Axios D.C.

September 30, 2026

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 79 and a low of 62.

📍Situational awareness: We're still in Atlanta for our Axios Local retreat, so enjoy today's special edition newsletter all about books and reading.

Today’s newsletter is 1,020 words — a 4-minute read.

1 big thing: 🚗 Bookstores hit the road

Illustration of a row of books with an awning hanging over the top. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Fewer Americans are reading books, but here's the plot twist: The bookstore is still staging a comeback — and arriving in a surprising new format in Washington.

The big picture: AI threatens to disrupt information consumption, and certain genres are slumping — but bookstores have remade themselves as a hideaway from modern distractions and a place of authentic discovery.

State of play: One way this is popping up in the DMV and beyond? A slew of new bookmobiles.

These aren't the vans you might associate with the Scholastic Book Fairs of yore: These are curated, design-forward trucks that are meeting today's readers at coffee shops, breweries and festivals.
Local mobile bookstores include Apt 105 Books, which is focused on Black stories, or The TBR Shelf based out of Fredericksburg.

What they're saying: A bookmobile is often a more cost-effective option than opening a brick-and-mortar store, plus it makes it easier to find readers in unexpected areas, says Tessa Cannon, who launched The Wandering Shelf in Arlington last year.

And the smaller square footage of a van means Cannon is more intentional about the books she stocks, focusing on titles that are "cozy, impactful and fantastical."

The smaller format also means more one-on-one time where Cannon can nudge readers outside their comfort zones, directing them toward books "that will actually challenge their brains in a whole different way and open them up to new perspectives," she says.

"If I'm in the field of books, I can help get the right book into the right hands and hopefully influence change from an individual level."

Zoom out: It's not just vans: Independent booksellers at large are enjoying a renaissance.

The number of U.S. bookstore companies rose 70% from 2,010 in 2021 to 3,416 in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association.
73% of booksellers recorded a sales increase in 2025, with more than 47% saying sales rose at least 6%.

Zoom in: Peggy Stover, a University of Iowa business marketing professor, said bookstores are benefiting from the trend of Gen Z seeking analog experiences, such as vinyl records.

"It's going back to the past where the technology was simpler, and there's also a feeling of nostalgia that is involved in the popularity of bookstores," Stover says.

Yes, but: 36% of Americans say they're reading fewer books than they did a decade ago, according to a CBS News poll conducted in June.

Only 23% are reading more, while 40% are reading about the same.
Meanwhile, AI-generated summaries and dwindling attention spans due to social media threaten to undermine bookstores.

Go deeper.

2: 🛍️ Buy local books underground

Mimi Montgomery

A pink vintage bookshelf filled with assorted books stands against a large mosaic tiled wall—left side blue tiles fading to orange and multicolored tiles on the right; a small poster sits above. — Photo: Theodore Carter

A new bookshelf in Dupont Underground spotlights books by local authors who publish with smaller presses.

Why it matters: It can be hard and financially difficult for small press authors to land spots in larger brick-and-mortar bookstores, says bookshelf organizer Theodore Carter.

State of play: Carter — an author and Georgetown Day teacher — was volunteering at Dupont Underground after a poetry reading when he realized many of the writers were sticking around afterward to sell their books.

So he created a mini-store that would carry their work alongside those by other DMV authors.
With help from the creative writing group Inner Loop and an Awesome Foundation grant, Carter launched the Local Author Bookshelf this fall using a $40 Facebook Marketplace shelf he picked up at a University of Maryland frat house.

What they're saying: "No one's in it for the money," says Carter of everyone involved in the project. "But I do think they believe in the art and making that art accessible to as many people as possible."

Any money made through sales will be reinvested in stocking local authors.

What we're watching: A kickoff event for the bookshelf will be held at Dupont Underground on Friday, during which some of the featured writers will "pitch" their books to the audience.

The bottom line: "Even if they don't buy them, for me, that's a win," says Carter of people visiting the bookshelf, "because they're looking over all these local authors."

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3: Around the Beltway: 👀 KenCen happenings

Illustration of a bass drum, a snare drum, a conga drum and a hi-hat, playing. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

🏗️ KenCen news: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) blocked a bipartisan bill requiring congressional approval before the demolition of national memorials honoring presidents, including the Kennedy Center. (The Washington Sun)

Plus: The center let go almost two dozen box office ticket sellers last week as the building remains closed and its schedule shrinks. The workers' union says it will take legal action. (City Cast DC)

💧Almost 1.9 million people in Prince George's and Montgomery counties were asked to conserve water yesterday after a power outage at a water filtration plant. No boil water advisory went into effect. (WTOP)

🕹️ Three arcade games satirizing President Trump's desire to take over Greenland have popped up on the National Mall near the D.C. War Memorial. A version of the game was also sent to Nuuk, Greenland, organizers say. (WUSA 9)