I hope you are all staying safe! Today I wanted to share my love for independent book stores and also share some book recommendations. Chances are that you have more time to read or are looking for some books to help pass the time during this quarantine so I want to help with that!
Why I love Independent Bookstores
I love independent bookstores because of the personal experience. I love browsing the stores, chatting with the booksellers and supporting local businesses. They are so important to the book community! Some of my favorite bookstores are The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA; Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA; and Malaprop’s bookstore in Asheville, NC. I love visiting bookstores when I travel.
How to support Independent bookstores
One way to support independent bookstores is to shop from them if you can afford it. While you can’t go to the store and pick out a book, you can do it from the comfort of your home. That is where Bookshop.org comes into place. Bookshop is an online bookstore who’s mission is to support independent bookstores. You can purchase books from their site and a percentage of the profits goes to independent bookstores. So far they have raised over $486,000 for local bookstores which is amazing!
Another way to support local bookstores is by purchasing audiobooks from libro.fm. Proceeds from the audiobooks help support the local bookstore of your choice. You can get 3 audiobooks for $14.99 using this link.
My Recommendations
Bookshop has allowed me to put together a “store” with lists of my recommendations. I figured since I’ve read so many books over the past few years I could help you find your next read. If you purchase one of the books using bookshop link you are helping independent bookstores and I also get a small commission.
My Favorite books
This list includes my all time favorite books. These are books that I keep thinking about and that I rated between 4 and 5 stars. Some of the books included in this list are:
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- A Woman is No man by Etaf Rum
- Dominicana by Angie Cruz
- The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (A new favorite)
My Book Club Picks
This list includes all the books my book club has read over the past year. They are all great books that lend themselves for a great conversation. Maybe you can find a book here that you can buddy read with your quarantine buddy or chat virtually with friends about it! Some of the books included in this list are:
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- We are all good people here by Susan Rebecca White
- All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin
- Such a fun age by Kiley Reid
My Favorite Lighter Reads
I don’t know about you but for a few weeks it was hard for me to focus on reading. All I wanted to read was something lighter that would take my mind off of everything going on. This list includes books that are lighter and are a great distraction. Some of the books included in this list are:
- The Girl he used to know by Tracy Garvis Graves
- Things you save in a fire by Katherine Center
- The Simple Wild by K.A Tucker
- One day in December by Josie Silver
- The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lawry
My Favorite Non-Fiction Books
If you are not into reading fiction this list includes some great non-fiction books. This list includes some great memoirs and short stories books. I’ve loved them all! Some of the books included in this list are:
- My time among the whites by Jennine Capó Crucet
- Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Educated by Tara Westover
- I miss you when I blink by Mary Laura Philpott
My Favorite Historical Fiction Books
One of my favorite genres is Historical Fiction. I love to travel to a different time period and to also learn about various historical events while still having a great fictional story. These are some that I’ve loved. Some of the books included in this list are:
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
- Next year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
My Favorite Mystery/Thrillers
This year I started reading more thrillers and I’m hooked! These are great books that are easy to get immersed in and forget all distractions. Its better to worry about a crazy fictional murder mystery than the current news right? Some of the books included in this list are:
- Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
- The Sundown Motel by Simone St James
- The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
- Long Bright River by Liz Moore
I hope you consider supporting independent bookstores by purchasing your next book using Bookshop or Libro.fm!
