Blue Willow Bookshop — Local services in Houston

This is the first small, independent bookstore I have set foot in in a long, long time. Not because I don’t go to bookstores, but because there aren’t a lot of them around. You have to be lucky to live a reasonable drive away. I haven’t been lucky for a long time. Anyway, I say that to partially explain why I had such a good experience.

I went in with a particular need and I didn’t want to spend hours combing through reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. I went on a Saturday and the place was jumping! Lots of people looking for something good to read. Great vibe. Really helpful staff. One gave me some great recommendations and she brought in another staff member just to check that she wasn’t missing something. I left with three books, and they turned out to be exactly what I needed.

The store has other products that appeal to readers and writers. Sign up for the newsletters as they are great!! They sponsor at least a couple of book groups and lots of events.

Folks, remember what I said about what recommendations from people who know books? There are many good things about the store, this alone is reason to go to Blue Willow (and other similar stores). Have you checked out book reviews lately on Good Reads and Amazon? Or on Book Instagram? Many reviewers are turning reviewing into some kind of Performative art. Are the reviews real of do the reviewers want likes? Instead of combing endlessly thru web, go to...

I cannot say enough about how much I love this bookshop. It is chock-full of fabulous books, has an incredible selection, and offers some super fun little things-you-don’t-need-but-must-buy-anyway, like notebooks, mugs, bags, games, bookmarks, and stickers. Everyone I have ever interacted with that works in this shop is so friendly, accommodating, and helpful. I love them all so much. I also have been to many of their events when they host authors, and they are always so great. It is actually remarkable how many events they host, and they create such a warm, inviting space for readers to interact with and listen to authors. Additionally, I have ordered from their website for a gift to be sent to a friend. I did say in my notes that this was a gift for her, but I don’t think I asked for it to be gift-wrapped. Regardless, they wrapped it so beautifully and my friend was so touched by this gesture. They also have a teacher discount, AND a frequent buyer program where you get money off of your purchases after spending a certain amount. Through both of these I have gotten to support a local business that I love and save money, a win-win! I just absolutely adore this shop. It is so important that we support our local bookstores—now...

The shop is cute and the employees are kind and helpful! My biggest issue is the selection. As someone who likes fantasy series, this is not a great place to shop. Much of the time they only have the most recent entry in a series. I can’t tell you how many times I was interested in a book only to discover it was a later book in the series and the shop doesn’t have the first one. They offer to order it... but I admit at that point I would just order it myself and save a bit of money and time. I like the feeling of finding a new series in a bookstore, but not being able to actually start that series makes me really disappointed. I usually leave the shop with a list of series I’ll purchase elsewhere. That makes me sad, because I want to shop local, but I understand books take up a lot of space and they are going to display what’s is “hot” even if it’s the last book in a series they don’t have. Because of this, I probably will not want to return to Blue Willow. That being said, if you’re a fan of non-series bestsellers, you can...