Books and Crannies

Books and Crannies is a Black-woman owned independent bookstore, located in Martinsville, Virginia. With the closing of all major book retailers in this area, Books and Crannies filled that market in the region when it opened on September 20, 2016. Books and Crannies is a general interest/literary bookstore featuring fiction and non-fiction accompanied by a selection of children's books and a wide range of titles. A used book section, featuring $2 paperbacks and $5 hardbacks, is also available. Their website offers a seamless online shopping experience with the ability to ship nationally. Despite the nation facing a year of uncertainty, Books and Crannies has grown on a national scale after DeShanta posted a viral tweet about her hesitation to pronounce her bookstore as black-owned in fear of losing white customers. During the nation's peak of civil unrest, this tweet seemingly offered many people a basic understanding of the underlying effects of systemic racism in America. Not only have people been actively seeking to edcuate themselves on racism and America's real history, but they are making strong efforts to support indie bookstores, especially BIPOC owned. Black booksellers have been recognized nationally over the last few years as people are encouraging others to support them specifically. With hopes that people will continue to support independent bookstores beyond these times, Books and Crannies plans to be a staple in its community and on a national level for many years to come. Prior to the pandemic, Books and Crannies hosted a variety of events throughout the year such as children's readings, open mic poetry, and book signings featuring local and regional authors; however, most events are now held virtually. As a means to combat social distancing limitations during this time, the store now offers curbside pickup, free local delivery, and the option to place orders online for local pickup and delivery. The payment processor has also been upgraded to support contactless payments to decrease touched surfaces. Hand sanitizer is available and frequently touched surfaces are wiped down throughout the day. We have recently expanded our store team to three; so be sure to welcome Rose and Anastacia if you happen to encounter them!