Slow Goings: Bookstore Edition
Trips down memory lane and literary city guides worth bookmarking.
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Ten years ago, my now-husband, John, and I fulfilled an ambitious New Year’s resolution: visiting a new city in the U.S. each month. The experience brought us closer together as we journeyed across the country and eventually around the globe. However, in recent years, the joy of travel has felt further away than ever, at least for me.
As I wrote in Slowing, anxiety has always pervaded my life. Yet, the early days of the pandemic upended how I think about moving through the world, both on an individual and collective level. I’ve been working to return to a place where travel is something I embrace rather than fear. The process has been long and arduous, but it’s shaped my perspective in unexpected and—no pun intended—moving ways. (I’ll let you read the book to find out how!)
And whenever I’m in doubt, John shares this calming reminder: with each destination comes an opportunity to visit a new bookstore. Who could argue with that?
The sounds of quiet, rustling pages, a soft brush from a store cat or dog winding through the aisles, passionate discussions between two friends: no matter where you are in the world, bookstores offer a place for shared experiences—and curiosity—that transcend borders and reinforce our humanity.
All of this to say, I’m thrilled to introduce Slow Goings, a new series about the places that slow me down—and the memories attached to them. In honor of Independent Bookstore Day (tomorrow, April 26th), the first edition features a few trips down memory lane and the independent bookstores that feel like home.
Before we get into the guide, here are some literary goodies that might slow your scroll…
Pacific x Soeur
Anyone who follows my style updates knows how much I love a good hat, especially a baseball cap. I’ve been growing my Books hat collection from Pacific, and love their recent collaboration with Soeur, particularly the sky blue/butter yellow and light pink/brown colorways.
The Book of Alchemy
Speaking of books, I’m also honored to have an essay and prompt in
’s gorgeous new collection, The Book of Alchemy. My piece was written a few years ago, but it still holds true: Be slow. Ask questions. Begin and the words will eventually come—so will the wonder. Be sure to order your copy here.
This guide was last updated in May 2025 and will be revised accordingly.
New York
April 2025
After twenty years in New York, moving through the city feels like traveling in itself. Perhaps it’s age, perspective, or the embrace of slowness, but I favor routine and ritual, and find myself returning to the bookstores in and around my neighborhood, which always instill a sense of familiarity and calm. No matter how I’m feeling, they’re always worth the trip.
Books Are Magic
Years ago, I would often see novelist and Books Are Magic owner Emma Straub around a co-working space I was a member of at the time, though I never worked up the nerve to introduce myself. Still, I remained an avid fan of Books Are Magic from afar, and I can recall my first encounter with the store vividly: purchasing Elif Batuman’s The Idiot right after their first store opening. Just a few years later, I would recommit to my writing practice—but that day, I was a proud reader. I didn’t ask for a bag, and hugged the novel to my chest as I walked to the subway, knowing it was worth holding close.
Bookmarked: “Emma Straub on Opening Her Bookstore, Books Are Magic,” by Emma Straub (Wildsam via Literary Hub)
Community Bookstore / Terrace Books
Next year marks ten years in Park Slope, which means I’ve spent almost half of my time in New York in this neighborhood. With friends around the corner and familiar paths in Prospect Park, I feel at home in this community. The same feeling extends to the area’s small businesses: Enter Community Bookstore (and their outpost, Terrace Books), a local mainstay that never fails to delight.
Bookmarked: “A look back at 50 years of Community Bookstore” by Jackson Schroeder (Brooklyn Magazine)
Half Moon Books
(Not the city, but a worthwhile mention.) We tend to visit Kingston in the colder months, bundled up and ready to retreat into nature as the foliage changes or a fresh dusting of snow coats the ground. Our most recent trip led us to Half Moon Books, whose memorable merchandising categories (see below) are enough to slow me down—and make me laugh!
High Valley Books
I mentioned High Valley Books in my recent essay “Reading Room,” and it’s a place that embodies slowness to the core. You think you’ve seen it all—then you come across vintage editions of Virginia Woolf books hiding under a pile of indie fashion magazines. In many ways, the store feels like a convergence of my past fashion endeavors and current literary ones. Of memories being made and revisited in real-time.
Bookmarked: “Brooklyn’s Best Vintage Bookstore Is in His Living Room” by T.M. Brown (The New York Times)
McNally Jackson
Whenever I step inside a McNally Jackson location, I’m overwhelmed with choice—and nostalgia: The many hours spent at their original 52 Prince Street address. Attending a reading with a childhood best friend I no longer speak to. My gradual shift away from the magazine stands towards the vibrant shelves filled with novels and memoirs. McNally Jackson has been in New York just as long as I have. Fittingly, it was also the place where I saw Slowing on the shelves for the first time. (I hope it won’t be the last first time.)
Bookmarked: “How Sarah McNally, Seasoned Bookseller, Spends Her Sundays” by Paige Darrah (The New York Times)
P&T Knitwear
Microphone in hand, it was gratifying to tell my story at P&T Knitwear on a mild evening last October. My fear of public speaking didn't get the better of me. It was the first time in a long time that I felt at home in my body despite the amount of noise swirling in and around it. Somehow, I had been more articulate in a crowd rather than in the quiet of my apartment. Removing the screen, placing myself in the center of it all, allowed the fear to alchemize into something else, maybe even something generative. Communal—a multifaceted place like P&T Knitwear instills that feeling pretty easily.
Bookmarked: “Why we love P&T Knitwear, the bookstore that keeps New York's Lower East Side well read” (USA TODAY)
Rough Draft Bar & Books
(Again, not technically NYC, but a worthwhile mention.) There’s something so soothing about a fall/winter stroll down Wall Street in Kingston. Rough Draft’s rustic space is always a refuge from the long car rides into town or surprise rainstorms. It’s a thrill just to sit and sip on a cappuccino in the presence of readers.
Bookmarked: “Rough Draft Bar & Books Offers Liquor, Coffee, Food And Books In Upstate New York” by Gary Stern (Forbes)
Troubled Sleep
Tucked away on a tree-lined street in Park Slope (and just around the corner from Community), Troubled Sleep is a singular haven that’s easy to get lost in—and when necessary, to find yourself again. In fact, I remember when the above photo was taken: It was a mild February day, and I was at the height of a mental health crisis. If you were at Troubled Sleep with me then, you probably wouldn’t have known how undone I felt inside—because for an hour, any troubles I had, whether conjured from my mind or actually unfolding in my life, were eclipsed by shelves of stories, reminding me to take a deep breath.
Bookmarked: “A beautiful new bookstore just opened in Park Slope” by Anna Rahmanan (Time Out)
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