Indie Bookstore Day is tomorrow!! by Peter Clark

If you read this blog regularly, then you probably already know that we think indie bookstores are unique, majestic places where culture is distilled, good books are sold, and communities are united. Discovering an indie bookstore for the first time can be like shopping at a farmer’s market after years of getting your groceries at Wal-Mart. By shopping indie for your books, you can support local businesses, local authors, curated shelves, and meeting spaces that people rely on. But first and foremost, indie bookstores really know books. And good ones!

Tomorrow marks the third annual Independent Bookstore Day. It’ll be a glorious time of events, readings, and swag. A time when we can all celebrate our love of books with the people working to keep them a vibrant part of the world. For our part, Melville House is going to give away some of our new merch and a complete set of our Last Interview Series to some lucky (randomly selected) people — to enter, just buy a book, snap a selfie with it, and tweet it to us at @melvillehouse. Tag the store, too, and you’ll enter your favorite booksellers to win a special something from us too!

I can’t imagine you’d need more reasons to go shopping tomorrow, but just in case, here’s a short list of some amazing events happening near you (maybe). These are just a few that have caught my eye — but even if you don’t see your town on this list, you can probably find an indie nearby, and I guarantee things will be going on there.

UTAH: Have you ever loved a book so much that you bent the crap out of it, ruining the spine? Fear not: at 1pm, the fine people of the King’s English in Salt Lake City will be hosting third-generation book binder Margaret Schaffer to teach you how to repair those prized volumes. While you’re there, pick up your passport and go on a book crawl to Booked on 25th, Weller Bookworks, and The Printed Garden. You might win a special prize if you hit all four!

WASHINGTON: If you’re out in Seattle, you’re lucky enough to have nineteen indie stores participating. The one that caught my eye featured cake because, well, you need fuel to start off your day of indie bookstore love (also, mmm, cake). Pop into Phinney Books at 9am and get a slice of bundt from Coyle’s Bakeshop. Stick around for origami, sewing, discounts, and more.

CALIFORNIA: With all of the protesting and political action going on, it’s easy to lose sight of some other important causes. Well, bookstores haven’t. Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse in La Cañada Flintridge will be hosting representatives from Special Kids-Special Needs, a group dedicated to organizing events specifically for children with disabilities. They’ll be hanging around from 10:30–4:00 — head over to see how you can help.

NEW YORK: I have feelings about Greenlight Bookstore, since they were the reason I got to shake David Mitchell’s hand a number of years ago (swoon). I want to call them out for another year with a booze and books opportunity. From 6–8pm at their Lefferts Gardens location, authors Hannah Tinti, Joshua Jelly-Shapiro, and Garnette Cadogan will be the most literary mixologists you’ve ever known. Word in Jersey City understands the need for both libation and liberation; they’re combining drinking wine with writing letters to senators and congresspeople.

GEORGIA: Not only does Athens’s Avid Bookshop maintain an Instagram that’s always on point, but they also have sweet events. Go by the Prince store at 11am or the Five Points store at 4pm for a Tarot reading. Maybe they’ll divine the next book you should be reading.

Ahhh. I’m feeling the pain of running out of space for all these cool events. But I didn’t forget about you, Kansas, North Carolina, and Mississippi! Or you, Louisiana! Or you, Bay Area! There are just too many goings-on to name them all here. My advice? Go to this nifty page, put in your zip code, and look at the websites of the stores closest to you to read what’s going on. You won’t be disappointed.

Happy Indie Bookstore Day, and don’t forget to tweet us (@melvillehouse) pictures of your purchases to enter to win merch and books!

Just kidding. I’m really just getting started. Here is what you can win from Melville House if you tweet at us with your purchases tomorrow.