Sometimes there’s nothing better than hanging out in a bookstore. Going through the aisles, checking out titles, paging through ones that catch your eye and wondering if you have the time to read for fun this semester.
Luckily, the Twin Cities has tons of great bookstores to hang out in that aren’t as mainstream or pricey as our campus bookstore, and you can feel better about supporting their business more than Amazon or another online conglomerate. While you might not find your textbooks in here, you can have a lot more fun perusing these aisles than clicking through a website.
1. The Book House in Dinkytown
Conveniently located literally right in the middle of Dinkytown, The Book House is crammed in the upstairs of a row of shops, which gives it a small, cozy feeling. That, and the books on every possible wall and ceilings. You can get used books here for way cheaper than anywhere nearby and is a great place to spend a couple of hours without getting far from campus.
2. Common Good Books
Common Good Books is open, sunny, and has a huge selection. It’s over in St. Paul near Macalester, but it’s well worth the trip over. It’s a little pricier since the books are new, but they’ll also have all the new big releases and you can still support Twin Cities businesses. They’ve got a great selection and frequent author readings.
3. Midway Used and Rare Books
Also in St. Paul, Midway has literally thousands of used books to page through. As you can tell from their name, they also carry rare, antique and vintage books, including comic books and magazines. They also claim to have the largest amount of art books in the Midwest if arts are your specialty.
4. Birchbark Books & Native Arts
Birchbark Books is a local store specializing in Native American books and authors, though they carry plenty of books outside that realm as well. They also carry beautiful Native American artwork, creating a great atmosphere to shop.
5. Boneshaker Books
Boneshaker Books is an entirely volunteer-run bookstore specializing in social justice and activism. They have plenty of selection in all genres, but their history and activism book sections are extensive and shine light on some really cool authors and subjects that you might not find at your regular bookstore.
I always struggle finding the time to read in the semester outside of my classes, but if you’re feeling motivated to pick up a book, these are some great places here in the Twin Cities to support.