Big Hill Books 

Prefer your cozy local bookstore to come with resident cats? Big Hill Books, positioned in Minneapolis’ scenic, leafy Bryn Mawr neighborhood, has you covered. Providing a wide selection of books as well as gifts and greeting cards, browsing this store feels like hanging out in your (very well-read) friend’s living room.  

Birchbark  

Founded and owned by legendary Minnesota author Louise Erdrich, Birchbark Books also sells the work of Native artisans. Inside their beautiful Kenwood storefront, you’ll find a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction, including hard-to-find titles from Indigenous authors, as well as a small loft for kids to play in. 

Comma, a bookshop

Comma, a bookshop sits on a convivial corner in the Minneapolis lakeside community of Linden Hills, carries a curated selection with a special focus on Minnesota authors. They also offer a selection of chocolates, tea, and gifts from Minnesota makers to round out their truly local experience. 

DreamHaven Books and Comics

Looking for a bookstore that specializes in comics, graphic novels, science fiction, and horror? Head on down to Minneapolis’ Standish neighborhood, where DreamHaven books takes up a quiet street corner conveniently close to Sister Sludge Coffee. We recommend grabbing a cool, vintage-edition Marvel then heading to Sister Sludge for a latté and a waffle. 

Eat My Words 

Eat My Words is the kind of bookstore that feels like it’s been there forever, with floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with affordable used books of every stripe. Sink into one of their vintage armchairs and audition your picks before taking your haul to one of the many great eateries in Northeast Minneapolis’ vibrant Arts District. 

The Irreverent Bookworm 

The Irreverent Bookworm says they are proud to be your “queer and neuromagical-owned new and used bookshop” and that you should drop by for a “cozy chat in our comfy chairs.” Well-behaved dogs are welcome at this Minneapolis bookshop, which is located just blocks from Lake Nokomis. Walk your treasures over and experience a very Minnesota “beach read.”  

James and Mary Laurie Booksellers 

Tucked into an inconspicuous warehouse on the edge of the North Loop is a small sign that reads "bookstore." Peek behind it and you'll enter the magical world of James and Mary Laurie Booksellers, a cavernous literary wonderland stuffed with over 100,000 used and rare books at accessible prices. One of the Twin Cities' oldest independent bookshops (it was founded in 1969), James and Mary Laurie Booksellers is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America.

The store also sells vintage vinyl and vintage art and prints. You could easily spend an entire day browsing the shelves, flipping through ancient maps and rare recordings, and scratching the ears of the friendly shop dog. A favorite of celebrities who come through town, a photo of Mick Jagger and James Laurie is pinned up next to the checkout.

Magers & Quinn 

Magers & Quinn is often considered the grand dame of Minnesota independent bookstores. Serving the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis since 1994, Magers has a vast collection of titles spanning new, used, rare, and everything in-between. They also regularly host local and national authors for book events, including the likes of Rachel Khong and Emily Nussbaum.  

Moon Palace 

Moon Palace sells new books in a sunny, friendly South Minneapolis storefront that prioritizes accessibility and a welcoming atmosphere. They also host book clubs and other book release and community events. Take your new selection right next door to Arbeiter Brewing and enjoy your literature with a cold pint! 

Once Upon a Crime 

Once Upon a Crime has been selling mystery fiction in Uptown Minneapolis since 1987. You can’t miss their distinctive body-outline logo, and they also host a mystery book club (book club picks are 15% off in the store).  

Open Book 

Open Book is the retail wing of Milkweed Editions, a local press, and located on the first floor of the Loft Literary Center in downtown Minneapolis. Located in an artfully renovated warehouse, Open Book carries Milkweed titles as well as titles from other indie and major publishers and share a space with FRGMNT coffee and a local art gallery. 

Paperback Exchange 

Southwest Minneapolis’ Paperback Exchange, a used bookstore independently owned and operated since 1975, says they have over 150,000 books in stock. Carrying everything from bestsellers to out-of-print rarities, Paperback Exchange lives up to their name by offering a 70% discount on used books to those who are trading old titles in for new ones. 

Strive Publishing & Bookstore  

Strive is a black-owned, hybrid press and bookshop in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Strive carries a smaller selection of titles by their own press, as well as titles by independently published Black authors and a curated list of works that represent the diversity in Black literature. 

The Book House 

The Book House is a Dinkytown mainstay. Step into their narrow, shelf-stuffed, labyrinth of a multi-floor space and you’ll be getting the same used-bookstore-in-a-college-town experience students have been enjoying since 1976. Post up in their poetry alcove and you can look out at Bob Dylan’s old apartment.  

Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore 

Uncle Hugo’s prides itself on being America’s oldest science-fiction bookstore. Those looking for signed first editions and those casually flipping through spines will be equally pleased by Uncle Hugo’s wide selection of science fiction and fantasy titles. 

Wild Rumpus 

There is perhaps no bookstore on earth as whimsical and magical as Wild Rumpus. This Linden Hills stalwart has been charming local families since 1992, with an always-on-point selection of children’s, young adult, and adult titles and a menagerie of real, live, running-around-the-store animals. Come for the books, stay for the shop chicken (yes, chicken), chinchillas, and cockatiels. 

Black Garnet 

Saint Paul’s Black Garnet is Minnesota’s first black-and-queer-owned bookstore, and is conveniently located along the green line lightrail. Black Garnet carries a wide range of adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as a small selection of children’s books, with a special focus on BIPOC authors and illustrators. 

Next Chapter Booksellers 

Next Chapter is the largest independent bookstore in Saint Paul, carrying a wide range of new and bestselling titles. Stop by as you stroll down Saint Paul’s charming Grand Avenue – you could even duck into Dunn Brothers Coffee or the Saint Paul Cheese shop to refuel after a leisurely morning of browsing. Don’t forget to check their events schedule – they often host local luminaries like Curtis Sittenfeld, Sheila O’Connor, and William Cope Moyers. 

Other Skies Weird Fiction 

Nestled in the artsy West Side of Saint Paul, Other Skies prides themselves on “weird fiction,” which they define as fiction that “strives to defy explanation and the boundaries of imagination.” In other words – let your freak flag fly! 

Red Balloon Bookshop

A fixture of Saint Paul’s Grand Avenue for over forty years, Red Balloon takes children’s literature seriously. Carrying a wide range of kids’ books, toys, and stuffed animals (as well as a smaller selection of adult titles), Red Balloon’s distinctive wrapping jobs are the highlight of any Saint Paul birthday party. They also host story time, events with authors like Kate DiCamillo, and a teen reading book club. 

SubText 

A hidden gem in downtown Saint Paul, SubText (get the pun?) is a cozy shop that features a tightly curated selection of (mostly) new books and perennial bestsellers. They often host local authors for intimate and well-attended book events. 

Tropes & Trifles 

The Twin Cities’ only romance-focused bookshop, Tropes & Trifles opened to much fanfare in 2024. Browse titles from local romance superstar Abby Jimenez, or grab the latest buzzy romantasy BookTok is obsessing over. 

Black Letter Books  

A charmingly old-school used and rare bookstore in downtown Stillwater, Black Letter carries everything from $1 paperbacks to extremely rare first editions. Stop by on your antique crawl of Stillwater’s main street and get a classic book to go with your classic furniture. 

Cream & Amber  

The upmarket suburb of Hopkins has a totally unique bookstore to add to their brag list: Cream & Amber. Cream & Amber has an off-site café that offers beer and wine, so you can sip while you browse for your next great read.  

Excelsior Bay Books 

A distinctive cobalt door marks Excelsior Bay Books, the only independently owned bookstore in the “Nantucket of Minnesota." Positioned on Excelsior’s charming main street, Excelsior Bay Books has a broad selection of adult and children’s books and is dog-friendly, so you can bring the whole family (human and canine). 

Valley Bookseller  

Valley Bookseller is Stillwater’s new book destination, scenically located on the St. Croix river. For $25, you can join their “lifetime buyer club,” which gives you access to special discounts and free ARC (Advance Reader Copies) of yet-to-be-published titles.