St. Petersburg is known for its homey, beachy, almost small-town vibe, even though it’s definitely not small. While Central Florida is full of modernization and industrialism, it can be comforting to visit somewhere closer to the water. Throughout the city, St. Petersburg provides niche restaurants and indie bookstores to check out, such as Tombolo Books, Book + Bottle, and The Book Lounge.
Tombolo Books
The bookstores have plenty of picturesque locations as well as atmospheres. Tombolo Books, located near Tropicana Field and the heart of St. Pete, offers bestselling novels, books in native or different languages, as well as merchandise. They host events surrounding literature and local authors as well, diving deep into their books and the thought processes behind them.
Tombolo Books also hosts a multitude of monthly book clubs, such as Horror, Crime Travel, Queer Comic, Romance, Middle Grade, St. Pete Sapphic, and more. Each month, they announce which books will be the focus in each club, one of which is Love Galaxy at the Romance Book Club at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Book + Bottle
Another one that is an interesting place to visit and an absolute must is Book + Bottle. With wine bottles filling the tops of bookshelves and even a cafe with seasonal flavors. Outside of their brick-and-mortar store was a sign stating, “a bookstore with wine, a wine bar with books and coffee!” Recently, they held their own A Court of Splintered Harmony Midnight Release Party (as did many bookstores) and had wine flavors that enhanced the experience.
Specially picked, each wine is related to characters from Sarah J. Maas’s New York Times Bestselling Series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. They operate throughout the week and even have their own podcast, which discusses all they love (books, wine, and coffee) while bringing in different guest speakers each episode. Book + Bottle also offers weekly events, sponsored book clubs, and their own wine club membership, called The 17 Club.
More about Book + Bottle can be read HERE.
The Book Lounge
However, one has to rise above it all. All these bookstores have their perks, but none was quite as immersive as The Book Lounge. With rich burgundy covering the establishment, pages filling the walls, a perfect nook to sit in to read or take pictures with a quote, “Buy me books and tell me I’m pretty” above it, this store had everything a romantasy reader would want.
Readers were seated on their luxurious couches reading whatever they picked up, and they had a wall of puzzles, collectibles, and blind-date-with-a-book sets that included scrunchies, pens, and more.
The Book Lounge will be celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 7, with celebrations continuing throughout Sunday as well. They will be hosting visiting authors Alicia Thompson, G.M. Fairy, and Rebecca Rennick on Saturday, and Elise Kova, Grace Reilly, and Sarah Penner on Sunday. There will also be bookmark-making and prizes throughout the days, with a specific Bookish Charm Bar from 3 to 5 p.m. each day and a Blind Date with a Book Bar following that from 5 to 7 p.m.
St. Petersburg is full of underground places and amazing travel spots. If you’re a book lover and are looking for a read while in the area, look no further than these.
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