Participants can earn prizes at each stop, with those completing stamps at every store eligible for a grand prize of $25 gift cards to each one.
Thirteen independent bookstores across the Los Angeles region are teaming up for the inaugural Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl, inviting readers to explore the city’s literary scene over a three-day weekend.
The event is scheduled for Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26, during each store’s regular business hours. Readers can participate by visiting any participating bookstore, making a purchase of $10 or more to receive a Book Crawl Passport and initial stamp, then continuing to other stores for additional purchases and stamps.
Organizers modeled the crawl after similar popular events in San Diego and Seattle. Participants can earn prizes and exclusive merchandise at each stop, with those completing stamps at all 13 stores eligible for a grand prize drawing that includes $25 gift cards to each participating bookstore.
The crawl spans neighborhoods from Manhattan Beach to Montrose, including West Hollywood, Westchester, West Los Angeles, Studio City, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Culver City.
“Independent bookstores are having a resurgence,” Jennifer Caspar, founder and owner of Village Well Books & Coffee in Culver City, said in a statement. “They are the third places people need more than ever in this era of digital optimization which can be very alienating and lead to loneliness.”
Caspar said people still enjoy browsing physical books and gathering in community spaces. The stores describe themselves as vital to the city’s culture, offering curated selections, support for local authors and spaces for book clubs and civic engagement.
Participating bookstores include Annabelle’s Book Club LA in Studio City, The Book Jewel in Westchester, Book Soup in West Hollywood, Chevalier’s Books in Larchmont Village, Children’s Book World and CBW Teens & Adults in West Los Angeles, Diesel, A Book Store in Santa Monica, Malik Books in Culver City, Once Upon A Time in Montrose, Pages: A Bookstore in Manhattan Beach, The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, Skylight Books in Hollywood/Los Feliz, Village Well Books & Coffee in Culver City, and Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.
More information on the crawl is at laindiebookcrawl.com
