Graphic by: Lily Huynh
Whether it be charming independent bookstores or diverse local authors, Houston is home to both in abundance. The city’s literary landscape is vast and has something unique to offer to all sorts of readers.
Let’s shine the spotlight on some of Houston’s lesser-known independent bookstores that may become your next favorite places to visit as well as introduce you to some local authors whose books may become your next favorite reads.
Houstonian Bookstores
Kaboom Books
Situated near Downtown Houston, Kaboom Books is a bookstore that sells, buys and trades used books. Be it new releases or outdated titles, Kaboom Books stores approximately 100,000 books from 84 different genres, including but not limited to art, history, literature, physical science and social science.
Customers appreciate this indie bookstore because of its unique selection of books and its organization of books by subject. Additionally, this bookstore gathers love from customers for its aesthetics and visuals, with heaps of bookshelves towering over each other along with various seats and ladders sprinkled across the store.
If you prefer to read used books– the ones with cracked spines, notes along the margins and dog-eared pages, Kaboom Books may have to be on your travel list the next time you are near the area.
The Book Readers Venue
With the belief that “when one book closes, another one opens,” The Book Readers Venue is an independent bookstore located in one of the city’s suburbs, Humble, TX.
This bookstore is majorly dedicated to romance and romantic suspense novels, primarily written by authors of color. As a matter of fact, The Book Readers Avenue is a Black-owned bookstore, owned by Sherrele Goloversic, whose aim is to increase exposure and visibility of books written by African American authors. With her own appealing bookstore, Goloversic also aims to inspire a new generation of literary talent so that there are more stories to share with the world.
You could pay this bookstore a visit on the weekends since it is closed from Monday to Thursday and immerse yourself in a whole new world of unheard stories from powerful and impactful voices.
Becker’s Books
Established in 1993, Becker’s Books is a second-hand bookstore that is family-owned and operated by two generations and counting.
This indie bookstore is home to tens of thousands of titles in approximately 70 different genres, including niche and specialized topics like regional history and literary criticism.
The bookstore is encased in a cozy red house that provides a warm and comfortable ambiance to all customers who can browse through stacks of rustic bookshelves.
If you are on the hunt for new bookstores to visit, make sure to add Becker’s Books to your itinerary for the weekend.
Houstonian Authors
Katherine Center
The New York Times bestselling author of “The Bodyguard,” Katherine Center, is actually a native of our beloved hometown, Houston. Though she went to college out of state, she returned back to Houston at the age of 22 when she won a fellowship to the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program.
The setting of her most famous title, “The Bodyguard,” actually seeks inspiration from her family’s cattle ranch outside of Houston.
Her other well-known titles include, “Hello Stranger,” “The Rom-Commers” and “Happiness for Beginners,” which is set to be a Netflix movie soon. Readers admire Center’s books for their witty banter, lovable and quirky characters, realistic depiction of family dynamics and swoon-worthy closed-door romances.
Katharine McGee
To add to this list, we have another New York Times bestselling author of “The American Royals” series as well as “The Thousandth Floor” trilogy, Katharine McGee, who is also from Houston. McGee went to college at Princeton and completed her MBA from Stanford.
McGee’s books usually contain a multitude of characters, portraying the complex relations between humans and the way each character intertwines with one another. Readers typically enjoy McGee’s books for their unusual yet intriguing concepts and well-developed plots. Her books have also been nominated for many awards, making her a decorated and loved author.
Bryan Washington
Raised and brought up in Houston, Bryan Washington is known for his collection of short stories titled, “Lot,” as well as his novel titled, “Memorial.” His work has been critically acclaimed and his writing is considered to be gut-wrenchingly honest as his stories tackle issues related to identity and belonging.
Washington has been a recipient of many literature awards and in 2022, Washington made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Currently, he is an assistant professor for Creative Writing at Rice University.
It is no surprise that Houston is home to vibrant and vintage bookstores and talented authors who have made a mark both nationally and internationally. Our city is being represented by authors and books that reach audiences all around the world and that is definitely something to be proud of.
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