I like big books and small ones too. When I purchase books the majority of them come from independent bookstores (also known as indie bookstores or booksellers).
Therefore, I must share that April 30th is National Independent Bookstore Day.
What I love about Independent Bookstores is when a bookworm, like me, steps inside, we have an immediate sense of well-being.
Each store has its own unique atmosphere whispering promises of a wonderful selection of new and second-hand books. Here we can find rare out-of-print books, some widely sought out by collectors, and those available for pre-order. The shelves are stacked full, tables are piled high, and there are chairs where we can sit and browse. Independent Bookstores support local authors and host events to promote reading. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and it’s clear this is the perfect spot for us who enjoy reading.
Samantha Schoech founded Independent Book Store Day in 2014 to celebrate the passionate booksellers and readers who love them.
Author Angie Thomas serves as the 2022 spokesperson for Independent Bookstore Day.
This year, Paulina Colwell, approached me to inform me that her team at Clever was able to compile some statistics on the top book cities in the United States. If you want to know more about Clever - Clever is a real estate education resource. They often create surveys and do research to analyze publicly available data.
Moving forward, Clever recently published this new study in time for National Indie Bookstore day. What I like best about this study is it lists the top 50 book cities in the United States and then it breaks it down further to provide more information on the top 10. There is also an interactive map so you can click on it and find out what the ranking is where you reside.
Best Book Places in the United States and the Top 10 Cities for Book Lovers
Providence, RI
Hartford, CT
Boston, MA
San Jose, CA
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC
Baltimore, MD
San Francisco, CA
Minneapolis, MN
Portland, OR
Providence is the best of America's book places, with a whopping 8.6 libraries per 100,000 residents – that's 82% more than the average city has at 4.7. And, Las Vegas is the worst book city.
The cities with the highest literacy rates are Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Denver.
Please consider going to your local indie bookstores or checking them out online. You can share your support on social media at #IndependentBookstoreDay