Indie Bookstore Week is Texas Monthly’s salute to the bookshops that have shaped the lives of our readers and writers. The book news out of Texas isn’t just bans, lawsuits, and school board battles. We noticed something while we were reporting: Texas has more independently owned bookstores opening at a rapid clip than we’ve ever seen before. Over the past decade or so, and especially since the start of the pandemic, new indies have opened across the state, joining the venerable institutions that were the homes of our childhood storytimes and first-ever book readings. The evidence is clear: Texans crave bookshops in our communities.
To celebrate the enduring power of the Texas bookstore, we’re publishing odes to shops old and new, essays by some of our favorite novelists, conversations with booksellers, and one visit to a speakeasy behind the shelves.
Imagine this series set to one of our favorite sounds: the satisfying crack of a new book’s spine. And bookmark (see what we did there?) the comprehensive indie bookstore map for your next shopping trip.
