Find your next great read from one of these female-founded shops.
It may come as a stupor to find out that , fit in to theUnited States Census Bureau , in 2018,women - ownedbusinesses made up only 19.9 % of all businesses that employ the great unwashed across the nation .
If you ’re shake up by that fact , take kernel in knowing that number , however modest , is develop — stand for the beginning of an era helm by sheer , fearless woman looking to make a mark . cleaning woman from every street corner of the earth are standing up and demanding an adequate seat at the table as they occur up with new , rotatory ways of being , doing , and making . These are the women who hold up to exalt , link communities , and bring people together , and we ’re in awe of all that they do .
The Census also revealed that the high rate of growth for women - owned business is in the arts , amusement , and refreshment sector . rum to learn about the a la mode woman - create enterprises ? In honor ofWomen ’s History Month , we ’ve rounded up a list of our favourite adult female - owned bookstores . So take a aspect , assure out a newbookor two , and pop supporting an autonomous , woman - possess business today .
Photo courtesy of Harvest Moon Books
Harvest Moon Books
Albuquerque , New Mexico
New Mexico ’s Nob Hill area was in a state of declivity . Its walkability had tanked drastically after a fail city - wide labor and COVID made things even worse , placing many local businesses in a province of restless anxiousness . That began to deepen with Robin Babb , the father and proprietor of Harvest Moon Books . As a local writer , she was a firsthand believer in the power of book and its ability to change life-time . Babb took Nob Hill ’s challenges as an chance to revitalise the area and opened Harvest Moon Books in 2019 . The independently - possess space has since become known for its “ unabashed agenda to promote the work of queer , POC , and Indigenous writers , ” and also feature a base on balls - in greenhouse with plants for sale .
PBX Books
Jersey Shore , New Jersey
Isabelle Carlo comment there were n’t many places around town to swap paperbacks , the kind of books you could n’t obtain at local libraries . Frustrated with the lack of a community space dedicated to secure literature , she decided to take matters into her own hands . Carlo opened PBX Books in Central Jersey in 1977 and has been dish up out books like hotcakes ever since . Carlo passed on the operation to Sharon Sanford in 2019 , who continued to preserve her dream of keeping PBX Books as a community space . PBX has grown quite a spot since its outset , evolve into a mecca stock up with whole kit and boodle by local authors alongside classics from every writing style .
Avid Bookshop
Athens , Georgia
Located in Athens , Georgia , Avia Bookshop was founded by Janet Geddis . As an enterpriser , litterateur , and public speaker , Geddis was always focalise on how she could well serve her community of interests . With only one other used bookshop in Ithiel Town , Geddis felt a need to meet the void in Athens . She opened Avid in 2011 and has been transport locals with her curated whole kit and boodle ever since . “ As the country has become more pregnant , Avid booksellers have become more plainspoken about digest up for human rights , equivalence , and the freedom to read , ” Avid ’s website says . “ [ We ] are more devoted than ever to sharing diverse voices with our client . ”
Yu and Me Books
Manhattan , New York
Nestled in the heart ofManhattan ’s Chinatownis Yu and Me Books , a bookstore devoted to celebrating the stories of immigrant across America , with a particular focal point on Asian Americans . Owner Lucy Yu was only 27 year old when she open up the shop in December 2021 , which also happens to be NYC ’s first Asian American woman - own bookstore . Yu was n’t a immense literary buff by any means — she ’s in reality a chemical engineer by trade . Her campaign to open Yu and Me Books came from a desire to produce a space where everyone could feel at home , a place where representation sincerely mattered . Yu and Me also offers coffee tree , beer , and wine , produce the sort of peaceable ambiance where it ’s hard to tear yourself out from the generous selection of script by Asian American , Black , Indigenous , and Latinx authors .
The Islander Bookshop
Kodiak , Alaska
Owner Melissa Haffeman has put a lot of work into making The Islander Bookshop a noteworthy place . For starters , The Islander contemplate the inheritance and culture of the Indigenous people in the region . In this casing , that ’s the homeland of the Alutiiq / Sugpiaq people , one of eightAlaskaNative people . Haffeman is passionate about fill the shelves with their works and is also devoted to keeping her community well-chosen — she routinely stock Bible requested by lecturer and offers a special ordering system of rules . Her dearest for the residential area pass beyond book of account , though . The bookshop also showcases goods made by local artists . It ’s a warm , communal place where you could stop over by for a skilful read and a hot cup of teatime at any time .
Thank You Bookshop
Birmingham , Alabama
ThisBirmingham - base bookstall does n’t just have one female owner — it ’s possess by three women , all of whom are friends : Laura Lilly Cotten , Elizabeth Goodrich , and Kristen Iskandrian . The trio came together over a share dream of creating an independent , residential district - focalize bookshop . They envisioned a place that would focus on stockpile the hunky-dory literature available while host source to deal their works , the variety of venue they hoped would become a basic in their residential area . Today , Thank You Bookshop is just that . It ’s a warm , friendly Holy Scripture oasis that legion in - person author result as well as virtual readings . Cotten , Goodrich , and Iskandrian pride themselves on having a devoted fanbase that hails not just from their locality , but all across America .
Partner Content From
Empowering women and underserved communities isThe minuscule Market ’s main object , a fairtrade nonprofit shop co - founded by Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla . That ’s whyZacapa Rumpartnered with The small Market , as Zacapa has worked with Guatemalan craftsman since 1976 , empowering local communities to improve their quality of life while providing a steady source of income . Over 700 craftswomen hand - tissue the petate bands that adorn every bottleful of Zacapa No . 23 and Edición Negra . A mediocre business deal indeed .
Harriet’s Bookshop
Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
In a perfect existence , far more book stores would be like Harriet ’s . Harriet ’s is an independent , woman - owned bookstore that also center on highlight works from female author , militant , and artist . It ’s owned by writer and educator Jeannine Cook , a longtimePhillynative who name the shop after her inspiration , Harriet Tubman . Cook ’s dream — to bring more Black culture to Philly — was simple enough . Yet the realness of opening a store in Fishtown , an sphere known for its gentrification , proved to be challenge , with many advising her against it . Luckily , it did n’t deter her one bit , with half of Cook ’s origin selling out within two calendar week of possibility .
The Little Boho Bookshop
Bayonne , New Jersey
Sandra Dear could n’t avail but mark that kids and adults alike were constantly paste to their phones . She felt like the magic of print Book was fade away slowly before her eyes . Dear had worked in publishing for over 15 age before she could n’t take it any longer . Her dream of open an independent bookstore was too much to check , and in July 2017 , she opened The Little Boho Bookshop in Bayonne , New Jersey . Events grade from local artist pop - ups to natal day party can always be incur under Little Boho ’s cozy cap where all are welcome . Did we refer the store ’s on-line inventory comprise over seven million championship ?
Bookends & Beginnings
Evanston , Illinois
Writer Nina Barrett moved to Evanston , Illinois , in the late 1980s . She spent her clock time write while raising two youngster , yet was still capable to make the sort of eminent - calibre workplace that realise her three James Beard award nominations and two accolade in 2012 and 2013 . Riding high on success , Barrett finally took the plunge and opened Bookends & Beginnings in 2014 , the bookstall she ’d been stargaze of with her hubby , Jeff Garrett . Garrett ’s background as an expert on uncommon , specialised depository library collection and global children ’s lit helped Barrett turn the space into a “ speakeasy for Scripture , ” hosting a collection of works spanning 48 language — admit Māori , Basque , and Kurdish .
The Lit Bar
Bronx , New York
As the self - exclaim “ official bookstore of Wakanda andthe Bronx , ” The Lit Bar in New York City has a pretty remarkable history behind it . Despite being home to some 1.4 million mass in 2014 , the Bronx only had one bookshop — a Barnes & Noble outstation that was scheduled to shut down soon . Bronx native and house physician Noëlle Santos rallied some 3,000 protestors to save it , but it finally shutter in 2016 , leave the neck of the woods without a individual bookstore . But Santos never pay up . She continued to rally her neighbors and open up her own shop in 2019 called The Lit Bar . It ’s still the only brick - and - mortar bookstall serving the Boogie Down today . Santos , however , like to think of it as a bookstore , wine bar , and community centre rolled into one .
Photo courtesy of Avid Bookshop
Photo courtesy of The Islander Bookshop
Photo courtesy of Zacapa Rum
Photo courtesy of Bookends & Beginnings
