Owned by husband-and-wife duo Edwin Smalling and Laura Hughes, this light- and art-filled jewel box of a bookstore spot is stocked with books focused on art, theory, classical literature, and essays. Bibliophiles can also browse its expansive collection of local and nonlocal zines, literary journals, poetry chapbooks, global art magazines, graphic novels, children’s books, and an assortment of rare and hard-to-categorize works from small publishers.

Looking for something specific? Tap one of the friendly staff members, who will gladly offer recommendations. The upstairs portion of the space houses an art gallery focused primarily on showcasing the works of Houston artists, also well worth checking out. For more of a social hang with the local literary community, check Basket Book's website for notes on its regularly scheduled poetry readings and author talks.

Opened in summer 2022, this meticulously handpicked shop fills the gap left by Montrose’s famous, now-defunct bookshop Domy, which was previously housed in the front of restaurant Brasil until 2013.

Here's a family-owned used bookstore where you can quite literally get lost. Housed in a 3,500-square-foot home with aisles at every turn, Becker's offers one of the coziest secondhand book reliquaries in the city. First opened in 1988, the the shop opened in its current home in 1993, providing a place for Houstonians to stock up on gently used books. Today, it boasts over 70 genres, including some of the rare finds. Best of all, at Becker's, readers can choose their own adventure.  You never know what rare literary gems you’ll stumble upon as you spelunk your way through the cavernous space.

Head out on an expedition in West Houston and you’ll likely stumble into Blue Willow Bookshop. Open since 1996, this quaint storefront on Dairy Ashford and Memorial is housed in a space that has been home to bookshops for over 50 years. You’ll likely want to hang out here all day, exploring the variety of genres on its shelves, and you might even want to bring the kids. This shop is family friendly, hosting regular hosts story time hours and other events for the little ones.

The book haven has also been on the frontlines of book history. In 2020, Blue Willow was recognized as a finalist for the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year award. It later generated multiple headlines when it joined a lawsuit against Texas’s book-rating law, and in 2023, Blue Willow owner Valerie Koehler was named one of Publishers Weekly’s People of the Year alongside BookPeople’s CEO, Austinite Charley Rejsek, for their fight against the controversial bill.

When you’ve blown your entire literature budget for the month (or year), there’s still Book Cycle. Housed an East End warehouse, this used bookstore allows you to keep anything you take home, and it's all free. The shelves are stocked by topic, making it easy to find what you’re looking for if you’re in a hurry, but browsing the To Be Categorized section will lead to its own amazing literary treasure hunt. Book Cycle also offers sheet music, comic books, and records.

There’s no conversation about bookstores in Houston without Brazos, which celebrated 50 years in 2024. Among the most prominent in the city, Brazos offers up-to-date selection of titles, an emphasis on independent and locally published texts, and a diverse list of genres. Book fans can find everything from architecture to humor, law, and science on its shelves.

Opened in 1974 by the late Karl Kilian as a hub for the city’s literary scene, this local institution has championed emerging local talent for decades. Famous authors and playwrights—like former University of Houston professors Edward Albee and Donald Barthelme and former Rice University professor Larry McMurtry—were frequent visitors during their time in Houston. After Kilian’s retirement in 2006, 27 local book lovers banded together to take over the shop and preserve its legacy.

Today, Brazos regularly hosts local literary events and has partnerships and collaborations with local institutions like the Baker Institute, Rice, and Inprint, the creative writing program at UH. 

Unlike the other shops listed here, Candescent doesn't have a permanent storefront. Instead, it appears as a pop-up throughout the Houston area. Readers can find fiction and poetry aimed at young adult and adult audiences, plus  handmade candles to make your home reading nook extra cozy. 

Originally launched as a pop-up and online bookstore, Class Bookstore moved into a permanent storefront in 2022 that was once Texas Southern University student housing. Owners David and Dara Landry designed the shop to look like a cross between an art gallery and a fashion house, giving it a uniquely open, airy feel. On its shelves, you can find a variety of books and topics, including a emphasis on African American culture and history. But don't just stop in for the books. Class also hosts poetry readings and community meetings, and is a prime place to stop in for a lively chat. Give a few pets to the Landrys' cuddlebug shop dog Catcher. 

This Heights hotspot is great for a reading break. The owners ran a book shop in New Orleans’s historic French Quarter for over 30 years before relocating to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. Soon after, they opened their labyrinthian bookshop here, one that's both charming and relaxing, with an entrance adorned with lush foliage and an inside overrun with towering shelves of used books—more than 100,000 in stock. Kaboom also boasts more than 80 sections, so you can spend an entire afternoon there and still not see everything.

Used bookstores are probably the closest most of us will get to an actual treasure hunt, and frankly, we love that for us. Katy Budget Books keeps a massive selection of used books, but you can also pick up new books, ebooks, and audiobooks through a partnership with Libro.fm. Frequent buyers can also earn discounts on future purchases. Shoppers can drop in whenever the doors are open, but if you're looking to sell you'll need to make an appointment. 

The first of its kind for Houston, Kindred Stories is a Black woman–owned bookstore in Third Ward. Since opening its storefront in 2021, it’s left its fingerprint on the local literary community. Focused on centering books by Black authors, the shop offers titles from a diverse set of genres, including sci-fi and fantasy, fiction, LGBTQ+ studies, Black studies, spirituality, and self-help. Kindred is also a community space, and regularly hosts author talks and other events.

Some nights, you just can't decide if you want to head to the bar for a drink or the bookstore to quietly tuck in to an absorbing new read. LIT bookbar makes it so you never need to choose. Along with beer, wine, and cocktails and—of course—shopping, visitors can also enjoy live music, trivia nights, book clubs, open mics, and writing workshops, all with a cocktail in hand.

Like LIT bookbar, Mockingbird Books is getting into the drinks-and-a-book model, offering coffee and wine alongside a well-curated selection of kid-friendly reads, in-demand bestsellers, and bookish gifts. It's a cozy space where you just can't help but sit and hang out for a while. 

Love is always in the air at Mossrose. Houston's only romance-focused bookstore is located in the Ironworks building and holds events like author talks, rom-com viewings, signings, and more. Keep in mind that it's only open on weekends, so be sure to stock up on the most swoon-worthy reads before the work week rolls in.

If you’re in the mood for a killer story (pun so intended), Murder by the Book is your safe haven. The shop is filled with—you guessed it—mystery and thriller reads from around the world. Martha Farrington opened the shop in 1980, and it’s now one of the oldest and largest mystery-focused shops in the United States. Since the store is stocked with more than 25,000 books, you’re sure to find whatever you’re looking for somewhere within its walls. The shop also has a large social media following and posts lists of what its staff is currently reading, as well as any new releases for the week. Murder by the Book also hosts regular book signings and author talks, a great opportunity to unravel the enigma of your favorite mystery writers through face-to-face meetings.