March is Women's History Month. It is an observance of the many contributions that women have made to our world throughout history. And in honor of this month dedicated to women, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some women-owned bookstores.
If you are anything like us, then you want to support smaller businesses. Depending on where you live, you might be all about supporting the locally owned businesses in your area. And even when you travel, you might be on the lookout for stores that are local to where you are visiting. Of course, this includes finding those locally-owned bookstores as well.
In honor of both Women's History Month and our support of locally-owned businesses, we have rounded up 10 bookstores that are owned by women that you may want to check out in your travels. You never know what hidden gems you will find in these stores.
10 Woman-owned bookstores to check out this Women's History Month
Montgomery and Taggert Bookshop: Located in Chester, Connecticut, this woman-owned bookstore is the first bookstore dedicated to romance in the state. It is a cute shop that opened in 2024 and is all about bringing the romance to CT.
Lovestruck Books: Another bookstore dedicated to romance books, Lovestruck Books is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This shop is not just a bookstore, it is an experience, as they also have a cafe and wine bar, making it easy to take your book shopping to a whole new level of fun.
Flame & Fable Books: This bookstore is dedicated to not only romance, but also fantasy. It is the perfect shop for people who love both of these genres. And it is located in Lakewood, Ohio.
Lake Forest Book Store: Founded in 1949, this woman-owned shop has a wide range of books for readers to choose from in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Heartbound Bookshop: Located in Anaheim, California, this is a woman-owned romance bookstore that is also family-run. Come for the books, stay for the signings and workshops.
One More Page Books: This is a woman-owned bookstore in Arlington, Virginia that not only has books on their shelves, but they also keep their customers supplied in puzzles, chocolates, and more. Oh, and they once had a visit from Barack Obama.
The Bookshop: This literary wonderland is located in East Nashville, Tennessee. It's an indie bookstore that carries a variety of books, covering a wide range of topics and genres.
Grand Gesture Books: This bookstore is not just woman-owned, it is a queer, black woman-owned. The shop is located in Portland, Oregon, and they have book clubs, events and so much more to enjoy as book lovers.
Rosalee Book Boutique: Located in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, this small, woman-owned bookshop offers a wide range of books for people of all ages. And they also do special events, adding even more to the book loving experience.
Astoria Bookshop: This queer, woman-owned shop is located in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York. They offer a wide range of books, have events that allow you to connect with fellow book lovers, and even do story times. And did we mention they have a shop dog?