If you like holding books in your hands before you buy them and are looking for bookstores, we’ve featured 8 of the best bookstores in Indianapolis below.
1. Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore
Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore is located on North Illinois Street. As the name might suggest, they specialize in providing books, toys, and other learning materials for children of all ages. They have been in business for over 35 years.
Look out for the range of events hosted regularly, including story times for the little ones. Working closely with schools to help with book fairs and arranging for authors to visit classes, Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore also has an assortment of books on important issues, such as a list of books on bullying.
Get in touch with Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore.
2. Irvington Vinyl and Books
You can find Irvington Vinyl and Books on Audubon Road, where they sell a mixture of new and second-hand media, including books, poetry, zines, and vinyl records. They like to showcase small independent publishers, so often you can find books here from authors you might not have encountered before.
Irvington Vinyl and Books will buy your old records and books at regular intervals, so if you need to clear some shelf space or earn a little bit of spending money you may wish to look out for their buying waves. If the book you want to purchase isn’t in stock, they will try their best to get it for you.
Reach out to Irvington Vinyl and Books.
3. Pen and Pink Vintage
Situated on Shelby Street, Pen and Pink Vintage celebrate books from days gone by. They have all sorts of used, vintage books, with rare copies, children’s stories, and books by Indiana authors located on their shelves.
They don’t just deal in old volumes though, as they also have a selection of new editions of time-honored classics, many of which have beautiful covers and dustjackets. If you want to explore the past a bit more, check out their assortment of retro magazines and romance comics!
Say hello to Pen and Pink Vintage.
4. Indy Reads Bookstore
The Indy Reads is located on Virginia Avenue and is associated with the Indy Reads non-profit organization. Indy Reads aims to help everyone with their literacy and skills in order to gain employment and qualifications to be able to succeed in life.
Every book that you buy from the bookstore helps them to be able to provide their support to those that need it. With a selection of new and used titles on the shelves, you’re sure to find something that interests you that also helps someone else out as well!
Connect with Indy Reads Bookstore.
5. The First Edition Rare Books
The First Edition Rare Books can be found in a few cities across the states, including in Indianapolis. As the name might suggest, they focus on selling rare editions of books, and these are on all sorts of fiction and non-fiction topics.
If you have some books you think The First Edition Rare Books would be interested in, they are always happy to hear from you to see if they would be willing to buy them from you. You don’t have to only visit them in-store either, as they exhibit at a range of local book fairs.
Situated on North Alabama Street, schedule an appointment to visit The First Edition Rare Books.
6. Books & Brews
Often people think about books and coffee going hand in hand, but Books & Brews on Shelby Street has a different idea. They blend together the idea of being able to connect over a good book, while also being able to sip on a cold pint of beer at the same time!
The bookstore part of the establishment focuses on selling second-hand books of all shapes and sizes, and if you head further into the store you’ll find the bar where you can sample a range of bookish-themed craft beers. You don’t have to feel guilty about indulging either, as 10% of their book sale proceeds go to the Indy Reads organization.
Quench your thirst for a good book and a good beer at Books & Brews.
7. Half Price Books
Although they have lots of stores across the US, Half Price Books is still a family-owned company, and every store is different. Specializing in selling second-hand books, and buying them from the local community, this means that what you can find will not only vary day to day but also store to store!
The Clearwater Village store in Indianapolis is run by manager Lizz and her team. All avid bookworms, they are always happy to help you find what you need or to give you a recommendation of something you should try.
Why not check out what’s available at Half Price Books?
8. Barnes & Noble
On River Crossing Boulevard and also with a store inside the Ivy Tech College, Barnes & Noble is a nationwide book chain that sells new copies of books. You can always find the latest bestsellers here, alongside a vast collection of other books on various topics and interests.
Always keep an eye out for their events, whether these are virtual ones for book releases, or ones hosted in-store. If you are a regular book buyer, you may wish to take advantage of their membership cards, giving you all sorts of perks including 40% off the latest releases!
Check in with Barnes & Noble.