Book recs based on 30+ local bookstores, as selected by Austin librarians
As we get closer to the 2026 Austin Texas Book Trail, we asked the librarians at Austin Public Library to put together a booklist for each bookstore on the trail. Keep reading to see what the team picked!
Check out the original article on Austin Public Library’s website here for direct links to reserve the book from your local library.
Adventures in Ink — Scott Pilgrim. Vol. 1, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by O'Malley, Bryan Lee
Adventures in Ink is the new book kid in town, offering a carefully curated selection of comic books, games, collectibles, and community since February 2025. The owner, Eli Roberts, is a lifelong comic book reader and former middle school teacher who has used comic books as a learning tool in the classroom. We recommend checking out a revived classic: Scott Pilgrim. Vol. 1, Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, which features larger artwork that’s in full color!
Alienated Majesty Books — Lithium by Denis, Malén
Forget bestsellers! Alienated Majesty--an Austin Chronicle critics' pick for Best Obscure Literature Collection--has crowned itself "a bookstore for the leastsellers." Come for the small press pubs and works in translation, stay for the indie comix and zines, and take home linguistic pharmakon Lithium by Argentine multidisciplinary artist Malén Denis.
Austin Books and Comics — Catwoman: Lonely City by Chiang, Cliff
In business since 1977, Austin Books and Comics is Central Texas’ biggest, longest-running comics and pop culture retailer. They are a great place to buy and sell comics (collectible and otherwise) and the staff pick a favorite new release each week. Catwoman Lonely City by Cliff Chiang features mainstays of DC (minus Batman) and tells a captivating story of settling scores for readers new to comics and seasoned comic fans alike.
Austin Public Library Shop — APL Adventure Book
The APL Shop sells Austin Public Library branded merchandise, book-themed products, and unique, locally sourced gifts. The gift shop features books on consignment by authors in the Greater Austin area as well as a selection of used paperbacks and hardbacks for sale. Each purchase supports Austin Public Library. The APL Adventure Book, a part of this year's system-wide Centennial Celebrations, is a free, passport-style booklet that features all of the Austin Public Library locations. Ask for the Adventure Book at the main circulation desk or print it online. Find our mascot, Page B. Turner, at four different locations, color in the icon at the top of that location's page, and you can collect a prize available at the APL Shop, while supplies last.
Best Little Wine and Books — Wine, All the Time: the Casual Guide to Confident Drinking by Ross, Marissa A.
Best Little Wine & Books is a boutique neighborhood wine bar and bookshop known for its intimate atmosphere and thoughtfully curated wine and book selections. Its wine list highlights bottles from female and minority-owned wineries, reflecting a commitment to diverse voices in the wine world. The shop pairs naturally with Marissa Ross’s Wine All the Time: The Casual Guide to Confident Drinking, a witty and approachable take on wine and wine culture.
Birdhouse Books and Gifts — Woodworking by St. James, Emily
Birdhouse Books and Gifts is an inviting, light-filled space offering carefully curated gifts for the book lovers in your life. This queer- woman- veteran-owned community-focused bookstore provides an inclusive and welcoming space for everyone. Woodworking by Emily St. James embodies the same spirit, telling the story of an unexpected friendship between a closeted trans woman and her trans student, both striving to embrace authenticity.
Black Pearl Books — The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women's Magic by Stewart, Lindsey
Black Pearl Books, a Black-woman-owned, independent bookstore, honors cultural awareness, promotes diversity and representation in literature, and serves a community from all walks of life. Check out their nonprofit's welcoming community space, treat yourself to an extra read from their advance reader's edition shelf, and pick up this enlightening cultural history of conjure women and celebration of Black magic from feminist philosopher Lindsey Stewart.
BookPeople — The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Parker, Priya
You know her. You love her. She is BookPeople, the largest independent bookstore in Texas that’s been a staple of the Austin community since 1970. While we can wax poetic about the collection of books (they’re really good!), it is all the extras that really make BookPeople sparkle: packed author events and story times, a variety of book clubs to suit any taste, the official bookseller of the annual Texas Book Festival. Their slogan says it all: “A Community Bound by Books.” To help celebrate that train of thought, we recommend checking out The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, a relevant book that homes in on the importance of community and how we can do it better.
BookWoman — Woman on the Edge of Time: A Novel by Piercy, Marge
Opened 50 years ago as a collective called The Common Woman Bookstore, Bookwoman continues to be a feminist hub and LGBTQA+ resource for the Austin community. Celebrate with a reading of the 50 year old feminist classic and early speculative fiction written by a woman, A Woman on the Edge of Time.
Colossus Books — Book of Longing by Cohen, Leonard
Colossus Books is named after Sylvia Plath's first book of poetry. Visit this used bookstore in Lockhart, Texas for the best poetry section in Texas! They adore the Cambridge poets and work hard to stock both common and collectible classics. Celebrate an appreciation of the old with a modern eye with Book of Longing, one of the later collections of his poetry, spanning many years of his work and reflecting on his life and career.
Curio Mrvosa Books and More — Paperbacks From Hell: the Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction by Hendrix, Grady
Curio Mrvosa Books and More, an independent bookstore located in Taylor, offers an inviting space for creative and curious readers to shop for new, used and vintage books as well as a carefully curated collection of gifts and novelties. Dive into the history of 70s and 80s horror novels with Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix and add a vintage paperback or two or ten to your home collection.
Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy Austin — Absolute Wonder Woman, 01, The Last Amazon by Thompson, Kelly
Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy, Austin offers a diverse range of comic book, game, and related products in a friendly, professional, and fun atmosphere. With such a great atmosphere, Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy is the best place to start Absolute Wonder Woman Vol.1 by Kelly Thompson. Rediscover Wonder Woman as you've never seen her and afterwards, maybe dabble in some board games inspired by the Greek Pantheon!
Finney’s Books — Book Boyfriend by Wibberley, Emily
Come to Finney's Books for a welcoming and safe space to love love! This local, independent romance bookstore is building a community where romance readers can come together over the books that make them laugh, cry, or beg for more. What better to explemplify this than Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka? This charming enemies-to-lovers romance will speak to anyone who loves the connecting power of literature or has ever had a crush on their favorite book characters.
First Light Books — Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
First Light Books was launched with the goal of inspiring all those who visit. Named for daybreak and the possibilities that each new day brings, it also features a café that serves coffee to aid your inspiration. Jón Kalman Stefánsson's Heaven and Hell celebrates this same theme against a bleak Icelandic backdrop - returning to light and hope, with books and steadfast friendship to guide you.
Flutter Romance Bookstore — Give Me Butterflies: a Novel by Meadows, Jillian
Flutter, a beloved Austin romance bookstore, just celebrated their one-year anniversary this past Valentine's Day. They are soon to serve coffee when they reach their fundraising goal to welcome Entre las Nubes Cafecito into the store. They have a wide selection of romance books spanning all the favorite tropes and sub-genres, including their monthly Blind Date with a Book. Give Me Butterflies is a romance novel about an entomologist working for a museum and is sure to set your heart a-flutter alongside this romance bookstore.
Green Heron Bookshop — Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang, Po-rŭm
Located in a charming spot just off of the San Marcos Square, Green Heron Bookshop offers used books, gifts, and a community all centered around the owner's favorite question: "What is the best book you've ever read?" While we can never choose a favorite, sink into that sense of community with Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, a novel that celebrates bookshops and the communities they cultivate by getting to know their neighbors.
Haunt Happy Books — Dead First by Compton, Johnny
Haunt Happy Books is an all-ages horror book store located in the basement of a building in Downtown Lockhart. Lovers of horror enter the windowless basement by walking down a flight of stairs lined with Dracula masks and garlic. Those who dare enter will find a wealth of frightening reads such as Dead First by Johnny Compton. This new supernatural thriller featuring a Texas tycoon who cannot die takes readers through some of the creepiest places Texas has to offer.
Lark and Owl Booksellers — The Wren, the Wren: a Novel by Enright, Anne
Lark & Owl Booksellers describes itself as "bookish setting for kindred characters," founded by women in downtown Georgetown. Come settle in with a treat from their cafe, Alouette Bistro, and discover your next transformative read. The shelves are well-curated by their imaginative, inclusive staff, featuring powerful stories like Anne Enright's exploration of love, loss, and their power of women's relationships.
Lioness Books — Upright Women Wanted by Gailey, Sarah
Lioness Books operates out of a twenty-foot trailer, and soon-to-be a new permanent space in Leander! Serving as a neighborhood haven, it prides itself in offering books that represent a variety of voices. Like a lioness, it's fiercely protective of its community, and so are the women in Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey, traveling by cart and risking their lives to protect and share the printed word.
Livra Books — Know Your Remedies: Pharmacy and Culture in Early Modern China by Bian, He
Don't be fooled by its size: Livra Books is tiny but powerful, offering Theory Night, the Fight Against Brain Rot Book Club and "great books for every curious mind." Comb the shelves for used, vintage, and rare books that you're unlikely to find at the library like Know Your Remedies: Pharmacy and Culture in Early Modern China by He Bian, and start assembling your very own shelf of discovery today.
Magnolia Bookery and Gifts — If It Makes You Happy by Olivia, Julie
Magnolia Bookery & Gifts is a wonderfully colorful and cozy local book store located in Lockhart, TX. With hundreds of titles as well as other cute gifts, such as socks, plushies, and stationary, this bookstore provides all kinds of wonder to those visiting. Similarly cozy is the slow-burn romance novel, If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia. You will likely find yourself beginning to read this novel before immediately taking it home to finish it!
Monkeywrench Books — Make a Zine!: Start Your Own Underground Publishing Revolution by Biel, Joe
Monkeywrench Books is an all-volunteer event space, literature distro, and social hub. Snug shop for books and zines focusing on social & economic justice. Among many other things, they have free whistles and zines about responding to ICE. Make a Zine! by Joe Biel covers all things zine history, indie comix, and how-to make your own zine.
Paper Bark Birch — The Coziest Place on the Moon by Popova, Maria
Paper Bark Birch is a children's bookstore that features events like The Cereal Book Club, Princess Storytime, and Mom Group Wednesdays (also known as "Drink coffee with friends, read books with kids"). Let your little one wander the bookshelves of this wonderful bookstore and when they're ready, let them wander the moon from the book, The Coziest Place on the Moon by Maria Popova. This book allows little ones to explore the recently discovered nooks tucked in the moon's crust. Young readers will likely be inspired to wander after enjoying this book.
Phat Tracks Books & Records — 13th Floor Elevators: a Visual History by Drummond, Paul
Phat Tracks Books & Records in Cedar Park is dedicated to creating a punk enviornment. From banned books to underground muisc, they're fostering the things that make the greater Austin area weird. Check out the 13th Floor Elevators biograph for a group that paved the way for punk music.
Resistencia Bookstore — Understanding Latino History: Excavating the Past, Examining the Present by Mitchell, Pablo
Resistencia Bookstore serves as a neighborhood center for aspiring writers, specializing in Native, Chicana/o/x, Mexicana/o/x, Latina/o/x, African-American, feminist, queer, and children's bilingual literature. When you visit, check out Pablo Mitchell's Understanding Latino History, a new approach at exploring how different Latine groups arrived and settled across the United States throughout its history.
Reverie Books — Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life by Gray, John
Reverie Books in South Austin is a neighborhood bookstore with a mix of new and used titles. They have "a mission of uplifting marginalized voices and youth empowerment" and support access to banned books. They are also home to their bookstore cat, Stormy, who adds to the cozy atmosphere. Check out one of "Stormy's Recommendations," Feline Philosophy, and see what cats have to do with the meaning of life.
Stop & Read Books — A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes From Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places by Brown, Christopher
Stop and Read Books began as a tiny roadside bookstore in Marfa, Texas in a former gas station on Highway 90 with the goal of welcoming travelers to stop and browse for books. Its Austin location continues that spirit of thoughtful discovery, an ethos reflected in A Natural History of Empty Lots where Austin writer Christopher Brown uncovers the hidden histories of overlooked urban spaces.
Sunday Bookshop — Happy Place by Henry, Emily
The Sunday Bookshop in Dripping Springs is the definition of a cozy bookstore. From gifts, candles, and a finely curated book selection, Sunday Bookshop is the place to stop and browse or simply sit on their super comfy couch! While you are at it, why don't you cozy up inside the Sunday Bookshop and enjoy Emily Henry's Happy Place, a fun romance story about a couple who have broken up but have to pretend to still be together for their friend's sake.
The Book Burrow — Payback's a Witch by Harper, Lana
The Book Burrow is in the Heart of Downtown Pflugerville and encourages everyone to "Embrace Your Weird." The Book Burrow is home to new and pre-loved books, as well as four cats (albeit with different work schedules). They host both a "Witchy Happy Hour" and a "Queer Craft Night." Check out Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper for even more queer witches.
The Little Gay Shop — What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution by Birdsall, John
The Little Gay Shop is an oasis of queer community, a marketplace filled with everything from art to apparel to books. Everything is created exclusively by queer artists, makers, and authors. Celebrate queer dedication to creating vibrant community space by checking out What is Queer Food? and delving into the cultural history of the LGBTQA+ table.
The Painted Porch Bookshop — The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Eger, Edith Eva
The Painted Porch Bookshop feels like walking onto a whimsical movie set. Exposed brick walls and real wood floors. Two stories of colorful books and rolling ladders to help select one high out of reach. An enormous fireplace bedecked in floor-to-ceiling stacked books in place of stonework. The entire vibe of the shop entices visitors to discover their next favorite read. And the owner, Ryan Holiday, regularly creates lists of his top books to check out. One such list, titled “Ryan’s 10 Best Books of the 21st Century,” features the memoir The Choice: Embrace the Possible, and we heartily agree that this is the inspirational and relevant story you need in your life. Written by renowned psychologist Dr. Edith Eva Eger, this remarkable story weaves Eger’s own harrowing experience in a WWII concentration camp with her steps to healing herself and others. We can see why it made Ryan’s list!
The Secret Lantern Books & Games — Kings of the Wyld by Eames, Nicholas
The owners of the Secret Lantern are immersed in the Austin TTRPG and video game scene, and it shows! Browse their shelves for the latest books and board games, play a TTRPG in an actual bank vault, or geek out at one of their many community events. Keep the adventure going with Kings of the Wyld, a hilarious and energetic high fantasy novel that follows a party of retired mercenaries who get the band back together again for one last job.
Time Being Books — Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible
Time Being is a secondhand bookstore, specializing in unique reference materials, eclectic monographs, & rare books. The Austin Used Book Collective is a small group of independent booksellers. Each carries a unique and thoughtfully—lovingly—curated selection of high-quality, secondhand books. Together, they support a diverse range of interests and tastes. Forrest Bess: Seeing Things Invisible shows an extraordinary body of paintings with enigmatic imagery drawn from "visions". Bess worked as a commercial fisherman on the Texas coast and during free time was prolifically painting. The monograph is unique and special to Texas, like these booksellers.
TOMO mags — Zine Night at APL
The next time you're on E 5th & Brazos, don't you dare blink or you might miss TOMO Mags, the brand-new brick-and-mortar location of the beloved refurbished school bus. Hunt down the latest issue of Creatura, add a few zines, throw in a stapler and pair of scissors, and make your way down the street to the Austin Central Library for Zine Night. We'll see you there.
Tribe Comics and Games — They Met in a Tavern by Menchaca, Elijah
D&D is all about adventure and epic stories. Yet, sometimes the best stories start in a tavern. They Met in a Tavern is a story about getting the band back together, a band of adventurers! After you finish this fantasy story, why don't you hop over to one of South Austin's best gaming and comic book stores, Tribe Comics and Games. Pull up a chair, join a TTRPG game, pick up some minis, and commence your own epic story!
Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar — The Wine Lover's Daughter: a Memoir by Fadiman, Anne
Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar invites readers to browse thoughtfully curated shelves while enjoying a glass of wine in the coziest of settings. In the memoir The Wine Lover’s Daughter, Anne Fadiman reflects on growing up with her father in a family where literature, wine, and spirited conversation were a central part of their daily lives.