Book lovers will be happy to know that Colorado is home to a variety of independent bookstores full of both new and used titles. Some these stores have been open for decades, while others are new establishments that have recently won the hearts of locals. No matter if you’re looking for a rare find, the newest title from a popular author or a comic book created from a local artist, Colorado has the perfect bookstore for your literary needs. Literature is alive and well at these 7 best bookstores in Colorado.
Tattered Cover Bookstore is by far Colorado’s most distinguished bookstore. With four locations in Denver, find new and used books ranging among a variety of genres and topics. Opened in 1971, this bookstore has been catering to book nerds for 40 years. Every year, the Tattered Cover Bookstore has over 400 appearances by authors, illustrators and other prominent figures.
The Bookies Bookstore is the perfect place for children's literature. There is some quality reading material for parents, focusing on contemporary and classic writings, but the comprehensive selection for children is the main reason why this bookstore is one of the best in Colorado. The Bookies also offers discounts regularly and works with local schools to craft reading lists for students of all levels.
Boulder Book Store, located off the Pearl Street Mall, has an extensive collection of books, making it rival any large book retailer. This three-story bookstore is well stocked with over 100,000 titles. If you aren’t sure about what book is right for you, the staff is full of book nerds waiting to help you find ideal reading material.
The Hermitage Bookshop, open in 1973, is a unique bookstore that just so happens to be one of Denver’s oldest independent book retailers. The shop’s collection of vintage, first edition and signed edition books will make any collector happy. Although these rare and hard-to-find books are impressive, the Hermitage Bookshop also offers children’s books, travel books and other non-fiction hobby books for the casual reader.
Many people come to Kilgore Books for the local and international comic collection. Kilgore even publishes their own comics regularly. However, there is a wide variety of other book genres available here too, such as science fiction, poetry, history and prose.
Find new and used books, 20,000 titles approximately, at West Side Books in Denver. The book collection at West Side Books is enough to make you want to visit, but the events are just an extra perk. Every second Saturday of the month, the store hosts free literary events. Events vary from live concerts to author readings.
Find exactly the book you are looking for at Capitol Hill Books in Denver, which has been open for 36 years. With an online inventory database and books organized by genre and alphabetical order, this bookstore makes things easy for book lovers looking for a specific title. Find a variety of genres here, including fiction, non-fiction and even books in foreign languages.