Happy Holidays to all yinz, and welcome to the 12 Days of Indies! My name is Joy Givens, and I’m here to make your December merry and bright by highlighting one of Pittsburgh’s fabulous independent bookstores each day, December 1-12. Keep reading to learn all about today’s featured bookstore, and check back daily for new store profiles, fun tidbits, ordering information, and more!
Day 10
We’ve reached the tenth day of indies! In honor of hitting two digits’ worth of independent Pittsburgh bookstores, today’s featured shop is a twofer: Amazing Books & Records! This wonderfully unique local used bookseller has “two great stores in two great neighborhoods”—downtown on Liberty Avenue and in the heart of Squirrel Hill on Murray Avenue. Launched in 2013 by owner Eric Ackland, Amazing Books & Records has quickly built a high profile. In 2019, none other than The New York Times published a feature on Ackland’s shops.
As the name indicates, the stores stock literature and music alike, in eye-popping quantities. Between both stores, their backroom stock, and their online listings, Amazing Books & Records offers almost 60,000 books! But how can you access these books for your pandemic shopping, gifting, and reading needs? For starters, you can breathe in the soul-soothing scent of used books by visiting either location in person; both stores are open six days a week—closed Saturdays—with nearby metered parking (Squirrel Hill has a small step up at the front door, but downtown has a level entry). Amazing Books & Records has also digitized a massive number of its used volumes for easy online ordering: almost 13,000 books at last count.
If you don’t know exactly what you want (or what to give someone on your holiday list), the store has a solution: Lit Love Surprise Packages. After you select a few genres, authors, or favorite titles, the bookstore staff will curate a selection of books to surprise you or a loved one. Finally, if you have your heart set on a brand-new book but still want to support this local business, you can! Amazing Books & Records has a Bookshop page, where you can buy practically any new book and send a chunk of the profits directly to the store.
No matter what kind of book or how many books you’re looking for, Amazing Books & Records has you covered. Start browsing online or in person to find your latest treasure!
STORE DETAILS
Amazing Books & Records (two locations)
Downtown: 929 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 471-1899
Current Downtown Store Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Fri 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Sun 12:00-4:00 p.m. (closed Sat)
Squirrel Hill: 2030 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 421-7000
Current Squirrel Hill Store Hours: Sun-Thu 12:00-9:00 p.m., Fri 12:00-7:00 p.m. (closed Sat)
http://www.amazingbooksandrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmazingBooksPGH/
https://www.instagram.com/amazingbooksandrecords/
Joy Givens is a pun-slinging, hymn-singing storyteller and the lucky mother of two small superheroes. She has published several award-winning short stories and writes children’s and YA fiction to celebrate the fresh, fierce, fantastic side of life. Raised in a big Midwestern family, Joy now lives in the blossoming literary community of Pittsburgh, where she is a proud leadership team member of Pennwriters (www.pennwriters.org) and the PA West region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (www.wpa.scbwi.org).
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