Here at The Bookshop Blog, we love a unique bookshop. One thing that can make a bookshop really unique is when it caters to a specific theme, genre, or specialty. After doing some research, I’ve found that there are bookshops like this all over the United States! Here are seven of the most interestingly themed bookshops that I found.
Idlewild Books at 170 7th Ave S, New York, NY
Considering this list contains bookstores all over the country, it’s only fitting that one of these bookshops specializes in travel itself. Idlewild Books was conceived in 2008 by David Del Vecchio after his travels through Sudan and Nepal. He wanted to create a bookshop that fostered a community for travelers and those who were interested in learning about places all around the world. They began by offering informational guides about traveling as well as some of the best and most unique travel literature around.
Idlewild has now grown from the small, independent bookstore it once was to an epicenter that deals in books, community events, and foreign language classes. Those who want to learn a foreign language can sign up for French, Italian, Spanish, German, or Portuguese! The classes are taught by native speakers and are given in person at Idlewild Books. The store also has virtual Zoom lessons for those who want to learn and support the store but don’t live in the area.
Idlewild is a great example of a specialty bookstore that started with information about travel and grew to incorporate classes and events that give back to the community that supports it. It truly encapsulates the global, dynamic spirit of New York City itself!
Dark Delicacies at 822 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA
Sue and Del Howison founded Dark Delicacies with a simple dream: to give horror lovers a space to enjoy the spooky genre to the fullest. Their efforts first began by attending local horror conventions in California until they were able to open Dark Delicacies in 1994. It soon became a haven for fans of everything horror.
After gaining some notoriety, the bookstore moved to incorporate writers, directors, and actors, and even composers who have all worked within the horror genre into their mission. The store is now well-known for the number of events and signings they host year-round. Del Howison has even become a writer himself, offering a number of his own signed books (as well as signed editions from other authors) on the Dark Delicacies website.
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The bookshop is also a participant in the popular horror convention, Midsummer Scream. They often sell goods that are horror and literature themed, such as their beauty and the beast corpse dolls from this past convention. Their participation in community events is one of the many reasons they are one of the most beloved bookstores in California. They are so beloved that when they were facing permanent closure after a few years of hardship, the community helped organize a Gofundme so they could move their store to a new location and survive the rent hikes that were going on throughout LA.
Albertine Books at 972 Fifth Avenue New York, NY
One of the newer bookshops on this list, Albertine Books resides in the famed Payne Whitney mansion in Manhattan. The mansion has housed the Cultural Services of the French Embassy since 1952, and Albertine was incorporated into the mansion as recently as 2014.
The bookshop is dedicated to finding unique French and Francophone titles to share with its customers. They have nearly 30,000 contemporary and classic titles, making them one of the largest collections of French literature in the country. Their mission is to further increase the French-American intellectual exchange, and they accomplish this by hosting a multitude of events where people come together to discuss culture and its impact through a global lens.
Albertine is so invested in upcoming French authors that they offer an Albertine prize to Americans’ favored French-language fiction title of the year. The prize goes to a book that has been recently translated into English and aims to reward authors for their writing and ingenuity while heightening their works and spreading the word about them.
Grolier Poetry Bookshop at 6 Plympton St, Cambridge, MA
Moving on to one of the oldest bookshops on this list, Grolier was founded in 1927 and has one of the largest collections of poetry in the United States. The store began as a small, independent bookstore that mainly showcased private press books, poetry, and Avante-Garde literature. It wasn’t until 1976 that then-owner, Louisa Solano, developed Grolier into the poetry epicenter that exists now.
The bookshop boasts a vast selection of poetry titles as well as year-round poetry readings by local, indie, and even popular authors. Many loved the idea of a bookstore exclusive to poetry, and they flocked to Grolier. Poetry street festivals, autograph parties, and readings are some of the events Solano introduced that can still be found at Grolier today. They also offer the Grolier Poetry Prize to deserving poets.
Little Shop of Stories at 133 E Court Square # A, Decatur, GA
Founded in 2005, the Little Shop of Stories is a bookstore catering specifically to children’s needs. Diane Capriola, the originator of the store, had the idea to open a children’s bookstore and accomplished the goal with her co-owner, Dave, shortly over a year later. The store works hard to make reading fun for kids and teens and has even hosted the likes of Neil Gaiman and Julie Andrews to draw more attention to the store and its mission.
Little Shop of Stories is also an active participant in the AJC Decatur Book Festival, an event that started small but now boasts over 300 authors and 100,000 attendees. While this is the largest event they participate in, the store is also well-known for its creative and fun ideas. From paving a section of their floor out of pennies to putting a Christmas tree on the roof of their store, they know how to draw kids in and give reading some added flare.
The Mysterious Bookshop at 58 Warren St, New York, NY
From the popularity of Agatha Christie novels all the way to the true crime resurgence of the past few years, mystery has been a long-beloved genre in the U.S. Founded in 1979, The Mysterious Bookshop has made it a goal to bring all things mystery and crime to their readers. They have the largest collection of mystery books in the United States, so readers may find it difficult to walk out of the store empty-handed.
Along with their wide selection of mystery books and periodicals, they also have a multitude of first editions and collectible hardcovers for readers to peruse. The store even works with mystery fiction writers to produce novellas under their Bibliomystery series. These are mystery stories that are written by popular and newer authors alike specifically for The Mysterious Bookshop! The Mysterious Bookshop also partners with popular authors to release limited editions of their books to give fans exciting new options.
Alabama Booksmith at 2626 19th Pl S, Homewood, AL
The Alabama Booksmith is an interesting addition to this list as their theme doesn’t fall under a genre but rather under a qualification: They only sell signed copies of books! The bookstore sells signed copies of newly released books as well as rare or vintage books that collectors may be looking for. Their website lists most, if not all, the copies of signed editions they have, so it’s a great way for those all over the country to find signed copies of books by their favorite authors.
They also have a signed first editions club where readers can enroll to receive signed first editions of books that may one day become collectibles. On their website, they list the novel The Help as an example of a book they screened that is now worth nearly $1,000 for a signed first edition. It’s a neat program for collectors, and the books they select are quality books whether they go on to be a collectible or not.