Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Paper Hearts Bookstore

Our June indie bookstore partner is Paper Hearts Bookstore. Located in Little Rock, Arkansas, Paper Hearts Bookstore has a sweet creation story. It was founded by Beth Quarles and Adrienne Autin, friends and coworkers who spent years bonding over their love of books. They decided to turn this love into a bookstore and Paper Hearts was born. Beth took over as sole owner in 2022, but Adrienne is still a big supporter of the store.

Paper Hearts hosts several book clubs. There is a statement on their website about their book clubs that is near and dear to my mission with Books Inside Boxes. They offer a 10% discount if you purchase the book through Paper Hearts, but barring that, they just ask that you don't purchase your book through Amazon. The clubs are open to anyone, but it is important to emphasize supporting indie bookstores and libraries, not the "Evil A." I love this messaging so much. It's important to keep reminding people why we need to be thoughtful of where we shop, and how it also helps keep community spaces and businesses that we treasure from closing.

Speaking of their book clubs, one that I have not seen at any other indie bookstore, is their "End of Life Book Club" which involves reading books about death and dying. The reading list for 2025 is really interesting and a great way of getting people to talk about a taboo subject that affects us all. On the opposite end of the spectrum, they also have a "Silent Book Club" which provides an opportunity of reading of ones own book in a communal space with other book lovers. This is great for people looking to possibly connect with other bookish people, but who don't want a traditional book club vibe. Currently, Paper Hearts Bookstore hosts six different book club, certainly something for every taste.

Pop-up events are a great way to bring the bookstores to the community. In my mind, pop-up bookstores bring the warm fuzzies and fond memories of the Scholastic book fairs of my childhood. Paper Hearts Bookstore is involved in pop-up stores, and if you live nearby, you can reach out to them with an idea for a pop-up at your business or event.

Paper Hearts Bookstore has a yearly membership called "Friends of Paper Hearts." There are several membership options and members receive a range of perks, such as early access to events, curated books, and discounts. Memberships programs are an important source of funding for small businesses. If someone takes the leap to becoming a member, they will often frequent the store, but also that little boost of membership dues can help a small business in leaner months. Please consider memberships at your favorite local bookstore.

We've include the Paper Hearts store logo sticker and postcard in the June box. The postcard is really neat, because more than simply a postcard, it has a space where you can send a book recommendation to a friend. Please support this fabulous indie by visiting them when you are in Little Rock or purchasing from their online store. You can also show some love by visiting their Instagram page.