This article is presented in partnership with Visit Columbia.
For the book worm in your life or to discover the latest literary finds for your winter reading library, Columbia bookshops can help you cozy up on winter days.
For 42 years, Columbia Books, 1907 Gordon St., has filled the wishes of readers and collectors near and far. This shop has an eclectic mix of 33,000 catalogued books on the shelves, from new releases to 400-year-old volumes. Predating the big online booksellers, the store began selling books online in 1992 and will seek out editions they don’t have for customers looking for specific titles. The shop also has a large collection of prints, maps and older periodicals available. While perusing the shelves, you might say hello to the resident cats, Mango and Taboo, who call Columbia Books home.
Comics have long been a pop culture genre all their own, and Rock Bottom Comics, 1013 E. Walnut St., has been serving comic fans for more than 45 years. The second comic book store in the state, Rock Bottom predates all others by a decade or more—they know comics … old, new, popular and obscure. Superhero comics are their bread and butter, but if you’re looking for horror, fantasy, sci-fi or something else, they have that, too. From single-back issues to graphic novels to classic titles and newer releases, the knowledgeable staff can both help you find what you’re looking for or introduce you to something undiscovered.
One of Columbia’s newest book nooks is Skylark Bookshop, 22 S. 9th St. At Skylark, the proprietors are authors themselves and take pride in getting to know their customers on a personal level to make sure they leave with the right book for them. With the shop’s hyper-curated book inventory as a backdrop, these booksellers provide reading subscriptions and a reading spa to tailor services uniquely to each reader. In addition, the shop carries a wide selection of quirky book-related items, from T-shirts to mugs to pencil cases, for other book lovers in your life.
Speckled Frog Toys & Books, 906 Alley A, carries toys and books with a purpose to help parents and children explore and learn together. The proprietor takes care to understand the many diverse ways children learn when selecting the items featured at Speckled Frog. Books include an array of multicultural, gender-inclusive, diverse-family topics to appeal to kids from every background, and you won’t find many plastic toys as they are curated for more traditional, sensory-based appeal.
At Yellow Dog Bookshop, 8 S. 9th St., story seekers can find unexpected treasures. This small locally owned bookshop is packed with a curated mix of classics and modern favorites, and the booksellers seek out titles they feel customers will be excited to find on their shelves. Particular genres of note include fiction, science fiction/fantasy and history. In addition to books, Yellow Dog also features a small selection of magazines, journals and greeting cards and hosts local and Missouri authors each month to perform readings from their works for guests.
