Kentucky’s independent bookstores
Independent bookstores seem to be thriving across Kentucky, reflecting a national trend that saw several hundred bookstore businesses opening in the United States in 2024, according to the American Booksellers Association. Check out our state’s independent bookstores—pick up a book and flip through its pages, and enjoy the personal touch they provide with community-centric offerings like special local events, book clubs and movie nights.
Bolin Books
Murray was missing the kind of bookstore Wesley and Whitney Bolin liked to visit when they traveled to other cities. And since Murray is a college town, the Bolins thought a bookstore would be a good fit there. In 2022, the couple opened Bolin Books, a bookstore with gently used books offering a variety of genres for children and adults.
Wesley Bolin sits in the nonfiction and
classics room at Bolin Books in Murray.
Photo: Whitney Bolin
The couple personally hand-pick every book on their shelves, and Whitney enjoys talking about them with customers. “It really has helped me learn more about our community and exactly what they want and what they like to read about,” she says.
Whitney admits she’s bought her fair share of books online. “So there’s no judgement for anyone who does that,” she jokes. But as an avid sci-fi fantasy reader, Whitney says shopping at a local bookstore offers a personal touch that “makes the reading experience richer.”
Florence Gail Bookshop
“It’s been a lifelong dream—always—to open up a bookstore,” says Florence Gail Bookshop owner Heather Campbell. About a year ago, as Campbell walked her dogs on Trenton’s Main Street, she noticed a for rent sign and inquired about the building. “And it all just aligned, and I took the leap,” she says.
Campbell’s Todd County shop offers a variety of new and used books. She also hosts community-focused events there, including a monthly book club and fitness class, plus quarterly activities like movie nights and a cookbook club.
“It’s just cozy,” Campbell says of her inviting, movie scene-worthy space—complete with complimentary spiced cider this time of year. “I want everybody to walk in and feel like they’re at home.”
Florence Gail Bookshop has become a community gathering hub, connecting fellow readers. “It’s just been a dream come true,” Campbell says. “I love it. It’s my happy place.”
Plaid Elephant Books
Since 2021, Plaid Elephant Books in Danville—central Kentucky’s only independent children’s bookstore—has offered a family-friendly space for kids (and their adults) to explore books, from touchy-feely board books for babies to young adult fiction geared toward teens. There’s also cozy reading corners and a Tiny Zoo play area.
Eden Dean, along with little brother
Judah Dean in the background, help
celebrate the fourth anniversary of
Plaid Elephant Books in Danville.
Photo: Kat’s Eye Photography
Owner Kate Snyder recognizes the significance of independent book shops, noting, “Bookstores play an important role in encouraging literacy in the community.” To promote reading at an early age, Plaid Elephant Books hosts a monthly Musical Storytime for preschoolers. A recent event encouraged kids to read to shelter pets.
Snyder strives to make each customer’s visit to Plaid Elephant Books a fun experience, not just another shopping trip. “Kids are really the main focus of the store,” she says, “with the idea that kids need and deserve spaces that are designed and dedicated for them.”
The Next Chapter Bookstore
“We really are uniquely positioned to make personal connections with our customers,” says Betsy Owen, The Next Chapter Bookstore owner. “It’s something that I really enjoy.”
Owen has made a lot of new friends since taking over the shop in 2023, and a monthly book club hosted at the bookstore is connecting others. Even though Cynthiana is a small town where “pretty much everybody does know everybody else,” Owen says the monthly gathering “gives people an opportunity to connect with people they may otherwise not ever connect with.”
Owen believes a diverse representation of people in the pages of a book matters. “I really do try to make sure when I’m ordering that we do have a pretty good representative sample so that if you’re looking for yourself in a book, hopefully you’re able to find it here,” she says. “I think that every story matters and every story is different.”
The Taleless Dog Booksellers
A circa-1921 log cabin is home to The Taleless Dog Booksellers in Berea. Owner Susan Buckmaster describes the shop with a courtyard as cozy and warm. “This space just lends itself to being a bookstore,” she says.
The Taleless Dog Booksellers is
located in a circa-1921 log cabin in
Berea. Photo: Susan Buckmaster
Buckmaster and her husband bounced ideas around in choosing the shop’s name. One word—tales—kept coming up. Buckmaster then looked down at their dogs Bailey and Truman, neither with tails, and she thought of “taleless dog.” That stuck, and the new store had its name. Then, six months after opening, Nora the tailless cat showed up on their doorstep and became the bookstore cat.
Buckmaster says reading is “the foundation of everything that we do” and vital for the future success of every child. “Every town—big town or little town—needs a bookstore,” she says, “that encourages reading and makes reading fun.”
DESTINATIONS
Independent bookstores offer everything from the latest bestsellers to gently used classics for kids and adults. And more than books, they connect readers to one another. So cozy up with your next favorite fall read at one of these uniquely Kentucky bookshops.
Featured bookstores:
Bolin Books
- 304 Main St., Murray
- bolinbooks.com; Facebook: Bolin Books; (270) 216-0863
- Hours 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday; 1–5 p.m. Sunday. Gently used and rare books with a variety of genres for children and adults, plus a Kentucky authors section.
Florence Gail Bookshop
- 107B S. Main St., Trenton
- florence-gail-bookshop.b12sites.com; Facebook: Florence Gail Bookshop; (931) 216-5413
- Hours: noon–3 p.m. Wednesday; 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Wed. 12 p.m.-3 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Offers a wide variety of new and used books of all genres. Monthly book club meets 6 p.m. on fourth Tuesday. Served by Pennyrile Electric.
Plaid Elephant Books
- 116 N. 3rd St., Danville
- plaidelephantbooks.com; Facebook: Plaid Elephant Books; (859) 449-2010
- Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday; Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Wednesday–Friday; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday. Besides books, it offers stuffed animals, puzzles, games and more. Musical Storytime (music, movement, and a story) for preschoolers is 11 a.m. the third Thursday of every month.
The Next Chapter Bookstore
- 201 East Pike St., Cynthiana
- thenextchapter41031.com; Facebook: The Next Chapter Bookstore Cynthiana; (859) 569-3078
- Hours: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday; 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday. New books for all ages, primarily fiction, plus special orders and gift items like reading rests, stuffed animals, bookmarks and book lights. Monthly book club meets 6 p.m. the last Tuesday.
The Taleless Dog Booksellers
- 204A Estill St., Berea
- thetalelessdog.com; Facebook: The Taleless Dog Booksellers; (859) 302-8757
- Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Saturday; 1–5 p.m. Sunday. New books for children and adults in all genres. Features a section with Kentucky and regional authors, plus topics about the region.
- Check out The Taleless Dog Bookseller’s YouTube channel.
More independent bookstores:
Main Street Books
- 21 N. Main St., Monticello
- msbmonticello.com; Facebook: Main Street Books Monticello; (606) 753-6125
- Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday–Friday; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday. Opened in 2023 in a 1901 historic building. Offers fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, cookbooks and more, plus a dedicated children’s area, gifts and apparel. Story Time for kids on Saturdays, bimonthly book club for adults. Upcoming: Book signing with Kentucky author Angela Correll and Christmas Open House in conjunction with Small Business Saturday, both November 29. Served by South Kentucky RECC.
Schimmel’s Bookery
- 870 Fairview Ave. Ste. 3, Bowling Green
- schimmelsbookery.com; Facebook: Schimmel’s Bookery; (270) 202-3857
- Hours: 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Features new books including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, horror and more. Also offers notebooks, journals, and locally handmade book sleeves.
The Bookstore at the Berry Center
- 129 S. Main St., New Castle
- berrycenterbookstore.com; Facebook: The Bookstore at The Berry Center; (502) 743-1820
- Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Located in a 200-year-old historic cabin. Carries works of Wendell Berry and other Kentucky authors, handmade books and a large children’s section. Sales support The Berry Center’s work advocating for farmers, land conserving communities and healthy regional economies. Upcoming: Kentucky Arts & Letters Day, November 8. Kentucky authors will gather for a day of readings, signings, good food and art. Gallery exhibit and book signings free; the readings are ticketed.
The Shire Bookstore
- 115 Newman Drive, Eddyville
- theshirebookstore.com; Facebook: The Shire Bookstore; (254) 245-0439
- Hours: 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday–Thursday; 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Friday–Saturday. Opened 2022, offers a curated collection of new and used books. Regularly events: monthly book club, game night and trivia night; plus seasonal and themed activities. Hammer Time Fridays for building and painting War Hammer miniatures and Fiber Fridays for working on fiber arts.
- Book discussions & more can be found on The Shire Bookstore’s YouTube channel.
