Get Lost in the Pages of These 12 Michigan Bookstores
Calling all bookworms! There’s something about holding a physical copy of a book in your hand that just can’t be replaced. For those who love the feeling of pages turning between their fingertips, these independent Michigan bookstores hold new and classic literature alike, and will surely have what you’re looking for.
1. Literati – Ann Arbor
It’s no surprise that a university town includes more than one great bookstore. Literati ranks at the top. The cozy independent store offers a great selection of books, and you can’t beat their author appearances, ranging from up-and-coming poets to international bestsellers like Ann Patchett and Salman Rushdie. Literati also offers themed book clubs and workshops, and is home to Literati Coffee in their upstairs space.
2. Cottage Book Shop – Glen Arbor
Located in the charming town of Glen Arbor, an easy drive from Petoskey and the spectacular Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, might be reason enough to add The Cottage Book Shop to your vacation itinerary. But this little book shop occupies a historic, cute-as-can-be log cabin, making the place simply irresistible. There’s a great selection of books on the shelves, and the staff will help curate a list of titles to create a memorable summer reading list. Children’s story time is held outside, in the lovely Pine Patch.
3. The Book Nook & Java Shop & Best Cellars Wine Bar – Montague
A cozy bookstore that sells a good selection of titles and displays local art, just a short drive from beautiful Lake Michigan. An abundance of cozy niches, overstuffed chairs and a fireplace, make it easy to linger. There’s a nice line-up of evening jazz music as well as a good café, so you can browse while sipping a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.4. Saturn Booksellers – Gaylord
Golf gets lots of attention in Gaylord, but there’s a reason to stay indoors, particularly if you’re inside Saturn Booksellers. The downtown booklover’s retreat offers a bright and cheerful interior stacked with loads of books, as well as Northern Michigan gifts, children’s games and gifts. Not sure what to buy? Check out the staff reviews.5. John K. King Used & Rare Books – Detroit
Michigan’s largest used and rare bookstore houses more than 1 million titles, from science fiction to romance, from children's literature to philosophy. This literary treasure trove—housed inside a former glove factory and just a short distance from Corktown—includes four stories of books. Need help finding your preferred genre? Ask one of the helpful staff members, or pick up a map on your way in.
6. Horizon Books – Traverse City
In a city blessed with good bookstores, Horizon ranks as one of the finest for its massive size and history as a downtown staple. Open every day of the week, from sunup to sundown, you can easily spend your day lost in a bookish world (there’s a café, so you won’t go hungry). Check out the store’s bargain book of the month as well as the basement gathering spot, where you can hear live music.7. The Book Beat – Oak Park
More than 50,000 different titles, stacked in piles and crowded onto shelves, fill this independent bookstore in Oak Park. For more than 35 years the Book Beat has been supplying paperbacks and hardcovers, best-sellers and obscure titles, to readers and gift-buyers in metro Detroit. The shop has an especially good selection of children’s books.8. McLean & Eakin – Petoskey
Settle into an overstuffed chair with a good book. Browse the two-story store’s great selection of titles and pick up a gift. Join a book club, or listen to an author read from her latest. There’re a dozen ways to enjoy books at this shop in Petoskey’s Historic Gaslight District, a shopping haven for more than 100 years.
9. Snowbound Books – Marquette
For more than 35 years, Snowbound has helped Yoopers get excited about books. With thousands of titles to choose from, new and used, the store carries the big names’ latest releases as well as books by unknown local authors and a nice collection of children’s books. Once you’ve settled on your choices, Snowbound sits just a few blocks from Lake Superior and the city’s famous ore dock.10. Schuler Books – Grand Rapids and Okemos
Expect all things books at this large independent bookstore with two west Michigan locations. Shelf after shelf of new and used titles, calendars, music and gifts, mean you’ll want to plan to stay a while. The full-service Chapbook Café assures you won’t go hungry while you browse, and each kid’s meal includes a book.
