10 independent bookstores to add to your list on the North Texas Bookstore Crawl

Who doesn’t love a crawl? You don’t have to drink to enjoy a block-for-block walk. The brains behind the North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl understand this best. The month-long celebration, now in its second year, takes place throughout August and encourages support for independently owned bookstores, and there’s never a better time for it. The bookstore crawl features 34 bookstores across North Texas. Visiting the bookstores gets you a raffle entry for a chance at the grand prize and good karma for the afterlife.

Odds are, if you pick up a used book, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had his hands on it at some point, as Amazon accounts for over 60% of book sales. That means Bezos can afford to lose your book business, especially since he’s probably taking half your paycheck at Whole Foods anyway. Meanwhile, Texas school districts are declaring war on books. Yes, really.

Of course, most are familiar with the Dallas-headquartered beacon for affordable books, Half Price Books. But there’s also a bevy of lesser-known indie hideaways all over Dallas-Fort Worth, so do your part to support local businesses. Better still, a conversation with a cool indie bookseller might point you to new, surprising reading adventures, as opposed to what’s suggested by Amazon’s software algorithms. Join the fight against anti-intellectualism — real intelligence beats the artificial kind every time. Or just join us in taking advantage of the colder weather while we’ve got it — the best time of year for reading, we’d argue. Some of these stores are on the book crawl, and some are not, but all are worth the visit.

Whose Books Neighborhood Book Store
512 W Davis St.
This bookstore right outside Bishop Arts has a large collection of the greatest titles, and a few deep cuts, too. It’s the perfect kind of bookstore for gift shopping, and the front desk staff is ready and more than willing to match you with your next favorite book.

Recycled Books
200 N. Locust St., Denton
Recycled Books is a book powerhouse of North Texas. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, you can’t find it without using a keyboard. It opened in 1983 in the basement and first floor of the old Denton opera house, and students, professors, book collectors, and everyone else shop here for all kinds of media, including records, CDs, DVDs, tapes, vintage movie posters, and a great selection of rare books.

Deep Vellum Bookstore & Publishing Co.
3000 Commerce St.
Specializing in small runs of interesting and obscure books by lesser-known authors — at least to American readers — the bookstore and publisher have gathered a loyal fan base. If you are looking for something Texas-centric, contemporary, and obscure, this is your spot. They also make a killer cup of coffee.

Duncanville Bookstore
101 W. Camp Wisdom Road, Duncanville
Duncanville Bookstore has been keeping the suburb interesting for more than 30 years. What started off as a bookstore/porcelain doll shop has morphed into a comic book mecca. If you’re looking for low-key, great graphic novels and comic selections, as well as a few vintage toys, you’re in luck. Try to catch them in between comic book conventions as some of the really good stuff, like a C.G.C. graded Tales from the Crypt #43 (1954), sells fast at the cons.

Interabang Books
5600 W. Lovers Lane
“Knowledgeable and experienced book sellers” is their motto. The staff is friendly, well-rea and great at giving suggestions. The store has a large selection of beautiful new books, from classics to the recently released and contemporary. If you are a fan of international books, they have you covered. It’s the kind of place where customers buy a copy of The Great Gatsby for an 11th grader and a copy of The Interim to explore a narrative about living life in the Eastern Bloc 40 years ago.

Poets Oak Cliff Bookshop
506 N. Bishop Ave.
This highly curated, small bookshop and writing studio of local writer Marco Cavazos is not to be missed. The shop is located on the main drag of Bishop Arts and boasts local writers. If you’re local-centric and searching for historical literature about Dallas or Texas in general, the shop has a special section for you. Rich offerings about Dallas’ Little Mexico, long-gone theaters and the city’s historical significance are staples in this shop.

Wild Detectives
314 W. Eighth St.
How about a tasty cocktail or a cappuccino to go with a curated selection of the latest and coolest books? Even better, how about an intimate setting on a rainy day, with indoor and outdoor tables to enjoy the drinks and books? Even better than that, how about great books, great vibes and a great place to meet other well-read singles? Wild Detectives is all the above and more.

Pan-African Connection
4466 Marsalis Ave.
If Dallas has an MVP in the lifeline of independent books in North Texas, the Oak Cliff stalwart that is Pan-African Connection is its undisputed title holder. Beyond offering books, this 37-year-old Dallas institution also serves as an art gallery, resource center and crux of the community. A formidable tool for resistance against the state of Texas’ ongoing war against books, Pan-African Connection is preserving history, one banned title at a time. As store owner Akwete Tyehimba told us last month, “You can buy those banned books here…that’s what we’re going to have to do, is support our local stores and buy those banned books.”

Bird’s
6025 Royal Ln., Ste. 207
All it took was one visit to Dallas’ newest addition to the bookstore lineup for us to laud it as one of the best in the city. When we first visited Bird’s in North Dallas upon its opening last month, we were immediately keen on its slick sophistication. Though it’s somewhat of a standout on this list (it’s located in the posh Preston Royal, after all), we admittedly recognized the change of scenery needed for a good read sometimes. Besides, you’ll likely never catch us complaining about a new haunt to get lost in a book at. If you’re feeling a little more fancy, this is your new go-to.

Neighbor Books
208 E. Louisiana St., McKinney
If you want to feel like you’re living in a Hallmark movie or an episode of Gilmore Girls, McKinney’s Neighbor Books will welcome you with warm, cozy arms. Tucked into the downtown square, this two-level shop offers plenty of quiet corners to escape with a new read. Grab a bestseller or even a locally published book and head upstairs to the snug reading lounge to really lean into the bookworm vibes. The best part is that this is in a walkable neighborhood, so you can grab a coffee, find a great lunch spot, or enjoy your new find on the courthouse lawn.