Books on the Beach!

I love “collecting” bookshops almost as much as I love adding to my to-be-read pile, so when a friend came back from visiting Sanibel Island, Florida, singing the praises of a great little bookstore she’d visited, I had to check them out online. Calling itself “A Great Place to Be Stranded,” the store has a heavy emphasis on books while still offering tourists extras like a boutique clothing line, jewelry, a kids’ book and gift section, and locally made items.

One thing I noticed about this store just from browsing their website and their Facebook page is that they are avid supporters of their fellow indie bookshops. The store hosts titles from the ABA’s IndieNext list, which is a piece of information I adore: it’s not a list of which major books are climbing the sales charts from major retailers. Instead, it’s curated by members of the independent bookstore network, so the IndieNext list is made up of the books that these people are actually putting into their patrons’ hands each week. These are the books that bookstore owners have fallen in love with, and are recommending to readers everywhere.

It’s heartbreaking that small town bookstores are closing everywhere we look, so I make it a point to check out the locally-owned bookshops whenever I travel. When I make it down to Florida, Sanibel’s will be on my list!