Submitted by TheSavoryMillennial t3_116m9mv in books
I’m thinking about possible Summer road-trips and I’d love the opportunity to check out cool bookstores that are within driving distance. I’d prefer to keep it within the Midwest, as I’ll be driving from Michigan. If you know if any locally owned book shops I should check out, I’d be super appreciative!!!
This is a fantastic bookstore with 30+ rooms! Plan on spending several hours there.
Oooooh that sounds magical.
One of the best places on earth
Cannot upvote this enough.
While you're in Columbus be sure to check out Hoffman books! Primarily older books, and just a neat store. Half Priced Books also seems to rotate through their stock frequently so it's always worth a look. I'm new to the area so I still haven't made it to The Book Loft yet.
Minneapolis-St. Paul is a great spot for independent bookshops. Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis, and Next Chapter in St. Paul, are the biggest in each city, I think, but there are also specialty bookstores, like Once Upon a Crime, which only stocks crime fiction, and Birchbark Books, owned by Louise Erdrich, which sells a tightly-curated selection of books by Native authors and crafts by Native artists.
Seconding Birchbark!
Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago is wonderful for new books. Myopic Bookstore in Chicago for used books (kind of pricy for used books though) but has good older books.
I’m a big fan of Unabridged, went to a book signing they sponsored a few years ago pre Covid
Seconding Unabridged! One of my favorite bookstores in the country (and I travel for work usually get books rather than souvenirs). Also 47th St in Hyde Park near UChicago is pretty much as close to a bookstore neighborhood as you will find. It’s worth it for The Seminary and Powell’s alone.
Omg yes I LOVE Seminary
John K King Used Book store in Detroit is an experience.
While in the area, Dawn Treader in Ann Arbor. Skip Toledo as we have fuck all for used book stores here.
Bit of a drive, but Prospero's in Kansas City is one of my favorites.
This!!
Left Bank books in STL.
It's a nice historic/activist book store with cats!
Subterranean books is also a good one in stl
Came here to recommend this one, such a nice store
Minneapolis is bookstore heaven! So many independent bookstores
My favorites: magers and Quinn (used book store), irreverent bookworm (used book store), and moon palace (new books).
A Room of One’s Own in Madison is a personal favorite of mine! There’s also a map of Midwest independent bookstores available that shows most/all of them; I picked it up at my local indie bookstore (formerly Bookends on Main, now Dragon Tale Books in a small town near Eau Claire) but it’s probably available online as well. It makes great wall decor too 😊
YES A Room of One's Own! I love this store so much
I already have some Chicago recs, but Prairie Lights in Iowa City is worth a visit if you in the state. The Writer’s Program at UofI is a heavy hitter and the bookstore matches. Also booze.
If you come through Tulsa, Oklahoma, bring all the books you no longer want and trade them in at Gardner's! The store is huge and has a massive selection of books. One of my favorite places to be!
Seconded on Gardner's. There's plenty of bookstores to love here but after living in Tulsa for almost 30 years I do miss Gardner's now that I moved
Prarie lights and the Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City Mystery to Me and Leopolds in Madison Wi
I second Prairie Lights!
If you pass through Ann Arbour I really enjoyed The Dawntreader Bookstore
Erasmus Books in South Bend
Erasmus is fantastic. I spend $$$ there every time I visit my parents. (I buy a lot of books; the prices are fine.) The owner is so interesting.
There’s a lot of very cool indie bookstore owners on TikTok, one of the most amazing is Bettiespages from Lowell, Michigan. You can find other stores with #indiebookstore #bookseller
The Independent Bookseller did a printed map of stores a few years ago, here’s an electronic version:
Prairie Lights in downtown Iowa City, IA. It's a well-stocked independent bookstore that also has a rather nice café/ coffeeshop on the second floor. Iowa City is a really cool college town with lots to do and plenty of opportunity for people-watching.
Here’s a Midwest indie bookstore map from last year!
Someone needs to make a google road trip map from that!
I live in Michigan, and have been wanting to go to a local bookstore called Flying Bear Books in Newaygo.
On the western edge of Wisconsin, but… Driftless Books and Music in Viroqua, Wisconsin is definitely one of the most interesting used bookstores I’ve ever visited. In an old tobacco warehouse building. Do NOT go on a very warm day - no a/c and not a lot of ventilation, either. But a great used bookstore, inside and out. If I remember correctly, they’re only open late spring through autumn.
Kurt Vonnegut museum & library in Indianapolis
Rivendell books in Abilene Kansas
If you like used books then Lowry's Books in Three Rivers, Michigan is nice. Another good used bookstore is Von's Bookstore in West Lafayette, Indiana.
seconding von’s! they have EVERYTHING there
Des Moines, IA: Storyhouse Bookpub, Reading in Public, and Beaverdale Books
Morgansterns in Bloomington, Indiana.
Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City both have little cozy bookstores. Saint Ignace used to have one but it closed a few years ago sadly. If you go up to the Straits you should check them out.
Lit on fire, Peoria IL!
I came here to say THE BOOKLOFT!!! I have lived in Columbus, STL, and Minneapolis and I miss The Bookloft most of all…while in German Village, stop in any of the bakeries also.
Prospero's in Kansas City.
Fenton Michigan had a cute one called open book, it’s small but since you’re already in michigan it wouldn’t be much of a trip!
PatrickAplomb t1_j977c5c wrote
The Book Loft, German Village, Columbus OH