Indie Bookstore Spotlight: The Nook

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 damage caused by a nearby fire. While regrouping after the fire, Laci kept The Nook’s community thriving through an active social media presence and continued sales via Bookshop.org and Libro.fm. She also created a pop-up version of The Nook inside her other local business, Pasque, a home décor store. During this pop-up phase, The Nook was still able to host events, including author signings. In June 2025, The Nook proudly celebrated its grand reopening.

I was delighted to discover that The Nook features creative shelving categories—something I haven’t seen at other indie bookstores. For example, mysteries and thrillers are shelved in a section called “The Curious One.” Picture books and items for the youngest readers live in “The Imaginative.” I’m especially intrigued by “The Adventurer,” a section labeled for perpetual wanderers.

Books and wine? Yes, please. The Nook hosts a monthly book club called Books + Banter at a local wine bar, and members receive 20% off the book club pick. If you love chocolate, be sure to visit downtown Brookings on Valentine’s Day 2026 for the chocolate crawl—The Nook is one of the participating businesses offering sweet treats.

We’ve included a store sticker from The Nook in our January box. If you’re near Brookings, please consider stopping by the store to show your support. You can also support The Nook from afar by shopping on their website or following along on Instagram. And if you’re not yet familiar with Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, be sure to check out my previous blog posts—both are wonderful businesses that support indie bookstores.