In recent years, as the wealth gap has expanded and people in power have increasingly used that power to exploit and oppress everyone else, consumers have become more aware of which mega corporations are part of the problem. And as this information has spread, particularly via social media, so have impassioned calls for protesting through boycotts. Amazon is often at the center of these conversations, especially when consumers are looking for alternatives. While Amazon is broadly harmful across many sectors, it poses a unique threat to the book world. Its monopoly on the market allows it to direct sales to…

When we think about carbon footprints, reading habits don’t immediately come to mind. There are many pastimes and hobbies that have a larger environmental impact, but that doesn’t mean the impact can’t be reduced.  The printing process emits millions of metric tons of CO2 a year, and a depressingly large amount of those books end up in landfills. On the digital side, the damage comes from manufacturing—materials needed, power used. For readers with sustainability at the top of their mind, it can be overwhelming. There isn’t a cut-and-dry answer to the digital vs. print books debate, but there are some key…

It goes without saying that there’s no shortage of must-listen literature written by Black women. Even so, those authors might be underrepresented in your reading repertoire—because Black writers, editors, and other publishing professionals are underrepresented in the publishing industry as a whole. Research shows that as of 2020, despite slow growth, Black writers still made up just over 6% of authors in the U.S. Readers might not have the power to single-handedly change that statistic, but we can shift our own habits. Common recommendations include the classics and household names—Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, Tayari Jones, Roxane…

Here are some of the books that celebs have been spotted toting around, and the bookshops they’re frequenting.