My teenaged bookstore
I have a sentimental attachment to The Book Bin in Northbrook, Illinois, which Janis and Lex Irvine opened when I was growing up there. It was a wonderful store then, and each time I stop in it seems to get better.
Yes, maybe that’s just me seeing my own novels on the shelves there now 
(and right underneath my friend Eleanor Brown’s!), but really, take a look at the photos.
The Book Bin has a fabulous children’s section at the back, with the most charming little nook for young readers to settle into with their books. It has terrific new fiction and non-fiction at the front. The store hosts a monthly book club, too, and an annual Book Club Idea Night. And the booksellers there … well, they are just as nice and helpful as booksellers get!
They participate in the community in a big way, too. When I was there last month for my high school reunion (now that is something to write about!), it was homecoming, and the windows of the store were painted … just like they were when I was a kid. Go GBN Spartans! – Meg
Independent bookstores help new writers find an audience, and keep literature vibrant. If you don’t live near this one, please see the list of others in the sidebar under “Bookstores Worth Browsing.” Don’t see your favorite here yet? Please email me and I’ll do my best to have it featured here.
