“ Think about when you read a book you really, really loved,” prompts Paige Williams, owner of Downtown Books in Lexington.
“Where were you? Does it tie you to a beach? Does it tie you to a cozy chair by a fire at your grandparents’ house? What makes you love that book?” As an independent bookstore owner, Williams is familiar with the deep responses these questions evoke. “We all have that,” she says.
Virginia’s indie booksellers are a refuge to rediscover that love of reading, with meticulously curated collections, personal connections, and that lovely, distinctive scent and exquisite weight of a tactile book. With National Independent Bookstore Day now boosting these businesses annually in April, books and their sellers, in short, are back.
Step inside a few with Virginia Living.
Eastern: Food Temptress Cookbook Store
1624 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach (inside Painted Tree Boutiques, Space G10)
Tucked into a 6-by-9-foot space in a sprawling boutique collective, Food Temptress is a bookstore that offsets its small size with its impressive array of culinary reads. It’s one of only about 15 dedicated cookbook stores in the country.
“ I am a believer that cookbooks are essential to passing down traditions, stories, and recipes,” says owner Rekaya Gibson.
She stocks the shelves with cookbooks by Black authors, surprising even seasoned chefs with the variety in the niche. “ They range from vegan books, barbecue books, to soul food, African cuisine, Caribbean cuisine, and baking books,” she says.
Even Gibson, who has reviewed cookbooks for Cuisine Noir for over a decade, finds new gems while curating, like culinary fusion exploration Amish Soul by Chris Scott. Gibson’s mission to pass on little-told legacies through cookbooks has resonated deeply. “That’s my contribution to history,” she says. FoodTemptressCookbookStore.com
Southwest: Blacksburg Books
401 S. Main St., Suite 106, Blacksburg
Boisterous laughter often fills Blacksburg Books. “We’re not one of those quiet bookshops,” says Ellen Woodall, manager. “We have a lot of fun. Neighbors run into each other. People bring their dogs.”
The person-to-person interactions set indie booksellers apart from chain stores or e-readers, Woodall notes. “If you ask for a recommendation, we’re not using an algorithm.” Of course, the books themselves help. “One of the first things people will comment on when they come into the store is the smell of books, which people love. Also, it feels beautiful to hold a book in your hand and physically turn the page,” Woodall adds. BlacksburgBooks.com
Shenandoah: Downtown Books
34 S. Main St., Lexington
At Downtown Books, every corner reflects the community it serves. Visitors are greeted by a rainbow of handwritten sticky notes on pushpin boards—each a book recommendation from a prior patron. Persian rugs line the floor, an old armoire houses mystery books, and a mini lamppost replicating Narnia’s iconic landmark stands on a shelf, kindling memories of childhood literary adventures.
“We wanted it to feel like you were walking into someone’s home library,” says owner Paige Williams. As an independent bookstore, she made it so, adding seating for those who want to settle in for a chapter or chat with strangers over a shared love of a book. “There’s something about being with other people who have that same connection to an object in the room,” she says. “Books are memories, books are feelings, books tie us to a certain time in our lives.” DowntownBooksLexVa.com
Northern: Old Town Books
130 S. Royal St., Alexandria
“Curate is a funny word,” says Ally Kirkpatrick, owner of Old Town Books, nestled in Alexandria’s historic district. But, she adds, “how we curate is part of the importance and beauty of independent bookstores.” From the whimsical, storybook-like atmosphere—complete with an elaborate tree sculpture arching over the children’s section—to the carefully chosen collection inspired by local readers, every detail reflects the intentional, personal choices Kirkpatrick and her team make to serve their shoppers.
Hosting over 100 in-store events annually—including author talks, book-themed festivals, and book clubs—the store serves as the heart of a whole literary world. OldTownBooks.com
elis llinares
Central: Small Friend Records & Books
1 N. Lombardy St., Richmond
In a grand 1870s stone building in Richmond’s Fan District, a hidden gem occupies a charming downstairs space—filled to the brim with books, sunlight filtering in through surrounding windows and exposed brick hugging the shelves. The cozy shop of wonders is “a store where we may not have exactly what you’re looking for, but you’ll find something you weren’t looking for,” says owner Jordan Pulaski.
Pulaski still remembers his favorite indie bookstore growing up in Baltimore—Normal’s Books & Records. “You never knew what you were going to find,” he says fondly. Now, Small Friend offers that magic to Richmond’s readers. SmallFriend.org
National Independent Bookstore Day
On April 26, celebrate your local indie booksellers! Stop by for a new read, discounts, author events, and an all-around festive day. “It’s like a big party all day long,”
says Ellen Woodall of Blacksburg Books. For more ways to support independent bookstores, click here!
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
