Featured Bookstores

By Zoe Perzo

Peter Milazzo and his younger brother, James Leavy, had always loved the idea of opening a small business. Today they run Mayhem's Bookstore & Board Game Cafe in Lancaster, PA. 

The store features a highly curated collection of graphic novels, comics, and manga, as well as a collection of over 300 games customers can play in-store, and a full-service cafe. With their prime location and mission to “complement rather than compete,” Mayhem’s is perfectly situated to become a Lancaster staple.

By Zoe Perzo

Lavish Booktique is a pop-up shop in the Bronx that focuses on diverse titles written by women. 

I met with the owner, Christine Osoria, to learn more about her store’s collection, her community, and her long-term goals.

Osoria decided to open the pop-up after she self-published a children’s book called Rosalia - The Honduran American.

“While marketing my story, I realized that women’s stories were not as highlighted as I would like them to be,” Osoria recalled. 

Since opening Spelled Ink in Orange, Virginia, owner Cindy Pagan has been adamant about finding unique ways to serve her community. Today, the store features notary services, events for homeschooling families, and partnerships with multiple organizations, including the local food bank.

By Zoe Perzo

By Zoe Perzo

The Food Temptress Cookbook Store in Virginia Beach, Virginia, specializes in cookbooks written by Black authors. As the owner and sole employee, Rekaya Gibson is on a mission to “connect customers to cookbooks by Black authors that inspire creativity and preserve food traditions.” 

By Zoe Perzo

The King’s English Bookshop has been serving Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1977. With 47 years of bookselling behind it, I met with co-owner Anne Holman to learn more about the store’s history, its growth, and what’s in store for the future.

Holman described The King’s English’s growth as “organic.”

By Zoe Perzo

By Zoe Perzo

When Stephanie Csaszar opened a physical bookstore in 2018, she had next to no online presence. But as the pandemic progressed and her own health deteriorated, Csaszar made the shift to a fully online store. Today, Death By TBR Books specializes in genre fiction and operates out of Csaszar’s home in Washington. I sat down with Csaszar to learn how she came to bookselling, how Death By TBR has evolved, and where it’s going in the future.

By Zoe Perzo

Spiral Circle, a metaphysical bookstore in Orlando, Florida, will celebrate its 50th year of operation in 2025. Founded in 1975, the shop has long been a little haven near downtown Orlando. I met with owner Julie Wilder, and Christina Ray, intuitive reader and book buyer, to learn more about Spiral Circles’ past and future, as well as the unique challenges of running a metaphysical bookstore. 

By Zoe Perzo