Amber Collins owns Soul Book Nook in Waterloo. (Photo: Experience Waterloo)
This Saturday, April 27, is Independent Bookstore Day, and book sellers across the state are celebrating accordingly. Eight book stores in Central Iowa have teamed up to create a weekend passport challenge for readers and shoppers, with various deals, activities and goodies to mark the day. Collect a passport stamp at Beaverdale Books (Des Moines), Dog-Eared Books (Ames), Dungeon’s Gate (Ankeny), Pageturners Bookstore (Indianola), Raccoon River Press (Des Moines), Reading in Public (West Des Moines) and Storyhouse Book Pub (Des Moines) and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 shopping spree.
Beyond Central Iowa, there are other independent bookstores to visit around the state:
The Book Vault in Oskaloosa
If you couldn’t guess by its name, the Book Vault is in a historic building that once housed a bank. The store makes use of the old vaults that now contain shelves for various genres and special interests.
Soul Book Nook in Waterloo
Owner Amber Collins believes literature can play a vital role in education. She often uses her store’s Facebook page to share overlooked stories of Black leaders from the past, during Black History Month and year-round.
Prairie Lights Books & Cafe in Iowa City
It’s no surprise that the UNESCO City of Literature loves its legendary bookstore. This time-honored shop offers 3 1/2 stories of bibliophilia, including extensive sections of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and kids’ books.
