The End Bookstore Expands, offering over 1,000 new titles and new sections celebrating the Romantasy Boom.
The End Bookstore, a beloved community fixture known for its curated selection and literary events, is excited to announce the bookstore’s new design and layout on Tuesday, September 23 at 5pm.
The expansion marks a significant step for the independent bookstore, allowing it to serve a broader audience. The End is the only all-new, independent, general interest bookstore in the region.
- The store has an increased schedule of author readings, signings, and community gatherings. Including the science fiction queen, Martha Wells on October 10.
- A specially designed “Let’s Play Books” area provides a welcoming and fun space for young readers and family story time. Weekly story times are on Wednesdays at 11am.
- Audio book listeners can enjoy our personal recommendations on Libro.fm.
- New partnerships with Lehigh Valley business to help fund books for area children tied to our Authors to Schools program.
To celebrate the new space, The End will host a launch of the “Midnight Lair” on Tuesday, 9/23, at 5pm. The drop-in event will feature a special guest romantasy book blogger, special promotions, and romantasy swag for attendees. The public is invited to explore the new layout and experience its unique atmosphere. “We’ve been in business for almost 13 years, the only way to do that is by constantly changing. What does our community want? What does our community need? That’s our approach.“ shared Kirsten Hess, owner of The End Bookstore. “Romantasy, Dark Romance, Fantasy, and Horror are the genres people are reading right now.”
Independent stores will likely never recover their power of 50 years ago, before the rise of Barnes & Noble superstores, online giant Amazon, and the big box stores selling the top 50 books. But the days of industry predictions of their demise seem well behind. In 2016, there were 1,244 members in the American Booksellers Association trade group, at 1,749 locations. As of this month, the ABA has 2,863 individual members, at 3,281 locations. And more than 200 stores are in the process of opening. However, even during an era of growth, booksellers remain vulnerable to political and economic challenges. Costs of inventory and supplies remain high, and will grow higher because of tariffs.
The End Bookstore is a member of the ABA, and the owner is a board member of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, a trade group that includes NY, VA, MD, DE and PA. “We are always about two months away from closing – every book purchase matters.” ABA President Cynthia Compton, who runs two stores in the Indianapolis area, says that sales to schools are down because censorship laws have made educators more cautious about what they purchase. “Passion and knowledge have to be combined with business acumen if your bookstore is to succeed.” Associated Press 5/22/25
Information provided to TVL by:
Hayden Rinde
