10 bookstores that inspire and unite in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day

April 27 brings Independent Bookstore Day, the biggest bookstore celebration of the year when indies around the country host events, offer discounts and generally feel loved by the communities they provide with fair access to literature, ideas and safe spaces.

USA TODAY celebrates the role independent bookstores play all year with weekly spotlights on businesses around the country in conjunction with the American Booksellers Association, a nonprofit trade association founded in 1900. The profiles show what makes each one special and include expert book recommendations.

Here’s a selection of 10 bookstores we loved writing about. Visit usatoday.com/entertainment/books to see the full list!

Changing Hands Bookstore

Too popular to be called a hidden gem, this Arizona jewel recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It first opened in a 500-square-foot space in 1974. After several moves, Changing Hands now operates two large stores in Tempe and Phoenix. Both locations host author events, poetry and discussion groups and offer a Trade Counter where customers can bring in gently used books for store credit. At the Phoenix bookstore, you’ll find the First Draft Book Bar, which serves coffee, wine, beer and snacks in the middle of the brick-walled store.

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

Details: 6428 S. McClintock Dr., Tempe, Arizona. 480-730-0205. 300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-274-0067. Changinghands.com.

Off the Beaten Path Bookstore

First opened more than 30 years ago as tiny used bookstore in Colorado, Off the Beaten Path has been through three sets of owners and three locations. Current owners Mike and Danielle Skov say one thing has never changed: The commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive space. They partner with local schools, libraries and nonprofits to reach as much of the community as possible. The store is well-known to locals and visitors alike for its cafe, which serves from-scratch giant muffins, Italian sodas, soups and salads and literary themed drinks.

Details: 68 9th St., Steamboat Springs, Colorado. 970-879-6830. Steamboatbooks.com.

Books on Main

Books on Main feels like you're reading inside a treehouse inside a Wisconsin forest. It opened in June 2023 inside a commercial space that had been vacant for more than 10 years. Now, residents of Friendship and the surrounding area have a magical place decorated with wood, leaves and comfy furniture to gather and discover new and beloved books. Another highlight is the sci-fi/fantasy section that’s displayed prominently in the middle of the store.

Details: 301 Main St., Friendship, Wisconsin. Booksonmain301.com.

Shop Around the Corner Books

Amber Treat opened Shop Around the Corner Books after six years of working at her local library. Her Northern California city didn’t have an independent bookstore, so she created a charming 500-square-feet shop in the revitalized downtown’s Cultural District. Treat sells apparel, candles, sweets and other bookish merchandise. Her favorite part of the shop is the children’s section – a cozy nook where she hosts story times – and she loves recommending nature and hiking guides to visitors who come to discover the nearby mountain ranges.

Details: 1430 Butte St., Redding, California. 530-410-4596. Shoparoundthecornerbooks.com.

The Last Chapter Book Shop

You’ll find steamy reads and hot, stylish merchandise at this all-romance bookstore in Chicago that opened in 2023. The Last Chapter cultivates an inclusive, welcoming environment no matter your trope of choice. With the mission to support the many members of Romancelandia, the store hosts author events along with community mixers like Blind Date with a Book, where you wrap one of your favorite books and swap it with a fellow bookworm in hopes of finding a new favorite and a new friend. Don’t miss the photo booths or the many themed bags, drinkware, stickers and apparel that are expertly curated for lovers of romance.

Details: 2013 W. Roscoe St., Chicago. 773-407-0610. Thelastchapterbookshop.com.

Midtown Reader

Sally Bradshaw opened Midtown Reader in November 2016 in Florida's capital, among two major universities and a diverse community of readers. The shelves spotlight books from all genres as well as local authors and books about Florida's political, social and natural history. The bookstore hosts author events, Kidtown Reader story hour, Read to Lead panels, book clubs, workshops and community readings. It’s also home to the Piebrary, a cafe and pie shop that sells slices of chocolate, apple and lemon meringue pie along with flavored lattes, cappuccino and teas.

Details: 1123 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, Florida. 850- 425-2665. Midtownreader.com.

The Novel Neighbor

This women-owned-and-operated store in Missouri is a beacon for community and hosts themed book clubs, grown-up book fairs, large scale author events, cocktail classes, stitch-club meetings and more. It spans multiple rooms and has a whimsical vibe complete with a wall with photos and touring authors' signatures that acts as a living photo album. Novel Neighbor offers summer camps, book-themed parties and personalized book gift boxes. It even has a nonprofit, The Noble Neighbor, to bring free books and author visits to systemically underserved schools and students across the St. Louis region.

Details: 7905 Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis. 314-738-9384. Thenovelneighbor.com.

P&T Knitwear

Corporate fixer Bradley Tusk opened this bookstore in May 2022 in New York City’s Lower East Side and named it after the knitwear shop his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, ran in the neighborhood in the 1950s. Along with a packed calendar of book events, the store is home to a podcast studio that locals can use for free. There’s a café where baristas serve Brooklyn’s East One Coffee Roasters, specialty beverages, wine, beer and hot sandwiches. P&T Knitwear is also home to the Gotham Book Prize, created by Tusk and political strategist Howard Wolfson to recognize the culture that has made New York City special for generations. Since it began in 2021, $170,000 has been awarded to authors.

Details: 180 Orchard St., New York. 212-546-7536. Ptknitwear.com.

Storyhouse Bookpub

Storyhouse Bookpub is in the heart of downtown Des Moines, just down the street from Iowa’s capitol building in one of the most walkable, welcoming and progressive neighborhoods in the city. Owner Abbey Paxton stocks the space with books and arts, lights and plants because she wants people to feel invited to settle into one of the cozy nooks or chat about what they're reading. The store recently expanded to make room for a used-book program. Paxton takes pride in featuring products from local artisans like candles, lip balms, jewelry and toys, and she filled the store with local antique bookshelves and mural of the store's mascot Cozy the Bear by a local artist.

Details: 505 E. Grand Ave., Suite #102, Des Moines, Iowa. Storyhousebookpub.com.

Wild Geese Bookshop

Named for Mary Oliver's poem "Wild Geese," Wild Geese Bookshop opened November 2016, the week of a contentious Presidential election, and quickly became a much-needed space where people (who probably would not be friends on the internet) found connection and surprising friendships. The Indiana bookstore hosts events including wine tastings, book clubs, author events, cooking demonstrations, themed parties, First Friday pop-ups and more. Their Sunshine Box Care Packages are gift boxes that are thoughtfully curated with unique titles and gifts based on customer input then shipped to whomever the customer wants to give a boost.

Details: 40 E. Madison St., Franklin, Indiana. 317-494-6545. Wildgeesebookshop.com.