Seven bookstores within five miles

Today’s post is, fittingly, sponsored by Bookshop.org (#ad). The work they’ve done to support and sustain independent bookstores has been inspiring, and I’m thrilled to support them.

One of the things that surprised me most when we moved to Maine almost five years ago was just how many independent bookstores there were.

I live in Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state, with a population of about 68,000. Within a five-mile radius of my house, there are seven independent bookstores. Seven. It still surprises me, even almost five years later.

It makes sense, though. Maine has always been a place that draws artists and writers. There are small shops tucked into seaside towns, shelves lined with paperbacks for summer visitors, and more established stores downtown that host readings and author events throughout the year. There is always something happening, something new to discover. And, honestly, this love of reading and exploring independent bookstores has taken me to nooks and crannies of the state that I wouldn’t have otherwise visited.

Having access to this number of bookstores began to change how I read. When you live near this many bookshops, you stop arriving with a list (though, let’s be honest, I still often do). You begin to wander more. You pick something up because a bookseller wrote a note that intrigues you. You notice patterns in what different shops recommend, and you start to trust certain people.

It becomes less about finding the exact book you had in mind and more about what book finds you. And I love those serendipitous reading experiences. How lucky am I to have access to them?

Over time, I’ve started to understand our local booksellers’ tastes and recognize whose aligns with mine. I find myself looking for their names on recommendation cards. It’s a very human way of discovering what to read next. And it’s something I’ve come to value more and more, especially as so much of our reading lives can be driven by algorithms if we let them.

And that’s one of the reasons I fully support the work that Bookshop.org is doing to sustain indie bookshops online. When I’m not able to spend an afternoon wandering through a bookstore, it’s where I go to order books online and still support the local shops that shape my reading life.

Every purchase made through Bookshop.org financially supports independent bookstores, and you can even choose a specific store to support when you place your order. To date, Bookshop.org has generated over $46 million for indie bookstores, which feels especially meaningful at a time when so much book buying happens through a company that does not support these small, meaningful stores in the same way.

Independent Bookstore Day is this weekend. In the book world, it has become an annual holiday that I know so many readers love to celebrate. I have a wedding downtown to photograph tomorrow, but I’m planning to spend a little time in the morning visiting one of my neighborhood favorites.

The plan is to grab a coffee at my favorite spot, then pop across the street to my favorite local indie to browse for a bit before heading home. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite ways to spend a day, and I’m happy I live in a place that values keeping these businesses and community builders alive and well.

If you’re planning to celebrate this weekend, it’s a good time to visit a local shop if you’re able, or to support one from afar. Bookshop.org is offering free standard shipping on April 25 and 26, and you can choose a bookstore to support with your order.

It’s a small thing, but over time those choices add up.

Do you have plans to celebrate? And if you have a bookstore you love, I’d genuinely love to hear about it. They are places I never get tired of discovering.

Leave a comment

Until next week,