Bookstores are back, baby!
Not that they ever vanished entirely, but Grand Rapids seems to now have more than I’ve experienced in 34 years of life here.
We’ve recently seen small indie shops like Cellar Bird Books, Pages & Grapes and Black Dog open doors, and they’re doing quite well, while longtime institutions like Schuler Books expanded their Okemos location.
Compare this to 2014, when the Alpine and downtown locations of Schuler closed doors, a few years after Borders filed for bankruptcy, and other indie shops like Books & Mortar didn’t even exist yet. It seemed to me as though Amazon may have won the book wars, with the publishing industry leaving storefronts and heading online.
While certain local heroes held strong, such as Argos in GR and The Bookman in Grand Haven, it wasn’t until the last couple years that we started to see the reading resurgence manifesting today.
Surveys show that 2022 was one of the best-selling years for books in decades, and chances are, you personally know a good number of people who’ve brought reading back into their lives recently.
Elizabeth Bosscher, marketing manager for Schuler Books, believes this can largely be attributed to the pandemic, as people were seeking hobbies they could do at home while trying to rediscover the simple joys of life. And, somewhat ironically, social media like TikTok and Instagram have played a large part, producing influencers and building huge communities around reading.
In fact, Schuler itself created a TikTok in 2023, and it already has more than 500,000 followers, by far more than any other platform they’re on. “What it has done over the last few years for books and bookstores is really undeniable. It’s really increased the discoverability of new and different books,” Bosscher said, comparing it to streaming platforms helping people go beyond Top 40 music, with legacy platforms like the New York Times Bestseller list and celebrity book clubs essentially producing the Top 40 of books.
That discoverability is part of what Schuler works to encourage as well, with employees more than happy to help guide you to the book that’s right for you (“A mirror into your own life, or a window into someone else’s,” Bosscher says), rather than just the most popular book around.
Cellar Bird Books on Bridge Street has a similar mission, having opened just a few months ago. Owner Lea Kocurek actually spent years living in Los Angeles and working on animated films before moving to Grand Rapids with her husband and working remotely, until she dove headfirst into her dream of owning a bookstore last November.
With a shop like Cellar Bird, it’s the perfect place to discover something new, and you have the advantage of a highly curated space, driven by Kocurek’s taste and knowledge. “I really love literary and contemporary fiction, so I definitely have packed that area pretty full. I actually started by looking at my bookshelves and thinking, ‘What would I want other people to read?’”
She’s already established relationships with regulars who come to her for more suggestions and special requests, which is why an independent bookstore is the perfect place to get back into reading if you’ve been away. “Talking to a bookseller is a wonderful place to begin. You can describe what you like to do for fun, or what movies or TV shows you like to watch. Those are great starting points for us to understand what you’ll enjoy.”
Beyond that, local bookstores offer a whole slew of things you can’t get through online shopping, including author events, of which Schuler has many.
“Across our four stores, we did 168 events last year,” Bosscher said. “They’re not intimidating or highly academic—they’re really fun. Our average attendance is 30 to 40 people, and you get to sit in a room, hear from an author, get a book signed. You don’t have to know anything about the book, or even buy one at the end, to show up, but it’s an opportunity to discover something new. Or maybe it’s a book you already know and like, and this is an opportunity to find some new community.”
Community is a massive part of reading, and a driving force behind its recent popularity as people seek in-person connection. Cellar Bird has three book clubs offered through the store (one for rotating genre books, one for poetry, and one for classics). Meanwhile, Schuler helps by offering a special table stocked with books at 20% off for dozens of local clubs that get in touch. “And we don’t do discounts on many things.”
While this is all great for adults, Schuler is placing a big focus on keeping children reading as well, as literacy in kids is declining. Bosscher suggests parents let their kids read whatever captivates them, including graphic novels (yes, they very much count as books). “We need to let them read for fun, because if we can keep their literacy up and keep them interested in books, eventually they will use that as a tool to read for education as well.”
Of course, local bookstores have a number of other advantages over online shopping—they support local authors, they ensure actual quality (which has dropped drastically on Amazon), and perhaps most of all, they provide a wonderful space to hang out.
Many people, myself included, find it deeply soothing to spend hours in a bookstore, flipping through pages, touching covers, sitting in big comfy chairs, and just generally getting lost. Bosscher said Schuler loves it when people come in, hang out and use the store as a third space, and Cellar Bird feels the same.
“I wanted to create a cozy space for people to be able to just spend time,” Kocurek said. “It’s not only about coming in to buy something. I feel like bookstores are an experience, and you can take time to look at things, and you’ll maybe discover things you hadn’t heard of before.
“In these first three months, it’s become so apparent to me how much about community it is. I’m really excited about that, and looking forward to all the possibilities of what’s next.”
Cellar Bird Books
https://cellarbirdbooks.com/
Schuler Books
https://www.schulerbooks.com/
