Secondhand shopping never really goes out of style, but right now it\u2019s trendier than ever. The secondhand market is growing, especially among younger generations, who are savvy about sustainability and saving money. If you\u2019re a dedicated thrift shopper, going to a used bookstore is a great way to pass the time. You can browse the shelves at your own pace, flip through well-loved pages and stumble on unexpected literary gems. Whether you\u2019re looking for some light reading or a long-lost classic, secondhand bookstores offer the kind of slow, satisfying treasure hunt that turns an average afternoon into something magical.\u00a0 \u2014K.Wight \u00a0<\/p>\n
A. PARKER’S BOOKS<\/p>\n
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A longtime fixture in downtown Sarasota, A. Parker\u2019s Books has been enchanting Sarasota readers for nearly fifty years under the stewardship of proprietor Gary Hurst. In 1995, Hurst joined forces with Joe Phillips, who owned another downtown used bookstore called Book Bazaar. Now, both businesses occupy the same space in the building A. Parker\u2019s has called home since the 1970s. \u201cGenerally the first thing people comment on when they come in is the smell of old books,\u201d Hurst says. \u201cThey love that smell.\u201d The vast and eclectic array of books at A. Parker\u2019s and Book Bazaar come from a variety of sources, including donations, collectors who are downsizing, book shows and auctions. While you can wander in and pick something up for a quick summer read, there is also a treasure trove of rare and antique books for people on the hunt for something unique. Be sure to check out the massive selection of vintage mass market paperback books where collectors can sometimes find hidden gems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A. Parker\u2019s Books, 1488 Main Street, Sarasota, 941-366-2898, aparkers.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SHELF INDULGENCE CAFE<\/p>\n
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Located across the North Trail from Ringling College of Art and Design, Shelf Indulgence is everything you might want a used bookstore to be. Owned by a mother-daughter duo, this cozy well-curated shop carries secondhand books in great condition in a variety of genres. Beyond the books, Shelf Indulgence offers a charming shopping experience with amenities like a cafe, Blind Date with a Book, and community events like a bimonthly night market featuring local vendors. \u201cI think all brick and mortar bookstores are important because they help to create connections,\u201d says co-owner Nikki Snyder. \u201cWhen you shop for books online, you aren\u2019t getting that personal one-on-one recommendation from another person that loves books. Booksellers love to help people find their next best read, and you can only get that by walking into a bookstore.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Shelf Indulgence, 2805 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-260-5326, shelfindulgenceusedbooks.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n
THE BOOK WORM
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Englewood is a bit of a drive from Sarasota, but The Book Worm is well-worth the trip. Caitlin Harper purchased the business in 2021 when she was just 21 years old and has transformed it into a destination for book lovers with as many as 15,000 books to select from. \u201cI always want to have a selection of everything,\u201d Harper says. \u201cThere\u2019s truly a book for every person. I never feel like there\u2019s anyone who doesn\u2019t like to read\u2014it\u2019s just a matter of they haven\u2019t found the right book yet.\u201d With books in every imaginable genre (all organized into individual sections and alphabetized), even the most discerning reader is bound to find something new. While a few newer releases or rarer books are individually priced, the books are otherwise priced at $1.50 for paperbacks and $2.00 for hardcovers, so you can stock up without destroying your budget. Be sure to check out the gift area with goods sourced from local artists or made by Harper herself.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The Book Worm, 2828 South McCall Road Suite 14, Englewood, 941-525-4744, thebookworm.biz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Secondhand bookstores serve as a satisfying scavenger hunt for well-loved pages SRQ Magazine | September 2025 By Kate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[353,49,48,75],"class_list":["post-104627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-books","tag-books","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}