First occurrence: a one-off; second occurrence: a fluke; third occurrence: a trend?
The first time a large group of women came into the store all together one Friday this summer, we were shocked and thrilled. So fun! we said. It felt like a party. What’s the occasion? we asked. This was the first time we heard about the KC indie bookstore tour. To celebrate a birthday, fifteen or so friends decided to take the day off work and visit each of the independent bookstores in Kansas City. A few Fridays later, another large group came in saying the same thing - they were taking the day and making the rounds. This led us, as booklovers and booksellers, to wonder what the best route would be to hit all of the bookstores that sell new books in KC proper. After tons of research and visits to all 14 local-ish indie bookstores, we feel confident that we’ve charted the best Bookstore Tour in Kansas City.
This is the Best Bookstore Tour in Kansas City. We know because we did it ourselves.
*to avoid store closures, plan your tour to take place on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
#1 - Kick it off at Monstera's
Start your tour with us in Downtown Overland Park at Monstera’s Books - not just because it’s our favorite place to be but because the 11am opening time leaves lots of room for brunch at Red Kitchen or any of DOP’s other great restaurants - you’ll need sustenance for the day ahead! We could gush on and on about Monstera’s because it’s ours and we love everything about it - but if you don’t know it as well as we do, you’ll love the book/plant combo and the neighborly atmosphere. We’ve got a wide selection of books that our knowledgeable staff can’t wait to tell you about plus tons of plants and plant accessories for sale. Ask for a group photo and grab a spot on our green velvet couch - we’re happy to help document the start of the day.
If you don’t know it as well as we do, you’ll love the book/plant combo and the neighborly atmosphere.
#2 - A short walk to The Pretty Posy
After you get your fill of the good vibes at Monstera’s, it’s a quick five minute walk to get to our neighbor, The Pretty Posy. We loved the amount of sun that Pretty Posy gets through their big front windows - it makes the space feel so light and bright. Check out their awesome New Release table, beautiful shelves and super fun pegboard display wall. There’s a great kids space here with a rug that I loved and a kids book selection that is *chef’s kiss.* They also have a great space for a photo just inside the front door under a beautiful floral-y arch on their wall.
#3 - Rainy Day Books
A fast eleven minute drive will have you pulling up to Rainy Day Books. This KC landmark has been around dang near 50 years and has a selection and a history that can’t be beat. The building is also beautiful so make sure you take a group pic with the Rainy Day steeple in the background. This stop is great if you want to really connect with a bookseller (Friday is my personal fave in terms of booksellers on the floor). The vestaboard split-flap display is a great way to see what they’re recommending right when you walk in. They also host a host of book clubs broken out by genre; literary, romance, sci-fi, mystery - something for everyone! Grab some RDB swag while you’re here - personally love their coffee cups!
#4 - Bliss Books & Wine
Bliss Books & Wine was next (a twelve minute drive) and it was a highlight for us. We loved their selection of titles and loved having a midday glass of wine (NA options available) while we looked around. I especially loved the podcast room - a room that’s available for anyone in the community to rent out and record in. SUCH a brilliant idea! They have space that can be rented for book clubs and a third room that feels like a private cozy study - it has a couch and soothing lights and is perfect if you need a place to study or read or just sit. They also have a great selfie wall - make sure you get a photo showing that you “Found Your Bliss.” Chatting with co-owner La’Nesha Frazier was one of our favorite parts of the day.
#5 - Under The Cover
You'll arrive at our next stop in two minutes - Under the Cover. This is a romance bookstore that opened in November and has already begun to expand to the space next door. The small space they’ve been in this past year is so perfectly utilized - it’s filled with books but doesn’t feel cramped or crowded. The staff recs and sectional labels made me LOL, I’ve never seen such a wide variety of romances! The romance-themed sideline items are also hilarious. There’s another great selfie wall in this store, where you’ll be bookended by cutouts of romance-cover–worthy-men. We snapped a great pic of our Kate with Under the Cover’s owner Carley Morton.
#6 - Afterword
Five more minutes in the car and you’ll be at our last stop, the wonderful Afterword Tavern & Shelves. The selection here is great and the themed specialty drinks can’t be beat. Their specialties rotate seasonally, but for summer they include Mexican Gothic (watermelon mezcal + lime + mint + fresno chili tincture), Treasure Island (cherry, banana, pineapple, ginger rum + amaro + cherry ginger + jerk demerara) and Tropic of Capricorn (corn white whiskey & dark whiskey blend + cilantro simple + lime + mezcal liqueur + poblano liqueur) among others. Their full bar is as stocked as the shelves - this is the perfect place to end your day.
Need more KC bookstores?
To come up with this list, we visited all FOURTEEN of Kansas City's independent bookstores, and we found lots to love in each of them.
Check out the full list to see how many your group can squeeze in: