The Lynx Books — Local services in Gainesville

Very cool local bookstore in a great location - it’s within close walking distance of food and live music. They had fun stickers and local Gainesville art, and the coffee shop was nice too. If you’re new to Gainesville and want to learn more about the area and its history, or find things to do and get involved with the culture of Gainesville, this is a good place to start.

But, it was my first time in and immediately after I arrived they started setting up for some kind of virtual presentation, and since it was set up around a TV in the middle of the store everything else came to a screeching halt. I planned on meeting with friends who also wanted to check out the Lynx (first time for all of us) and we couldn’t do that without being in the way of the presentation, so I was the only one who got to look around. My group sat and talked outside and I saw other people go in to shop and immediately come back out. It’s cool that they have presentations but those shouldn’t keep regular shoppers who don’t know that there’s an event going on from being able to shop - maybe they could have the presentations after regular store hours if they don’t have a separate space? I bought a book and I’ll definitely be back, but I’ll check their schedule first next time as to not...

The Lynx is far beyond just a bookstore- it’s a safe haven where everyone is welcomed, supported, and encouraged to explore ideas freely, no matter their walk of life. Their commitment to supporting and keeping banned books readily available is not just admirable, it’s the essential heartbeat vital to our society. In a time when access to diverse voices is actively being limited, The Lynx makes sure those voices are echoed for generations to come.

This space sparks inspiration with each and every visit, completely free of judgement. The ability to find and connect with people who genuinely care about literature and the community it builds is such a gift. Above all, I want to highlight one of their many fantastic staff members, Grant, whose kindness, intelligence, and voracious zeal for literature simply cannot be put into words. His radiance, love, and activism for his community and all literature is an incredibly bright beacon in a very dark time- one that could only be most closely compared to that of a lighthouse.

Gainesville is beyond fortunate to have this gem, proving everyday that the power of books truly brings a more united community...

I want to start this by acknowledging that we live in a terrifying time, only further exacerbated by the fact that Florida is BY FAR the state that is currently banning the most books, leagues ahead of even Texas. Because of this, it’s SO important we support spaces like Lynx that so fiercely protect our access to this literature.

This has become such a happy place for me. I’ve introduced all my friends to it, and they love it too. There’s a great selection of books, and I appreciate how their website communicates the demand of a book, if it’s in stock, or if it’s on order. Everything is very well organized and easy to find, with clearly labeled sections/genres. Within these, there are whole sections dedicated to BIPOC and Queer literature too, which is refreshing as marginalized authors/books with diverse characters are often pushed aside. I also enjoy the merchandise they sell outside of books. Candles, pins, notebooks, pride, bookmarks, stickers, totes, and countless other wonderful and often artisan...