Twin Cities independent bookstores are thriving as customers look to local sources for the latest reads.

The big picture: Though brick and mortar stores are struggling in the age of online shopping, indie bookstores have seen a resurgence nationwide over the last few years, per the New York Times.

• Despite a nearly 30% drop in bookstore sales in 2020, many shops are now reporting sales numbers higher than pre-COVID.

State of play: Axios spoke to five independent book stores across the Twin Cities, and all said they’ve returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic sales numbers.

What they’re saying: An increase in foot traffic as people get out more is a big reason behind the boom, several stores told Axios.

So is a desire to shop local, said Excelsior Bay Books co-owner Ann Woodbeck.

• “People believed what they heard during the pandemic: if you don’t support local businesses, they won’t be there when you come back. Our regulars cared that we survived,” Woodbeck said.

Yes, and: “BookTok,” a subcommunity on TikTok where users recommend literature, has also contributed to the local bookstore hype.

• Subtext Books owner Matt Keliher said he’s added a romance section partially because the genre is so popular on BookTok.
• Birchbark Books & Native Arts, which primarily stocks Native authors, sees customers visit just to make TikToks about the store, manager Halee Kirkwood told Axios.

What’s next: Though there might be the regular seasonal slump, bookstores think the boom is here to stay.

• “People value personal recommendations and their local community. We’re doing better than ever before, and I think we’ll stay that way,” Kirkwood said.

Speaking of the local literary scene ... We're starting a book club!

How it works: We'll pick a book you will hopefully read along with us. Then we will hold a Zoom session to discuss the book.

The first read: We've chosen Chris Stark's "Carnival Lights," which was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award this year.

Here is a quick synopsis:

"In August 1969, two teenage Ojibwe cousins, Sher and Kris, leave their northern Minnesota reservation for the lights of Minneapolis. The girls arrive in the city with only $12, their grandfather’s WWII pack, two stainless steel cups, some face makeup, gum, and a lighter. ...

As they search for work, they cross paths with a gay Jewish boy, homeless white and Indian women, and men on the prowl for runaways. Making their way to the Minnesota State Fair, the Indian girls try to escape a fate set in motion centuries earlier."

What's next: Pick up your copy (or reserve one from your local library) and get reading.

Stay tuned for more details on an early September virtual meetup.

It's shaping up to be another hot, dry week, and that's not great news for worsening drought conditions.

Threat level: Much of the Twin Cities metro remains in a "severe drought," according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update.

• Statewide, about 30% of Minnesota is experiencing abnormally dry conditions this summer. Another 8% is in moderate or severe drought.

Yes, but: 2021 was much worse. At this time last year, 75% of the state was experiencing severe drought.

🧊 Climate change is threatening the cold water habitat at lakes across the Upper Midwest, University of Minnesota researchers warn in a new study. Restoration of nearby forest lands could slow the trend. (MPR News)

☕️Starbucks workers at a recently unionized store on Cedar Avenue in South Minneapolis are on a two-day strike. (Minnesota Reformer)

💵 St. Louis Park residents whose homes were damaged by two major water main breaks this year can apply for reimbursements from the city starting today. (KSTP)

🏠 The building that once housed the original Red’s Savoy Pizza in St. Paul will be converted into a shelter for poor and homeless people. (Pioneer Press)

📬 Construction to rebuild the Minnehaha Post Office in South Minneapolis is expected to be completed "early next summer," a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson tells Axios. (Twitter)

🐶 A lab mix named Luigi was reunited with his family nearly a month after he went missing on a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (Star Tribune)

💻 U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar admitted a vote on an antitrust bill that would bar Big Tech companies from prioritizing their own services over those of rivals will have to wait. (Axios)

Is a new job in your future?

💼 Check out who’s hiring around the city.

1. Communication Specialist - Change Management at CBRE.
2. Administrative Assistant to the CISO at Teradata.
3. Sales Manager, Analytic Sales (SMB Business Development) at Nielsen IQ.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

"Even at a large county like Hennepin, it's like one county versus an entire internet of bubbling misinformation. Sometimes it feels like it's a whack-a-mole."

Go Deeper: Local election and government officials across Minnesota are facing growing pressure from activists to overhaul election systems by switching to hand counts and eliminating drop boxes for absentee ballots, the Star Tribune reports in the latest installment in its series on how disinformation is shaping American politics.

One of the darkest days in Minnesota history occurred 15 years ago when the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13 people.

It was a remarkable day and an event that prompted the state and country to take a deeper look at the health of our public infrastructure.

The replacement of the bridge was also remarkable. Crews rebuilt the bridge in less than 14 months.