Great Reads: These Are Connecticut's Best Bookstores

Just because summer's ending and students are gearing up to head back to school, doesn't mean it's time to stop reading. In fact, cooler temperatures are just around the corner, and doesn't everyone love curling up under a blanket on a comfy chair with a great book?

Connecticut Magazine knows the feeling, and not too long ago it listed the state's 10 best independent bookstores, places where you'll find great recommendations from a caring staff, not to mention cozy atmospheres to while away an afternoon.

"In an era when more and more reading is taking place on screens, and less and less commerce is taking place in the physical world, independent bookstores find themselves threatened by the pincer movement of big-box suburban mega-bookstores on one side, and online delivery systems like Amazon and digital books on the other," writes author Michael Lee-Murphy.

So, consider this a guide to the area's independent bookstores that we should all be supporting. Below are five of the 10; pop over to Connecticut Magazine to view the other five:

• Whitlock's Book Barn, Bethany
• Diane's Books, Greenwich
• Byrd's Book, Bethel
• Brick Walk Bookshop, West Hartford
• R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison

Click here to view Connecticut Magazine's complete "Good for the Soul: Connecticut's 10 Best Bookstores."

Photo credit: Diane's Books, Greenwich via Facebook

Got a favorite independent bookstore in Connecticut that didn't make the list? Tell us about it in the comment section below.