Boston-area bookstores to visit

Boston has seen a bookstore "boomlet" in recent years, says Beth Ineson of the New England Independent Booksellers Association.

The intrigue: The region is home to bookstores that cater to nerds, romantics, cat lovers and all sorts of hobbyists who enjoy reading.

Bookstores with cafes

A Sanctuary Cafe: Seating is limited in this cat cafe that sells books, but their pastries are worth the wait.

Beacon Hill Books & Cafe: Stop in for tea time and grab a book on Beacon Hill.

Just Bookish: A bookstore in Fields Corner with a small cafe.

• Protip: Order an empanada.

Lovestruck Books: A romance-themed bookstore in Harvard Square with George Howell, serving coffee, treats and wine.

Trident Booksellers & Cafe: Back Bay's 40-year-old bookstore and cafe.

• The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as booze.

Porter Square Books: The Cambridge bookstore recently expanded, moving into a larger space owned by Lesley University.

• The bookstore has a coffee shop, Page & Leaf Cafe.
• There's also a Porter Square Books in Boston's Seaport neighborhood, but no cafe.

Specialty bookstores

All She Wrote Books: The intersectional feminist queer bookstore in Somerville grew out of a pop-up, which first launched in 2019.

Pandemonium Books and Games: This Central Square game store sells science fiction, fantasy, horror and other books.

• The store also hosts events, from beginner D&D sessions to Yu-Gi-Oh! weekly tournaments.

Read My Lips: The diverse, romance pop-up bookstore sets up shop at breweries and other public-facing spaces, from the Charles River Speedway to Lovestruck Books.

Side Quest Games & Books: What began as a pop-up is now a brick-and-mortar in Bow Market that sells indie games and a range of fantasy and sci fi books.

• Side Quest often hosts role-playing game events and book clubs.

Other brick-and-mortars

Brattle Book Shop: This Boston bookstore celebrates 200 years in 2025.

• Brattle carries used books, rare books, maps, prints, postcards and other items.

Brookline Booksmith: Coolidge Corner's beloved independent bookstore.

• The bookstore has a used books collection and a section for gifts and accessories (great for holiday shopping).

Bryn Mawr Bookstore: Cambridge's nonprofit bookstore has been around since 1971 and carries more than 30,000 books.

Commonwealth Books: This Downtown Crossing spot carries books on arts, history, architecture, philosophy and other subjects, as well as antique prints and maps.

The COOP: This cooperative bookstore serves the Harvard and MIT communities but is open to all.

• Locals also stop in to use their bathrooms.

East End Books Boston: This Seaport shop is the sister store to the original East End Books in Provincetown.

Frugal Bookstore: The Nubian Square shop sells a range of books, from children's titles to science fiction, graphic novels and African American studies.

Harvard Book Store: The Harvard Square staple has been independently run for nearly a century.

• The business planned to open a section location in Boston's Prudential Center, but they halted the expansion.

More Than Words: More Than Words, a nonprofit serving youth, sells books, clothing and gifts in its South End store.

• More Than Words opened a shop in Central Square recently, taking over the space once owned by Boomerangs.

Over The Tunnel Books: Consider this more of a book nook than a store, but the basement bookstore below EBO & Co. Grocery has seats to peruse their collection.

Papercuts Bookstore: This Jamaica Plain bookstore carries various genres of books and hosts author events.

Parkside Bookshop: This South End bookstore also hosts book clubs, date nights and food pop-ups.

Rodney's Bookstore: Rodney's is a beloved Harvard Square bookstore that sells used books and prints.

Rozzie Bound: This Roslindale cooperative bookstore has a small, but diverse collection of books in terms of subject matter, race and gender.

• Customers often order books to have shipped directly to Rozzie Bound.