Ranked by Amanda: Top 5 Independent Bookstores
Ranked is a chance to get to know our team with a listicle about what makes them tick. This time we’re introducing Amanda Henry. As a strategist, Amanda draws on her career as an advisor and senior leader across the Alberta public sector to help clients make critical decisions.
Amanda is an avid reader and book collector and has ranked her top five independent bookstores in Edmonton.
“Books are one of my favourite human inventions. There are so many things to learn, perspectives to experience, and adventures to enjoy, all because someone took the time to write them down and bind them into a portable format.”
- Amanda
Audrey’s Books
You can’t go wrong with a 2 storey bookstore. Audrey’s Books is an Edmonton institution. The shop can trace its roots back to Mel Hurtig’s bookstore empire of the 1950s. Dangerously close to the Y Station offices in downtown Edmonton, I routinely pop into Audrey’s and come away with new authors to enjoy. The upstairs portion of the store dedicates a lot of space to local Edmonton and Alberta authors, and there is a great section of work by Indigenous authors.
A favourite recent purchase: Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
Paper Birch Books
Nothing goes better together than good books and good coffee. Located right across the street from the Italian Centre and Giovanni Caboto Park, Paper Birch Books is a fairly recent addition to Edmonton’s indie bookstore scene. They are a ‘mostly used’ bookstore. Wandering into this shop is like taking a step through time. The shop is lined floor to ceiling with shelves teeming with old and in some cases rare books and a smattering of new books. I’m especially fond of the large selection of books on plants and gardening they keep in stock.
A favourite recent purchase: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Daisy Chain Book Co.
Daisy Chain Book Co. started as a ‘bookstore on wheels’ and popped up at many of my favourite outdoor markets and local festivals. Their location on High Street is bright, airy, and friendly, and they have a great selection of new and used books. They curate a very active community calendar of booked themed events and community conversations, and I’ve attended a couple of the book clubs they host which have all been a great chance to meet fellow book nerds.
A favourite recent purchase: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One (1970 edition)
The Edmonton Book Store
Out of every store on this list, the Edmonton Book Store feels like a setting right out of the novels they have on the shelves. They specialize in rare books about Western Canada and the Arctic. I love going in just to look – many of the volumes they have on hand are beautifully bound and even one-of-a-kind. They are members of the International League of Antiquarian Books (which is an incredible name for an industry association, by the way).
A favourite purchase: A Heritage Press Special Edition of Utopia by Sir Thomas More (English Translation by Ralph Robynson)
Variant Edition
I have a soft spot for comic books and graphic novels. Compelling visuals, fast-paced stories, and interesting characters are signatures of the medium. Comic books have come a long way since the silver age, and there are now all kinds of experimental formats, and many deal with complex themes. Hands down my favourite place to get graphic novels in Edmonton is Variant Edition. They have been in several locations and just opened a new location in West Edmonton.
Favourite recent purchase: Are You My Mother? By Alison Bechdel
Honourable mentions
Massy Books (Vancouver)
When our work takes us out to the Lower Mainland, I love stopping by Massy Books in downtown Vancouver. Massy Books is a 100% Indigenous owned and operated bookstore on east Georgia street. It has a quirky and diverse collection of books – everything from Cree author Billy-Ray Belcourt’s latest to an English translation of a collector’s guide to samurai swords.
Little Free Libraries
Everywhere I go I keep an eye out for Little Free Libraries. These are neighbourhood book swaps curated by an international network of volunteers that operate on the simple premise of “Need a book? Take a book! Got a book? Leave a book!” They are a great way to get a new book for the plane ride.