Indie bookstores are booming—here are 8 top options in the Valley

Indie bookstores are booming in metro Phoenix. Learn more about the eight top options in the Valley of the Sun.

Even though we are living in a digital-centric age (and you’re likely reading this on your phone right now), indie bookstores are, against all odds, booming. A slew of new indie bookstores has opened all over the Valley over the past few years. If your bookshelves are looking a little bare or you just want to check out a new-to-you place, here are eight new and established indie bookstores in the Valley.

1. The Bookish Box & Shop

Location: 60 W. Vaughn Ave., #107 in downtown Gilbert

Opening date: April 2025

Downtown Gilbert’s The Bookish Box & Shop focuses on one genre and one genre only: romance. Visitors can expect to find a plethora of books that focus on love. Customers can search for new titles that are displayed on shelves lining the walls and on tables. The Bookish Shop has a neat vibe. The shop has tall, black ceilings, a black-and-white checked floor, and a white marble counter where guests can order a variety of coffee drinks. The vibe is spooky yet contemporary—like the romantasy genre this spot mostly stocks. The Bookish Shop also sells a variety of products, like spooky T-shirts and candles, such as the popular Books & Pumpkin Coffee Candle. Visitors can look forward to visiting authors, trivia nights, and other literary-centric events.

The Bookish Shop is well known for its social media following and its monthly subscription boxes. Readers can order a special edition of either a new adult romantasy (the bookish box) or adult romance (darkly) books that will be shipped directly to them. It costs $38 for one subscription and $63 for both. These could make great gifts for the book lover in your life.

2. Literally A Bookshop

Location: 397 S. Gilbert Road, #140, in Gilbert

Opening date: Feb. 8, 2025

Tucked away in a home in Gilbert’s historic Farmhouse Village, Literally A Bookshop specializes in carrying children’s books. In this cozy, well-lit space, patrons can look forward to children’s books, graphic novels, plenty of YA lit, and a smattering of books for adults, too. Literally started out in 2022 as a mobile pop-up store in the East Valley. After three years of pop-ups, Literally found a more permanent home in Gilbert in early 2025. Owner Laura Sharp worked in higher education for over a decade, but always dreamed of opening a bookstore that connected people to one another.

3. Wijaya House Books Flowers Crafts

Location: 1706 E. Warner Road, Suite 1, in Tempe

Opening date: September 2023

South Tempe’s Wijaya House is a dual bookstore and flower shop. Browse both the latest releases and classic titles. Once you’ve selected your book, curl up on one of the plush orange couches to devour your purchases. Consider bringing home some flowers stored in the fridge in the back of the shop. This shop also hosts book swaps and a variety of crafty events, like Victorian Flower Crowns and soap-making. Wijaya House also offers book bedazzling on select Fridays if you want to add some pizzazz to some of your favorite books.

See if you can spot Banjo, the cocker spaniel that serves as the adorable shop dog.

4. The Lit Twis’t

Opening date: Feb. 15, 2025

The Lit Twis’t is a unique twist (couldn’t resist the pun) on an indie bookstore. This is Phoenix’s first and only mobile bookstore that’s dedicated to stocking work exclusively by Women of Color.  On the bookstore’s website, a quote from founder Petra Sherbin-Fox reads, “I built The Lit Twist to be more than a bookstore—it’s a movement, a vibe and a love letter to Black literature.” Expect books by Kimberly Brown, Austin Channing Brown, and Malcolm D. Lee.

Head over to the shop’s Instagram to see where this mobile shop will pop up next. The books are all in a well-decorated trailer. If you’re interested in gathering with other book enthusiasts, the Lit Twis’t also hosts a monthly book club.

5. Beyond Words Bookshop

Location: 40 N. Macdonald in downtown Mesa

Opening date: July 4, 2025

Located in a small shop that’s just a short stroll from Mesa’s Main Street, Beyond Words Bookshop is owned by Kelly Boggs. Boggs is a long-time teacher turned bookseller who aims to stock titles that “captivated but also uplifted, fostering positive character development and a healthy worldview,” she says on her website. Beyond Words primarily stocks children’s books, but it also carries unique book art. In one photo from the shop, we spotted an open book with intricately folded pages mounted on a frame. This shop also hosts story time for children.

6. Twice Upon Books

Twice Upon Books is a pop-up shop offering the blind-date-with-a-book experience. The owner, Alyssa Prewitt, hand-picks used books, wraps them in brown paper, and includes a few notes about each title so customers can choose their own adventure. On her site, she describes herself as a “personal book matchmaker.” Visit her website to see when she’ll be making her next appearance.

7. The Poisoned Pen Bookstore

Location: 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd. in Old Town Scottsdale

Opening date: October 1989

Old Town Scottsdale’s The Poisoned Pen Bookstore has been in business since 1989–making it the second oldest indie bookstore in this story. The bookshop specializes in carrying fiction, mystery, and thrillers. The Poisoned Pen is also very well known for hosting in-person and virtual events with authors. Look up at the ceiling next time you visit: You’ll see photos of the many authors who have made appearances here.

8. Changing Hands Bookstore

Locations: 300 W. Camelback Road in Central Phoenix; 6428 S. McClintock Drive in Tempe.

Opening date: April 1, 1974

Perhaps the most prominent independent book seller in metro Phoenix, Changing Hands opened its doors in Tempe in 1974 and has been in the city ever since. Although the original Mill Avenue location shuttered in 2000. Changing Hands has been located in Tempe at Guadalupe Road and McClintock since 1998. The bookstore opened up a second location in Central Phoenix in 2014, which also includes the First Draft Book Bar. You’ll find a wide variety of book genres at both locations, in addition to a finely curated selection of products and clothing. Changing Hands also stocks used books and hosts over 300 author events annually.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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