The Bookshop by Evan Friss

There’s something about a bookstore, isn’t there? The hush, the spines, the thrill of not quite knowing what you’ll walk out with. So forgive us if this one feels a little personal.

Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore is a love letter to the very thing we hold dear. It traces the long, winding story of the American bookstore—from the print shops of Benjamin Franklin to the bustling chains, the radical reading rooms, and the scrappy independents (like ours) that keep finding ways to survive.

Evan Friss is a historian, but he writes like someone who genuinely loves these places. The result is a book that’s equal parts fascinating and warm, full of characters, quirks, and the kind of details that make you want to read passages aloud to whoever’s nearby.

You’ll meet the booksellers, the dreamers, and the readers who turned simple rooms of paper into community gathering spots. Along the way, you’ll come to understand why the local bookshop has endured—through wars, recessions, and the rise of online giants.

For anyone who lingers a little too long in the stacks, this is essential reading. It’s a celebration of discovery, of place, and of the stubborn, glorious idea that books are meant to be shared.

We’ll be honest: reading it inside an actual independent bookshop, with the salt air drifting in off the cove, feels a bit like magic.

A thoughtful gift for the reader in your life—or a well-deserved treat for yourself. Come browse it in person, or let us send it your way.

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