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Tell us: What’s the best independent bookstore in Greater Boston?

We want to know which indie bookstores you love most.

A view of the Brookline Booksmith. David L Ryan/Globe Staff

March 7, 2024

The reports of the death of the independent bookstore have been greatly exaggerated.

In the late nineties and early aughts, industry experts and cultural critics foretold the end of local bookshops, as chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders (remember them?) opened hundreds of book megastores across the country. Then came Amazon, which got consumers hooked on cheap, at-home book delivery and drove many brick-and-mortar shops out of business.

But here in Greater Boston, it seems you can’t keep a good bookshop down. Indie bookstores are thriving in and around the city and have found new life by moonlighting as cafés and bars, adding event programming, and offering titles for more diverse audiences.

In October, the New England Independent Booksellers Association held its 50th annual conference, where booksellers from across the region celebrated the bookstore boom.

“It’s been so good to see more stores open in and outside of the city. We need more bookstores: spaces of discovery and human curation,” said Kate Layte, owner of Papercuts J.P. in Jamaica Plain.

Last year, we asked out readers to share their favorite independent bookstores in the region and got nearly 50 recommendations. Among the top picks were I AM Books, Bedlam Book Cafe, Brookline Booksmith, Harvard Book Store, Molly’s Bookstore, and more.

Since then, new stores have opened or been announced, and existing stores have expanded their offerings. So we want to know: What’s your favorite bookstore in Greater Boston?

Tell us which shops should be in our upcoming guide to local independent bookstores by filling out the survey below or emailing us at [email protected] and we may feature your response in a future Boston.com article or on our social media channels.

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