Last year I did the Houston Bookstore Crawl and visited twelve independent bookstores in the Houston area.
When I think of independent bookstores, I think first of Brazos Bookstore. It was created in 1974 by Karl Kilian who wanted to focus on personalized service, community engagement and passionate curation. The store prides itself on its support of writers and readers through long partnerships with Inprint!, the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, the Academy of American Poets, and the Annual Poet and Writer’s Ball. It's a small space, but it's packed with exceptional book offerings. 
One of the largest and oldest mystery specialty bookstores in the US is Murder by the Book, originally established in 1980. There are over 25,000 books -- new & used, hardbacks & paperbacks, first editions, collectibles, gift items, and more. The store hosts more than 200 of the biggest mystery, crime, and fantasy authors for book signing events every year. In the past, Murder by the Book has hosted Dick Francis, P.D. James, Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, James Lee Burke, and Daniel Silva.
Kindred Stories is an independent bookstore located in Houston's historic Third Ward. Kindred Stories is a celebration of Black and other marginalized voices, and it seeks to create a community in which people "can unite over our shared love of these books; delve into the ways we see ourselves reflected in their stories; learn about new and upcoming Black writers, artists, creators, and changemakers; and find connection at a time when we need it more than ever."
Basket Books & Art is an independent bookstore inside the Montrose area of Houston. It specializes in literature, art, and thought. Owners Laura Hughes and Edwin Smalling say, "Our goal is to offer a unique context in which art and books can co-mingle in exciting ways, opening up alleyways of conversation. We aim to provide a space for creative and intellectual exchange through our inventory and programming, and to offer Houston’s diverse arts and intellectual communities something for the mind, a portal to the world of art, writing, and thought writ large.”
Then & Now Bookshop began life as a pop-up bookstore in Galveston. It was always Lori's dream to own a bookshop. After working for thirty years as a preschool teacher and librarian, Lori, with a nudge from her daughter did just that.
LIT Java Coffee & Books is a BIPOC, veteran, women owned, and online bookstore. LIT believes that books are powerful tools with the capability to bring people together, dispel misconceptions, and challenge thinking.
The bookstore operates according to what it calls Our 5 Cs:
1) Curated Literary Experiences
2) Community
3) Cultural Diversity
4) Connections
5) Conversations over LIT cups of Coffee!
If you are wondering, yes, that's Pear-Land, not Pearl-Land. When I was growing up in my little town of Alvin, Pearland was the closest town to us and it was a lot like us---maybe 5,000 people, predominantly rural, yet very progressive. And one of the farm crops was pears. Now---look out! Pearland has ballooned to almost 129,000 people, and it's delightfully diverse. I was very excited to try out this bookstore. Of all the indie bookstores in the Houston area, this one is actually the closest one to me. And it is not only a bookstore, but it's also a coffeeshop. Win, win.
You wouldn't know Blue Willow Bookshop was there if you weren't told about it. From the street it's just another tiny little space in a strip center. But don't let first appearances fool you. Blue Willow is all about books. And reading. And authors. And good writing. And especially books.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
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