In line with the American Booksellers Association’s statistics indicating a resurgence of indies, more indie bookstores are flourishing than closing. La Casa Azul in East Harlem, N.Y., celebrates its third birthday this weekend. Burry’s Books in Hartsville, S.C., which was planning to close, found a buyer. And World Eye in Greenfield, Mass., has put its financial troubles behind it.
Events
Chicago’s Printers Row Lit Fest (June 6-7): The largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest is back for its 31st year.
Bay Area Book Festival (June 6-7): Judy Blume and Google’s Laszlo Bock are among the headliners at the Berkeley event.
Closings
Landmark Seattle Store Closing: Owner Stephanie Ogle is closing 38-year-old Cinema Books due to construction across the street, which has hindered parking and foot traffic.
Acorn Books in Dover, Del., Closing: This three-year-old bookstore, begun by two managers and a long-time employee of the now defunct Atlantic Books, will close on June 13. According to the store’s website http://www.acornbookstore.com/home.html the owners hope to re-open in another location.
St. Louis’s Big Sleep to Shutter: The 27-year-old mystery and thriller bookstore has begun liquidating its inventory in advance of its June 30 closing.
Periscope Books to Close This Fall: Lorri Nandrea, who founded Periscope Books & Tutoring in 2011, is selling her tutoring business and closing the bookstore.
Berkeley’s Shakespeare & Co. Closed after 51 Years: The used bookstore’s last day was June 2.
Griffin Bookshop Is Closing: Eileen Boyd is retiring and closing her downtown Fredericksburg bookshop and coffee bar in the next few weeks.
Other News
New York’s La Casa Azul Turns 3: This weekend the bookstore will celebrate its first three years in El Barrio.
New Location for St. Paul’s Addendum Books: On Monday, the St. Paul bookstore reopened in its new space just off the corner of Cleveland and Randolph, by the St. Catherine University’s St. Paul campus.
World Eye Turns to Next Chapter: After customers heeded the Greenfield, Mass., bookstore’s call to shop the store and help them meet a $15,000 shortfall, the store has begun restocking for summer.
Minority Owner for Phoenix Books in Rutland: Tricia Huebner has taken a minority interest in the Vermont bookstore’s soon-to-open third location, which she will manage.
New Owners for Burry Books in Hartsville, S.C.: Sandi Brown is in the midst of acquiring the store, which will become part of the Walls of Books franchise in Georgia.
Bookstore Adds Cafe in Cheboygan, Mich.: Two-year-old Purple Tree Books expanded and added a coffee shop next door.
