First Place: Chop Suey Books

2913 W. Cary St.
422-8066
chopsueybooks.com

Second Place: Fountain Bookstore

Third Place: BBGB

Indie bookstores seem to be going strong in Richmond, despite big-box retailers and Amazon’s domination of online sales. In Carytown, favorite Chop Suey has seen strong sales growth. “We’re definitely happy,” owner Ward Tefft says. The store also is moving into some unusual new ventures. It will start publishing books this year. One, called “River City Secrets,” is a collection of short stories for young adults. The other is a compilation of artwork and is being edited by Virginia Commonwealth University professor Chuck Scalin. Both are due out this fall. In Shockoe Slip, Fountain Bookstore perks along as a favorite. And BBGB focuses on children’s books and is just down the block from Chop Suey. “We’re really happy to have them as a neighbor,” Tefft says.