Spotlight on Local Indie Bookstores - Part Three

Part three of the Spotlight on Local Indie Bookstores is here! 

1. Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver/Littleton, Colorado, USA, submitted by ex-pletives

From first impressions, Tattered Cover Bookstore appears to be a large bookstore with a huge variety of books that would easy to become lost in. Tattered Cover is an indie bookstore and cafe that sells both new, used, and "crisp pre-discounted bargain editions" books. It was founded in 1971, and there are now four different locations of Tattered Cover throughout Colorado, each embodying its own unique atmosphere and style. 

The newest location - Aspen Grove!

Three of the locations are located within Denver: one on Colfax Avenue, another in historic LoDo, and the last at Union Station. The fourth location recently opened at Aspen Grove in Littleton. Each site has an immense amount of books spread throughout large stores where you are sure to find something you will love.

Who doesn't want to sit in that gorgeous chair?

Photos of Tattered Cover Bookstore are courtesy of their Facebook page. 


2. Atlanta Vintage Bookstore, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, submitted by anonymous

Owned by Bob Roarty and Jan Bolgla, Atlanta Vintage Bookstore specializes in selling rare, used, and collectible books. Roarty and Bogla acquired the store from the original owners in 2006 and have been fulfilling their bookstore dream ever since.

You can watch a short video about the store (found on the Atlanta Vintage Bookstore website) below.

As what appears to be in most bookstores, they also have a variety of lovely cats roaming around the shelves to assist customers when necessary. 

Just keeping an eye on things..

This bookstore is lovingly packed full of books, which shelves upon shelves of wonder-filled books in every room.

Images courtesy of Atlanta Vintage Bookstore's Facebook page.


3. Skylight Books, Los Angeles, California, USA, submitted by anonymous

Located in Los Angeles, California, Skylight Books can be found right near the famed Griffith Observatoryin the heart of a popular downtown destination. Skylight books was opened on November 1, 1996, and continues to provide fresh, "eclectic," and exciting books to its customers on a variety of subjects.

They have a huge list of book clubs, memberships, gift cards, and you can even order books online through their website! However, with such a gorgeous physical location with so many stocked shelves and incredible layouts, I would highly suggest making your way to the store itself if at all possible.

Skylight books also owns a cat named Franny, but their website states that you are also more than welcome to bring your dogs!

Photos courtesy of Skylight Books' Facebook page.

4. The Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, MN, USA, submitted by thebeanandi

I spent no more than two minutes on The Wild Rumpus' website when I realized I was in love. This bookstores looks incredibly delightful. There are animals. There are books. There is an awesome staff. 

There are bookstands surrounding sleeping cats. 

Wild Rumpus' history page states that the general idea and layout of their store was inspired by Anna Maze's The Salamander Room, which is a story in which a young boy happens upon a salamander while in the woods and subsequently imagines how he could turn his room into a salamander's dream habitat. Looking around of pictures of the Wild Rumpus, I can certainly see the influence. I implore you to read their entire history page, but this excerpt describes the store beautifully: 

"Architecture doesn't have the luxury of page-turning, but instead allows us a front-to-back spatial progression.   Our store's front doors open into a fairly conventional interior with carpet, a comfortable reading chair and floorlamp.   Midway, things begin to change, there's a tree-trimmer sheetrocked in the ceiling on a ladder, and the ceiling itself at this point starts to crack open to the sky.   At the back, with birds above and rats beneath a garden shed, the store wants you to feel like you're outside."

The Wild Rumpus specializes in children's and young adult books, but is truly a home for all. They have book clubs for a variety of ages, in-store book fairs, and plenty of author events. They also accept recycled books that are then added to their one dollar book section - for those kids that maybe only have one dollar to spend!

If you're ever in the area, you should definitely stop by the Wild Rumpus - I know I will be!

Photos courtesy of the Wild Rumpus' Facebook page.


5. Chapters on Main, Main Street in Van Buren, Arkansas, USA, submitted by chaptersonmain

Now, it's time for some young blood in here! Chapters on Main is a soon-to-be-opened bookstore located on Main Street in Van Buren, Arkansas. They are to be an independent coffee and book shop that will celebrate their grand opening in May.

Renovation time!

The owners of the store purchased the store as a old, falling apart bookstore, and have taken on the task of renovating the bookstore to bring it back to life.

Progress!

If you live near Chapters on Main or will be in the area around May, go support them with their big opening celebration - hooray for bookstores!

Photos courtesy of Chapters on Main's Tumblr.

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