7 Independent Brooklyn Bookstores Worth Visiting

When the days get shorter and the nights chillier, not much sounds better than staying home and curling up with a good book. Fortunately for us, Brooklyn is home to dozens of independent bookstores that have us covered for everything from comics to books on the occult.

Here are seven Brooklyn bookstores that we love to visit:

Books Are Magic

225 Smith St (Cobble Hill)

Books Are Magic is an open, airy space with a huge selection. Little things like a poetry gumball machine and children’s book nook will make you feel the love for all things literary.

Credit: @booksaremagicbk/Instagram

Better Read Than Dead

867 Broadway (Bushwick)

Better Read than Dead is a tiny used book shop tucked into an alley off Broadway. It’s built into an old shipping container that has been extended to the street to give shoopers more space, and is bursting with both classics and unique used titles you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Near the Bushwick and Bed-Stuy houses.

Credit: @better_read_than_dead_bk/Instagram

Molasses Books

770 Hart St. (Bushwick)

The coolest thing about Molasses Books is the barter system: You can trade your old books for something from their shop, or even something from their beer and wine selection. It’s a quiet shop with a decent amount of seating and free WiFi.

Near the Bed-Stuy House and easily accessible from the Ridgewood House.

 Credit: @molassesbooks/Instagram

Unnameable Books

600 Vanderbilt Ave (Prospect Heights)

Unnameable Books may be simple on the outside, but it has a heart of gold. It can take a bit of a hunt to find what you’re looking for, but reviewers have compared it to The Strand in terms of the breadth of its selection. It also buys back books from customers, so you can get cash or credit for more books.

Credit: @unnameablebooks/Instagram

WORD Bookstore

126 Franklin St (Greenpoint)

WORD is an airy space with a great selection of new releases and local publications. Head to the events space in the basement for author readings and other literary events.

Credit: @wordbookstores/Instagram

McNally Jackson

76 N 4th St, Unit G (Williamsburg)

McNally Jackson’s original SoHo location was so popular that they decided to open a second location in Williamsburg. Its minimalist design and an abundance of natural lighting make it the perfect place to browse to your heart’s content.

Credit: @mcnallyjackson/Instagram

Spoonbill & Sugartown

218 Bedford Ave (Williamsburg)

99 Montrose Ave (Bushwick)

Spoonbill & Sugartown now has two Brooklyn locations, and visiting each of them is a treat. The original Williamsburg location has been a destination for area book lovers since 1999. They have a decent used section, but what’s really impressive is their indie book and magazine collection.

Easily accessible via subway from the East Williamsburg and Ridgewood houses. 

Credit: @spoonbillbooks/Instagram