The Tattered Cover declared bankruptcy in October, closing three stores and laying off at least 27 employees. While it takes steps to reorganize its debt and hopefully regain its standing as the queen of Colorado independent bookstores, remember that you can still show your love through purchases at our dear Tattered, as well as these other shops across the Front Range.
My newest favorite: The Read Queen, located at 129 N. Harrison Ave. in the Lumberyards shopping center in Old Town Lafayette. It’s a charming little bookstore, gift shop and cafe that’s women-owned and has an old-time Western general store feel.
If you’d rather shop for books online, skip that giant shopping website and try bookshop.org, which was unveiled just before COVID-19 hit. It’s an ally to small, independent stores, helping them preserve their profits. Its website says that it’s earned $28 million for independent stores to date.
Here’s a comprehensive list of other indies in Colorado.
(In alphabetical order:)
2 Buck Books, 5172 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs
Aberdeen Bookstore, 3890 S. Federal Blvd., Englewood
Barbed Wire Books, 504 Main St., Longmont
Beat Book Shop, 1200 Pearl St., Boulder
Black & Read (music, books, movies and board games), 7821 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
The Bookies Bookstore, 4315 E. Mississippi Ave. (moving in 2024), Denver
Book Cranny, 7580 Grant Place, Arvada
Book Lover’s Emporium, 2925 S. College Ave., Fort Collins
Book Niche, 15075 E. Mississippi Ave., Aurora
The Book Outlet, 2243 S. Peoria,Aurora
Book Rack, 4061 E. Wesley Ave., Denver
The Book Stop, 10840 S. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge
Books Are Awesome, 11211 Dransfeldt Road, Parker
The Bookworm, 3175 28th St., Boulder
Books for You, 1737 S. Eighth St., Colorado Springs
Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder
Broadway Book Mall, 316 S. Broadway, Denver
Capitol Hill Books, 300 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Colorado’s Used Bookstore, 3461 S. Broadway, Englewood
Covered Treasures Bookstore, 105 Second St., Monument
Dream Books, 4455 Grape St., Denver
The Eclectic Reader, 1119 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins
Fahrenheit’s Books, 1415 S. Broadway, Denver
HearthFire Bookstore, 3042 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen
Hermitage Antiquarian Bookshop, 290 Fillmore St., Denver
Hooked on Books, 12 E. Bijou, Colorado Springs
Kilgore Books, 624 E. 13th Ave., Denver
Lighhouse Bookstore, 1201 Pearl St., Boulder
Macdonald Book Shop, 142 E. Elkhorn Ave., Estes Park
Mutiny Information Cafe, 2 S. Broadway St., Denver
Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., Fort Collins
Park Hill Community Bookstore, 4620 E. 23rd Ave., Denver
Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe, 19402 E. Mainstreet, Parker
Poor Richard’s Book Store, 320 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs
The Printed Page Bookshop, 1416 S. Broadway
The Read Queen Bookstore, 129 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette
Rosemary’s Baby Bookstore, 1430 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood
Second Star to the Right Children’s Books, 1455 S. Pearl St., Denver
The Shop at MATTER, 2134 Market St., Denver
Sojourn Book Store, 25797 Conifer Road, Conifer
Sudden Fiction Books, 221 Perry St., Castle Rock
Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave.; 1701 Wynkoop St. (Union Station); Aspen Grove, Littleton; Tattered Cover KIDS at Stapleton, Aurora; Tattered Cover Book Store at DIA
Used Book Emporium, 346 Main St., Longmont
The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, 198 Second Ave., Niwot
West Side Books, 3434 W. 32nd Ave.
Westside Stories, 631 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs
Words of Windsor, 631 Birch St., Windsor
