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📚 9 Central Florida bookstores to ring in Indie Bookstore Day

"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." - Haruki Murakami 📸: @pulptown

The last Saturday in April is Indie Bookstore Day, y’all, an annual event to recognize all the indie bookstores across the country. Some locations celebrate the occasion with exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not after. Not anywhere else.

Here are nine local bookstores to get your read on:

  • Writer’s Block Bookstore (Winter Park/Winter Garden): So many virtual author-meet-and-greets today, so little time. Writer’s Block carries all the latest and greatest and classics too. Whether you’re on Park Ave. or Plant St., it’s a convenient and cozy bookshop worth your perusal.
  • Park Ave CDs (Audubon Park): Don’t let the name fool you. Park Ave CDs might be Orlando’s resident music retailer, but it’s also got a nice selection of books too. Since you’re over there, might as well grab dinner at Sushi Lola’s and beers at Redlight Redlight.
  • Brightlight Books (Fern Park/Oviedo/Altamonte Springs): Brightlight Books buys/sells/trades books, CDs, and DVDs; is home to the largest collection of pre-owned theology books in the Southeast, and carries quite a few first editions.
  • Spiral Circle Bookstore & More (Mills 50): This place is pure magic. Books, candles, crystals, sage, healing stones — you name it, this spiritual bookstore’s got it. And it’s got history too — it’s been around since 1975. Bonus: It’s near all the great Mills 50 foodie hot spots.
  • Avalon (Colonialtown): Speaking of magic, let’s talk about Avalon. Just a neighborhood over from Spiral Circle, it sells books on astrology, reiki, herbalism, Buddhism, voodoo, and more. You’ll also find tarot, oils, stones, and more mystical products. And you’re a block away from the new Japango and delicious bubble teas (recommendation).
  • Maya Books and Music (Sanford): This spot has over 100,000 gently-used books in its arsenal, in addition to vinyl records, DVDs, posters, vintage stuff, and more. And it’s on 1st Street in downtown Sanford so you can make a day out of it.
  • Barrel of Books and Games (Mount Dora): If you’re in Lake County, you should make your way to Mount Dora and piddle around Barrel of Books and Games. This place is fun for the whole family.
  • The Muse Book Shop (DeLand): This quaint and cozy spot has been around since 1980 and sits on Woodland Boulevard in historic downtown DeLand. They sell new and old books and have a decent selection of topographical maps.
  • Cliff’s Books (DeLand): Around the corner from The Muse, you can shop Cliff’s Books for books, comics, and collectibles.

Orlando isn’t short on comic shops either like Coliseum of Comics in Kissimmee and Gods and Monsters off I-Drive. And our local libraries like Winter Park Public Library or Orlando Public Library have their own bookstores too.

Central Florida isn’t short on authors either. More on that in a future post.

Tell us, what’re you reading and where are you getting your reading materials from? Send us a message, hello@pulp.town.