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The Bookshop: The History of the American Bookstore

The Bookshop: The History of the American Bookstore

By Evan Friss Recommended by: Jonathan Nichols Reserve a Copy! Break Line

Alright, fellow book nerds, let’s talk about The Bookshop: The History of the American Bookstore. If you’ve ever spent way too much time wandering through a bookstore, inhaling that wonderful book smell, and convincing yourself you need just one more book (even though your TBR pile is already a safety hazard), then this one’s for you.

This book is basically a love letter to bookstores, past and present. It takes you on a journey from the scrappy little shops of the colonial days to the rise (and sometimes fall) of indie bookstores, big chains, and the online behemoths that changed the game. There’s a little bit of everything—quirky booksellers, famous literary hangouts, and a deep dive into how bookstores have always been more than just places to buy books. They’ve been community hubs, battlegrounds for free speech, and, honestly, a second home for a lot of us.

The writing is engaging without being overly dense, which is nice because history books can sometimes feel like a slog. This one keeps things moving with plenty of fun anecdotes and just the right amount of bookish nostalgia. If you’re a fan of storied (see what I did there?) histories, or you just love the cozy chaos of a good bookstore, this is a great read.

Final verdict? Read it. Then go support your favorite local bookstore—because if this book teaches anything, it’s that bookstores have survived a lot, but they still need us to keep them going.

Posted in: Non-Fiction