A Smorgasbord of Bookstores to Love
by Debra H. Goldstein
Two Bites Too Many, the second book in Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series came out two months before the world shut down in 2020. During those months, I visited several independent bookstores that share several characteristics: a wide array of books, dedicated booksellers who care about their customers; and owners and staff who were kind and generous with their time to an author who is anything but famous. When the pandemic hit and these stores had to resort to shipping books, curbside delivery, and anything they could think of to stay afloat, I kept up with their efforts and tried to support them by ordering books and being part of Zoom panels and classes. Although all contacts for Three Treats Too Many had to be virtual, I hope to visit many of these in person while promoting newly released Four Cuts Too Many. In the meantime, here is a smorgasbord of bookstores for you to consider loving, too:
Murder By the Book – 2342 Bissonet Street, Houston, Texas 77005 (713-524-8597)– shout outs to store owner McKenna Jordan and event coordinator John McDougall!
Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore – 104 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444 (561-279-7790) – shout outs to Joanne, Stacy, and Sue!
The Poisoned Pen Bookstore – 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd. #101, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 (480-947-2974) – Shout out to Barbara Peters and the array of author pictures hanging from the rafters!
Novel – 387 Perkins Ext., Memphis, Tennessee 38117 (901-922-5526) – Shout out to the investors who, when a beloved indie closed after thirty years, put their community first by putting up the money and partnering with experienced booksellers to keep indie bookselling going strong in Memphis!
Tall Tales Books – 2105 Lavista Rd. #108, Atlanta, Georgia (404-636-2498) – Shout out to owner Rebekah and to Tall Tales for having been a past recipient of Sisters in Crime’s We Love Bookstores award!
Parnassus Books – 3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 14, Nashville, Tennessee 37215 (615-953-2243) Shout out to Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes for giving Nashville a gift of their love for books and indies!
Thank You Bookshop – 5502 Crestwood Blvd. Unit B, Birmingham, Alabama 35212 – Shout out to being a woman-owned bookshop established in 2019!
Little Professor – 2844 18th St. S., Homewood, Alabama (205-870-7461) – Shout out to new owners Jonathan and Meredith Robinson who took over the store one week before the pandemic closed the world and to Paul and Diane Seitz who ran it for forty-seven years and were recipients of a We Love Bookstores award!
Nicola’s Books – Westgate Shopping Center 2513 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 – Shout out to original owner, Nicola, for taking a chance on an unknown author and for the new owners repeatedly showcasing Sarah and letting friends and me visit virtually this year!
Page & Palette – 32 South Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532 (251-928-5295) – Shout out to a third-generation family-owned landmark that is as charming as it sounds!
My character, Sarah Blair, may find the kitchen more frightening than murder, but even she agrees that these are a perfect smorgasbord of bookstores for readers to love.
Judge, author, litigator, wife, step-mom, mother of twins, and civic volunteer are all words used to describe Debra H. Goldstein. You can discover more about her and her work on her website https://www.debrahgoldstein.com.
