Across the country, booksellers, authors and readers celebrated Independent Bookstore Day with extra enthusiasm this year.
Pilsen Community Books in Chicago, Ill. reported: "Our first #IndieBookstoreDay customers were the legendary Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn!" And at the end of the day: "Thanks to everyone for a great #IndieBookstoreDay AND our busiest day EVER! Here's to celebrating with the ones you love."
Bookends & Beginnings, Evanston, Ill., celebrated IBD with a relay reading of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, along with giveaways of B&B and IBD merchandise.
Fans came out to meet Esteban the Magnificent Pea Green Crayon and enjoy music by the Unlikely Strummers at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass.
At Loyalty Bookstore, Washington, D.C., "Hannah, Amani, and Amy are toasting with these ~incredibly aesthetic~ Indie Bookstores Are My Jam mugs!"
Sausalito Books by the Bay, Sausalito, Calif., hosted a dock party/open house with 30+ local authors (some of whom are pictured here), libations & live music. Hundreds of locals joined to help celebrate IBD.
The Bookshop, Nashville, Tenn.: "Oh my. Today was simply incredible. It had been three whole years since our last 'regular' Independent Bookstore Day--we were still doing appointment shopping even last year--and I feel like the stress, uncertainty, and endless pivoting of the last two years (especially) were leading right up to today. Thank you to each and every one of you who stopped by today... or any other day."