nina Zoe Perzo — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 22:00:14 +0000

44th & 3rd Bookseller On Paying Homage to Obama and Uplifting Black Authors

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Mon, 02/17/2025 - 17:00

2/19/2025

By Zoe Perzo

44th & 3rd Bookseller in Atlanta, Georgia, is a family-owned bookstore on a mission to be “a source of unbiased literature that is true to the rich culture of excellence experienced and expressed in the Black community world-wide.”

I met with co-founder Cheryl Lee to learn more about the bookstore’s unique origin, its name, and mission.

Founded and owned by Cheryl Lee and her husband, Warren, opened 44th & 3rd Bookseller in 2017. But the store’s origin lies decades earlier with Lee’s master‘s thesis.

“I wrote my master’s thesis on the viability of opening an independent bookstore specifically focusing on Black bookstores. This was over thirty years ago, and things have changed a bit since then,” Lee explained. “Back then, it was thought that the big box bookstores would eventually lead to the elimination of independent bookstores. Today, we see that has not happened. In fact, Barnes & Noble is copying the independent bookstore model.”

“One of the main findings,” Lee said, “was that independent bookstores are seen as a destination for communities, and that customers truly cherish and support their community bookstores.”

Lee explained that it became her dream to open a bookstore, and that other experiences along the way reinforced that decision.

In 2010, Lee and her husband traveled to Chicago, and — like many book lovers — made a stop at a local bookstore.

“We made a stop at one of the big box bookstores,” she recalled, “and we were surprised to learn that the store did not have any books by or about the Obamas. It was a huge disappointment, especially given that this was where the Obamas lived.”

“At that time we decided that if we ever had the opportunity to open a bookstore, we would make sure there would be plenty of books about the Obamas,” she explained.

And in 2017, when that opportunity came, Cheryl and Warren Lee remembered that promise. They embedded it in the very name and identity of the shop.

44th & 3rd Bookseller is so named in honor of Barack Obama — the 44th president — and the three themes present in the store and its collections — life, literature, and legacy.

Today, you can find 44th & 3rd Bookseller in the historic West End, near the Atlanta University Center. The store is primarily run by the Lees, and their daughter Allyce, and the trio coordinates responsibilities based on their strengths.

“For example,” Lee said, “I’m a huge fiction and history reader, but I love reading just about anything, so I’m responsible for buying and curating the books we stock.”

“We have sections on just about every major genre, but fiction and history are my favorites,” she said.

And, of course, they have a section dedicated entirely to the Obamas.

44th & 3rd Bookseller also regularly hosts events, particularly author appearances. The bookstore event calendar is packed with upcoming events, but Lee shared a few that she is looking forward to in the next few months.

“We have two events with Dr. Daniel Black in February — he is the professor who did the commencement speech for Clark Atlanta that went viral,” she said. “And I am very excited to host (in March) Bob the Drag Queen for the new book Harriet Tubman: Live In Concert. We also have an April event with CEO Monique Rodriguez of Mielle Organics that I am very excited about!”

With seven successful years of bookselling behind them, the Lees (and 44th &3rd) have become a vital part of their community, and they remain committed to keeping books by and about Black people accessible for their customers.

“Our mission is to provide books by and about Black people to our community and to provide a safe and welcoming space to enjoy these books,” Lee said. “My dream has always been to put books into the hands of our community and to expose them to the knowledge that is available but is not always seen or represented any place else.”

If the mission of 44th & 3rd Bookseller resonates with you, and you’re in the Atlanta area, don’t forget to stop by the shop to talk to the Lees and browse their collection, or attend an event! If you’re not in Georgia, you can support the shop by visiting online, or following the 44th & 3rd Bookseller Instagram and Facebook.

The Food Temptress On Preserving History Through Food and Promoting Cookbooks By Black Authors

Nina Zoe Perzo — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:04:00 +0000

The Food Temptress On Preserving History Through Food and Promoting Cookbooks By Black Authors

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Tue, 02/04/2025 - 13:04

2/5/2025

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.”

I met with Gibson to learn more about the store’s origin, mission, and operation.

Although The Food Temptress Cookbook Store first opened its physical location in 2023, Gibson’s Food Temptress brand has been around for years.

Gibson first discovered her love of food in New Orleans, after moving there to work on her master’s degree. Even though she evacuated and ended up in Las Vegas after Hurricane Katrina, the Indiana native couldn’t shake her love for the city, and published her book, The Food Temptress, in 2009.

With food playing a major part in her novel, Gibson started a food blog by the same name to help keep her readers’ interest. When her readers responded positively to the recipes and photos she was sharing, food eventually became the focal point of the Food Temptress blog.

When Gibson took the next step, moving to Virginia to do food and restaurant reviews as a freelancer, there was never any question what name she would operate under. While freelancing, Gibson acquired an expansive collection of cookbooks that ultimately inspired her to open a cookbook store.

The Food Temptress Cookbook Store opened as an online store in 2021. But Gibson felt that an online storefront alone wasn’t enough.

“I really wanted to figure out a way to contribute to history, to preserve history and to keep food traditions alive — particularly for Black people in the African diaspora,” Gibson explained. “So, I decided to open a physical space, and I did that in 2023.”

Today, The Food Temptress is located inside Virginia Beach’s Painted Tree Boutiques. The unique arrangement has been central to Gibson’s ability to both run the bookstore and maintain a full-time job (these days, she’s a food and drink reporter for The Virginian-Pilot and the Daily Press).

“With Painted Tree Boutiques,” Gibson explained, “you get a unique identifier for your inventory, and there’s one central checkout location that [Painted Tree] hires staff for.”

While Gibson can track her inventory through the company’s vendor portal, decorate the space, and hold events, she doesn’t have to worry about staffing the space or utilities. While it may not be the perfect solution for every bookstore, for Gibson’s staff of one, it’s allowed her the freedom to maintain her job while pursuing her mission to help people connect to their pasts through food.

“I like history,” she said, “and one way to preserve that is to keep books in circulation and teach people how to cook recipes and tell stories.”

Besides stocking a wide variety of modern cookbooks, another way that Gibson is supporting the store’s mission is by making historical cookbooks more visible and accessible. Currently, a scan of Malinda Russell’s 1866 cookbook, A Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen, is available for free on The Food Temptress website and Gibson plans to add more historical cookbooks soon.

“I wanted to make sure that I pay homage to one of the first cookbooks published by a Black author in the United States,” Gibson explained. “And I want people to try some of the recipes! It’s from 1866, but you can take a recipe and say, ‘I want to try this ingredient because it sounds better.’ ”

“It’s just another way to keep history alive,” she said.

Gibson also wants to start a campaign encouraging people to start writing down their family recipes.

“I remember my grandmother making biscuits and fried mackerel patties. If I wanted to, I could go in the kitchen and make it right now, because I remember what she did. But it’s not written anywhere,” Gibson said. “It’s so easy not to write down your grandma’s or your auntie’s or your uncle’s recipes, but then they’ll die with them. If you write down just a little, or if you just take a picture, it will help you remember. It will bring back memories for people, and then we can carry them on into history.”

For Gibson, food is a vital way of connecting with the past and bringing memories into the future. And through The Food Temptress, she hopes to connect as many people as possible with recipes created and shared by Black authors.

Gibson laughed as she recalled one memorable encounter with a bestselling author who told her, “I didn’t know there were this many cookbooks by Black authors!”

“It made me take a step back,” Gibson said, “I thought, ‘I wonder if other people think that.’ There are tons of cookbooks by Black authors around the world — and in every genre. Take a peek and support them.”

If you’re in Virginia Beach, don’t forget to stop by The Food Temptress in person! You can also find The Food Temptress online at foodtemptresscookbookstore.com or follow the store on Instagram and Facebook.

The King's English Bookshop: 47 Years As Salt Lake City's Indie Bookstore

Nina Zoe Perzo — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:24:14 +0000

The King's English Bookshop: 47 Years As Salt Lake City's Indie Bookstore

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Mon, 11/25/2024 - 10:24

11/27/2024

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.”

“The store began in 1977 when Ann Berman and Betsy Burton rented office space in a rundown, old dry goods store so that they could work on their novels,” Holman explained. “They decided to sell books as a side hustle, and that very quickly became their full-time job!”

In 1987, they bought the corner gas station and were able to expand their space. Over the years, they've become a staple of the Utah indie scene.

Today, the shop is co-owned by Anne Holman and Calvin Crosby. Together, they’ve continued to grow The King's English. Their latest addition is a not-for-profit arm called Brain Food Books, a program dedicated to increasing access to books.

While The King’s English has faced the same obstacles all indies face — “the big box stores, then Amazon, Audible, then the pandemic” — Holman said owning their building gave them the stability they needed to weather those challenges. But the busy event schedule, packed with author appearances, book fairs, school visits, and book clubs, offers another challenge.

“We have thirty people on our official roster, the majority of them are part time,” Holman explained, “so it’s hard to get everyone on the same page much of the time. We use every method we can, including texting, signs, messaging, and meetings to make sure all of us know what is hot that week.”

But for Holman, the challenge of communicating with a larger workforce is worth the extra work. She’s proud of her team.

“The one thing we don’t have to worry about is the passion of our booksellers.”

Holman and Crosby both know there’s something magical about the bookselling life and about The King’s English in particular.

The King’s English had been Crosby’s childhood bookstore. As an adult he moved to California, and even served as CALIBA’s executive director for several years, but when the opportunity to return to The King’s English appeared, he didn’t hesitate.

Similarly, Holman had worked at and loved bookstores long before she found herself at The King’s English. When she moved back to Utah after living in the Chicago area for a while, her next door neighbor suggested she try The King’s English, and she’s been there ever since.

While Holman admits bookselling can be a hard career to choose — “It's not currently a job where you can make a living, so you have to have a back up plan” — it’s the only choice for her.

“I wouldn’t trade this life for anything,” she said.

If you’re in Salt Lake City, you can visit The King’s English Bookshop in person, or visit them online via their website, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Photo Credits: The King's English Bookshop

How Em and Em's Books Curated a Diverse Collection with Only Used Books

Nina Zoe Perzo — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:54:38 +0000

How Em and Em's Books Curated a Diverse Collection with Only Used Books

Featured Bookstores

Nina Zoe Perzo Tue, 11/12/2024 - 14:54

11/13/2024

By Zoe Perzo

Em and Em’s Books is an online and pop-up independent bookstore based in Buffalo, New York. The store offers both new and used books, but specifically focuses on work by LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC, and women authors. While we’ve seen many bookstores curate similarly mindful collections, this store takes it one step further: each month a portion of its profits is donated to a different charity. I met with co-owners Emma Hayes and Emily Graham to learn more about the store’s origin, operation, and future goals.

Hayes and Graham had been friends for more than a decade before they went into business together. For a long time, they viewed opening a bookstore as a retirement dream or an inside joke. But in 2020, the pandemic forced everyone to re-evaluate their lives, and Hayes and Graham realized their bookstore dream could be something more.

“A ‘what if’ became a ‘why not,’ and it kind of snowballed from there,” they told me.

In 2022, Em and Em’s opened its metaphorical doors, with a highly curated selection of used books by diverse authors.

“We had become radicalized by the selection at major bookstores,” Hayes explained. “We wanted to prioritize diverse books by diverse authors as well as primarily used books. It was more economically feasible to start, and then it became fun to try to find books that fit our criteria in the best shape we can. We wanted to stock mostly newer books to give people a viable and sustainable alternative to shopping at major retailers.”

And each month, they donate a portion of their profits to a different charity.

“It felt like the next logical step for us to take,” Hayes and Graham said. “As a queer and partially Native-owned business, we feel strongly about helping make our world better however we can. We focus mostly on LGBTQIA+, Indigenous, and local organizations, but we’ve also donated in response to major events like the fires in Hawai'i, abortion bans, or the genocide in Gaza.”

For now, Hayes and Graham are the only employees at Em and Em’s Books, so they’ve set up a system to help them organize all their responsibilities.

“One of the first pieces of advice we got was 'friends don’t always make good business partners,’ Graham explained. “So dividing up our tasks and figuring out what specific roles we each preferred early on was essential to maintaining both our friendship and our partnership.”

“We complement each other pretty well.” Graham said. “I'm the resident extrovert, so it helps that I take on more of the front-facing roles, while Emma Hayes handles more of the behind-the-scenes work.”

While the task of anticipating and splitting up all the possible responsibilities a business might face can seem daunting, Hayes and Graham agree the results have been worth it.

On top of proactively splitting responsibilities, Graham recommends new small business owners establish regular work hours, routines, and boundaries to help avoid burnout.

“Figure out your limits and treat this like a ‘regular’ job! Set up boundaries and develop the discipline not to exceed them,” Graham said. “One of the benefits of owning our own store is we get to call the shots on finding that healthy work-life balance.”

Even with these systems in place, Em and Em’s Books has hit a few challenges along the way. But they’ve embraced them, adapted, and built a community.

“As a pop-up store, it’s definitely been a challenge to curate stock for different events,” Hayes and Graham said. “You never quite know who will show up. Especially as a primarily used bookstore, it's a challenge (but also very fun!) to find books for different themed markets. But there's nothing more exciting than to have people recognize us around the community and come to multiple events to buy books from us.”

“I wish I had known just how great community support can be.” Hayes admitted. “I was very anxious at first, not knowing how this venture would go. But we've gained traction in our community. We have repeat customers and market organizers who reach out to us unprompted to vend at their events. We wouldn't have been able to sustain our pop-up business model for the last few years without the support of fellow businesses and people in our community and I couldn't be more grateful.”

Thanks to the outpouring of support, Hayes and Graham are hoping to open a brick and mortar location in the future.

Though they’re starting to wrap up their pop-up events for the year, if you’re in the Buffalo area you can catch Em and Em’s Books at The Merry Shelley (a literary themed romantic horror bar!) in December!

You can also find the store online at emandemsbooks.com or on Instagram and Facebook!