Located in Brookings, South Dakota, The Nook is our January 2026 Literary Road Trip indie bookstore partner. From the moment you step inside, The Nook feels like more than a bookstore—it’s a warm, welcoming space designed for readers to linger, connect, and feel at home. Owner Laci Thompson opened The Nook in February 2023 with a vision of creating a community hub where stories and people come together. At the end of 2024, the store was forced to temporarily close due to dam

There’s no better way to start a new year than with a good book and a little sense of adventure—and our January box delivered both. This month, we packed our bags (and boxes!) and headed to the 40th state in the Union: South Dakota. South Dakota is full of fascinating surprises. It’s where Sue, the most complete T-Rex fossil ever discovered, was found. It’s home to the wonderfully quirky Corn Palace, and it played a role in innovations like the Cyclotron particle accelerator