Texas bookstores and non-profits are winning, pivoting, moving, and celebrating. Read on!
ALLEN
Barnes & Noble celebrated the opening of their store in Watters Creek Village on October 2 with author signings by Julia Heaberlin, Lyla Lee, Shaun Hamill, and XinYi Xan.
ARCHER CITY
Booked Up, Larry McMurtry’s former bookstore, was purchased by Chip and Joanna Gaines in 2022. Archer County News reports that they have sold the building to the Archer City Writers Workshop. The ACWW is focused on creating a thriving literary center showcasing "Larry McMurtry's epic life as a cowboy, novelist, screenwriter, rare book collector and artist for the ages." In addition, the nonprofit plans to make the author's collection of 175,000 rare books publicly accessible.
AUSTIN
Birdhouse Books and Gifts held a grand opening weekend kickoff on September 27. The celebration included a Rainbow ribbon cutting with Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, treats, local artists, and more. “A queer- woman- veteran-owned independent book and gifts store” serving the Brentwood area, Birdhouse Books and Gifts plans to host author events, story times, and a robust middle-grade fiction section.
First Light Books held a Bookshop Block Party on September 14 to celebrate their first year in business with live music and several author readings.
Thais Perkins, founder of Reverie Books, was named a 2024 Fall Fellow by Books Across Borders, a nonprofit that provides booksellers with travel fellowships to international book fairs. Perkins will attend the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November.
CEDAR HILL
Half-Price Books announced that they are closing their Cedar Hill location after 20 years at that location.
DALLAS
Blush Bookstore opened a second location in the Bishop Arts area in early October. The store is ocused on a variety of romance sub-genres along with apparel, candles, notebooks, and more. The first store, owned by Jaclyn Wooden, is located in Wichita, KS.
Logos Bookstore celebrated 50 years at their Dallas location in September.
EL PASO
Good Girl Romance Bookstore opened in late September at 7118 N. Mesa St. They host book club groups and welcome you to their Cozy Read Corner any time.
Shout out to new-to-us Margin Notes Booksellers in El Paso. Open Tuesday-Sunday, Margin Notes offers a bookshop experience along with a coffee and wine bar.
GEORGETOWN
Lark & Owl Booksellers started a fundraising campaign in conjunction with future website enhancements to improve online ordering. They hope to increase their inventory and ensure their ability to serve their customers well into the future.
NEW BRAUNFELS
The Chapter Co. officially opened on October 5. The bookstore side of things focuses on romance and fantasy offerings. The cafe is open with a partial menu and plans to expand it in the near future. Rather than a book club, they plan on hosting book chats where each participant can share something they’ve enjoyed reading recently.
SALADO
Redbird Books & Gifts held the grand opening of their “little red bookstore” on October 26. Located at 112 Royal Street, the store hopes to be a hub for book lovers in Salado. The grand opening event, in conjunction with Texas 28’s grand re-opening, featured music, food, discounts, and a raffle.
SAN ANTONIO
The Alamo Ranch Barnes & Noble reopened on September 18, 2024. Author Jonny Garza Villa cut the ribbon on the new location and signed copies of his books. Author Kathrine Center attended later in the day as well.
WEATHERFORD
Arts & Letters Bookstore opened a second location in Weatherford at 124 York Ave. on October 5, 2024. The new store, in a beautifully restored 1908 building just of the historic town square, features new releases, bestsellers, children’s books, games, and more. Frequent Buyer Points, gift cards, and trade credits will be honored at both locations.
OTHER INDUSTRY UPDATES
Gemini Ink, Inprint, and Texas Book Festival received $10,000 grants and Torch Literary Arts received a $5,000 grant from the National Book Foundation. The grants are part of their Capacity-Building Grant Program to support projects that build organizational capacity and ensure greater sustainability.
Gemini Ink was awarded a $100,000 grant from Impact San Antonio. The funds will help them to continue to support programs such as their brand new Teen Writing Circle, additional Partner Class writing workshops, and more. In addition, they announced their goal to secure $7,500 for the Cary Clack Scholarship Fund during The Big Give 2024. The Cary Clack Scholarship Fund supports Gemini Ink’s efforts to help seventy-five San Antonians bring their stories to life with free Public Writing Classes.
