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Do you love reading by the window as a storm roars on the outside? Or sipping some tea under the sun outside of a coffee shop, losing yourself in a beautiful story or touching prose?
The Kansas City region has some great independent bookstores for the bookworm who is ready for their next chapter. You may already know some of the biggest and oldest, like Prospero's on 39th Street, Rainy Day Books in Fairway, and The Raven in Lawrence, named “best bookstore in America."
But we also have a wealth of smaller and more specific bookstores, where you can drink wine with a reading club, pick out a vintage edition, and browse for authors of color or steamy romances.
These bookstores are also great places to discover emerging local authors and learn more about Kansas City’s writing and publishing scenes. Ahead of Independent Bookstore Day on April 26, here are a few Kansas City stores you might not have visited yet, but should.
The Gilded Page
Located in the West Bottoms, The Gilded Page, as the name suggests, specializes in limited edition classic literature, fantasies, science fiction, history, and romance books.
Many of their books have unique embellishments on the cover; the Jane Austin collection features velvety hearts, depicting the passionate young love in the stories. The collectible edition of “Dracula” has intricate, dark-Victorian illustration on a black cover with floating letters for the title, perfectly symbolizing the dark, rich, and lustrous story.
The Gilded Page chooses different books each month for others to read along, and also runs “The Smut Book Club” to read romances, a Sci-Fi Book Club, a Banned Book Club and a Cozy Reading Crew.
Note that this little pop-up bookstore is only open during certain events or by appointments, so be sure to check their Instagram for upcoming dates.
- 1280 Liberty St, Kansas City, MO 64102
New Material Books
Opened at the end of 2024, New Material Books inside the West Bottoms’ historic Livestock Exchange Building is a bookstore and a writing hub designed to create a safe space for learning, connection, and growth for local authors and enthusiasts.
The bookstore has a massive catalogue, but what sets it apart is its high quality curation of small press books, art books, theory and philosophy, design manuals, and international titles.
New Material also hosts poetry readings, free poetry workshops, and independent publishing initiatives to help creators make their publication a reality. The space also functions as a mini gallery and features local artists on a rotating basis.
- 1600 Genessee St Unit 750, Kansas City, MO 64102
Lucky Rabbit Books
Nestled inside North Kansas City’s new immersive children’s literature museum The Rabbit hOle, Lucky Rabbit Books is a full-service children’s bookstore with tons of picture books and children’s literature, as well as fiction and non-fiction for young adults.
Lucky Rabbit Books also has diverse programming for children and adults. Its core events are story hours that usually happen on Wednesdays and Fridays every week at 10:30 a.m.
Evening events are reserved for 21+, which invites participants to showcase their talents and ideas for a night full of brainstorming and discoveries.
- 919 E 14th Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116
Trailhead Books
Giant windows, multiple reading nooks, rustic decor. Opened in 2024, Trailhead Books in Raytown is an urban getaway where you can breathe and regroup. In addition to its regular inventory, Trailhead will also happily order a specific book for you, making the life of us who love hard-to-find books a million times easier.
Trailhead Books is all about its community. The store currently sponsors a silent book club on the first Wednesday of each month where members bring their own books from home and enjoy an entire hour of quiet, undisrupted reading.
Local authors are also encouraged to reach out to the bookstore and discuss promotions or adding their publications to the shelf.
- 10009 E 63rd St, Raytown, MO 64133
Under the Cover
Looking for a happy place for romance lovers? Under the Cover is the place to be! This genre-specific bookstore — the first of its kind in Kansas City — nestled on the corner of E. 31st and Gilliam Road in midtown has a wide selection of best sellers and indie, local authors.
Opened in 2023, the space features plenty of natural light, a vintage library-style bookshelf ladder, and plenty of book nooks for those who want to spend some time flipping through pages.
Take a seat by the window and enjoy a steamy chapter, or read the snippets of different stories on the wall and find your next favorite quote. Under the Cover takes the guilt out of “guilty pleasure” and encourages readers to pursue their desires and indulge in stories for their heart, whether that’s a dark fantasy adventure or a queer rom-com set right here in Kansas City (like “I’ll Have What He’s Having” by local author Adib Khorram).
- 607 E 31st St, Kansas City, MO 64109
Ink & Page Book Boutique
Bright, white bookshelves, colorful displays, adorable notebooks, stationeries, and keepsakes…Ink & Page Book Boutique (previously known as The Pretty Posy) in downtown Overland Park may be the most Instagrammable place on this list — an impressive feat.
The bookstore appears to be tailored toward female readers, with a heavy focus on romance, nonfiction by women writers, and stationeries with floral designs.
The shop also features several local authors, including novelist Ellen Barker (“East of Troost: a Novel”), fantasy writer Tee Harlowe (“Mirror of Malice”) and graphic novelist Samantha Edward (“A Tale as Tall as Jacob”).
- 7942 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Kansas City is an independent bookshop wonderland
Of course, this list focused on small stores you don't often hear about. So it only reveals a small corner of Kansas City’s vast independent bookstore scene.
Other amazing indie bookstores in Kansas City include the classic Prospero’s Books off West 39th Street and Rainy Day Books in Fairway.
On the smaller side are the hip, fun bookstore-bar Afterword Tavern & Shelves in the Crossroads; Bliss Book & Wine in midtown; and Wise Blood Booksellers in Westport, hidden inside Mill’s Record company.
And don’t forget, our neighbors on the Kansas side have as much to offer, such as Flagship Books in Strawberry Hill, Monarch Books & Gifts near Kingston Lakes, and Seven Stories, owned and run by a high schooler in Shawnee, Kansas. Of course, The Raven in Lawrence deserves a trip of its own.
Just for good measure, here are even more to check out:
- Turnsol Books, 1664 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO
- Willa's Books and Vinyl, 5547-5549 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO
- Monstera's Books, 7930 Floyd St, Overland Park, KS
- BLK + BRWN, 104 ½ W. 39th St, Kansas City, MO
- Read & Rooted, 1002 W. Main St, Blue Springs, MO
- Basement Books KC, 13 E Kansas St., Liberty, MO
- Helianthus Books, pop-ups in various locations
- Steel's Used Books, 7313 N. Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO
Looking for comics, manga and graphic novels? Check out this Adventure! about Kansas City’s comic book shops.
