Bookmarks

This is a nonprofit, independent bookstore, and I’m so glad to have stumbled upon it! I took a day trip to explore Winston-Salem and not much was open on Labor Day, but we hit the jackpot when this bookstore and the attached coffee shop were both open. This is one of the neatest bookstores I have ever visited, and my friend who happens to be a teacher felt the same way. I was so excited to take pictures and share with my viewers and I hope that this inspires you to visit and support the literary arts! Happy exploring! Josephine Local Guide

This store is, without reservation, one of the best bookstores I've ever visited. They cater to local clientele and are widely engaged in community literacy initiatives. Many books have short statements attached to the shelf below them explaining why various readers have found them to be so enjoyable. A visit to this store is a must for anyone with a strong passion for reading.

Cool spot to hang out before the city street music event. Has an adjacent bar and great kids area in the back.

We don't live in the area, but I did a little research and decided this was the spot my daughter and I should go while visiting. Gooooood choice on our end! Great selection, nice set up, calm feel.

I LOVE Bookmarks! The staff is super accommodating, attentive, very sweet & welcoming. The store is warm & has a community vibe. They have so many great events. I just attended an educator event that had an author discussion & a book signing by three amazing & brilliant authors that were very gracious. We got great swag, a tote & our choice of a book by one of the featured authors, and they had a lovely spread for us. After a day at work this was soooo wonderful🙂❤️❤️‼️

The atmosphere was super cute and the staff were very helpful. Had a grand entrance with visually appealing murals for kids and adults who can reminisce about their child literacy heroes. Has a coffee shop and bar attached though it was closed due to a private event. Large book selection. Highly recommend to support independent bookstores.

I love this bookstore. Great selection of books and so much more. They have awesome events - paid and free! They have a cute children's area. The staff are very friendly and helpful! When I'm downtown, I love coming to Bookmarks!

The first visit, door was locked because they closed 3 hours early for a “private event.“ OK, suit yourselves. Second visit, door was locked because they closed early for “unadvertised holiday hours.” Lame. If you’re going to operate an event space to have book launchings & signings, cool but still keep the retail space open to foot traffic. And you’d think retail stores expand holiday hours instead of restricting them, especially in a struggling industry competing with online sales, a massive regional used-book chain, and big boxes.

This is such an amazing bookstore. Every time I walk in I just want to read every book. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Something about the collection they have curated and the way they display the books just makes them extra enticing. The cherry on top is the employee reviews that you will find tucked into the shelves. They also have cool book-related merch and a great kids section and offer lots of events with visiting authors. Highly recommend! As if all this weren't enough, the bookstore is a nonprofit geared toward community outreach. As someone who remembers the first Bookmarks Festival (an outreach of Junior League of Winston-Salem, which eventually became the Bookmarks we know today), it's really cool to see how it has evolved.

I really enjoyed myself at this bookstore. I love creative places. The coffee shop is such a nice touch and the kids corner. They have a nice selection of books. Their business/technical selection is lacking, but if you want them to order books they will definitely order them. I would put this on a "always visit" when I'm in Winston. The customer service is top tier. I would definitely recommend you visit. Everything is neat, unique and orderly. It is all clearly labeled and love the different items to purchase scattered about. I loved their travel section. Very cool!

What a cool bookstore! Stumbled upon it while on a scavenger hunt and had to make a detour. Good selection across all genres.

Back in March my wife and I bought tickets to a "Margaritas and Murder" event featuring Sandra Brown. Ms. Brown canceled the event due to travel issues due to weather. In the email we received from Bookmarks we were told "we are very sorry for any inconvenience caused, and we are working on a solution with Sansa Brown's team". Four months later we have heard nothing. I caution everyone from signing up for any of the Bookmark Events, since their customer service is abominable and their events are very expensive.

Amazing bookstore! My favorite local stop. The set up is perfection. Bookstore on one side, cafe and coffee shop on the other. The food there is catered in from Foothills Brewing- and it's always delicious. The breaded mushrooms are mouthwatering!!! I'm drooling just thinking about them. The bookstore itself is absolutely beautiful, with so many thoughtful displays and invitations to explore and interact. The staff is amazing. Their online pick up services and knowledge is always so spot on and helpful. They have constant events going on, and even a huge book fair they sponsor- which is always a hit! Lots of bookish gifts and trinkets, lots of bookmarks, the outside and inside is adorable and decorated towards the imagination. They have a really great kids corner, a bike rack outside, and a lovely alley entrance as well that leads to pretty city murals and other shops. I like to go here for a girls night and browse for books and then grab something at the cafe. Live music often on that side! One of my favorite things they have going on right now is the passport program- which is a read books around the world challenge reward program that I am currently diving into. Support your local bookstore! Buy your books local! Why? Lots of good reasons I could list. But you probably know them all. So just know It's bad luck to go to a bookstore without buying a book so make sure you grab something each visit!

Ok, I LOVE Bookmarks. Located right behind Foothills and beside of their baby - Footnote, you'll find the cutest little book store. The store is organized by genre and I love the tables in the front that are full of new releases and popular book club picks. It's just the best to grab a coffee at Footnote and mosey on over to Bookmarks. Browsing the bookshelves is such a fun activity and I love how they highlight staff member picks as well. Bookmarks always has something going on so be sure to check the online calendar of events. Stop by, you won't regret it!

Came for a special author event with Susan Lieu, and LOVED it! My cousin and I came from Charlotte and immediately were jealous that we do not have a cute indie bookshop like this back home. We really enjoyed the event and the fact that you all chose an author that represents our family story. More BIPOC authors always! The space was so beautiful, we loved the service at the bar, the pre-event talk was wonderful, and the post-event browsing/meet and greet was so heart warming. There was even a little spread of snacks for before the event. Top notch details! We would love to come again!

I love this bookstore! The store is super cute, inside and out and packed with so many amazing books. What really sets this store apart are their wonderful staff! They are all so kind and go above and beyond for customers. And this bookstore is so much more than just your regular bookstore! They host several book events each month and have an annual book festival each year which features tons of famous authors from across the world. I've attended several events and the festival and can say that these events are wonderful! Conveniently located in downtown Winston and has parking that isn't parallel! Only mentioning this because I hate parking downtown and love that there is a lot here. Stop by here for your next read!

I absolutely LOVE this bookstore. I live about 30 minutes away but it's worth the drive. The employees are always so friendly and greet you when you walk in. They're also really helpful if you need any books recs. The overall vibe of the store is just so great and there's even a coffee shop inside. The store has a great selection of books, games, bookmarks, and a ton of other book accessories. Bookmarks puts on so many various events for the community so if you're a reader, I definitely recommend checking them out!

I'm a huge coffee shop and bookstore girly and wow talk about intention and coziness! Bookmarks has books for everyone, in the back is a cute little sitting area for kids and their families to read together. Attached is footnote which is a coffee shop. We love the blend of my two favorite down time spots! My sister was able to find two Japanese language learning books unique and affordable as well! I will be looking forward to more stops in the future.

It's always a good day when I get to visit bookmarks. Who doesn't love the smell of good books and coffee( from the attached coffee shop). I love to go in a browse the shelves and look at staff picks and local book club picks.

This bookstore is connected to a coffee shop and is awesome. Got an iced latte and bought a book. Support local! You wouldn't be able to peruse a new book and enjoy a cute place if it went out of business because of turning around and buying online. In Winston for work and looking forward to stopping back in next time!

Visited the store with my granddaughter, customer service was top notch, real friendly, loved the store atmosphere. will return with friends.

The bookseller was incredibly friendly and amiable. I got many souvenirs for friends while I was there, they have quite the selection. It's comprable to Powell's in Portland, OR, if only by the huge collection of books they offer! If I ever find myself in NC again, I will absolutely stop by.

Service was friendly and I loooove that they have mini reviews of staff picked books! They host events mutliple times a month and are connected to footnote coffee shop and bar. Books are priced fairly and they have a great selection. I would definitely recommend! They have a quaint patio out front to sit and read as well.

Great little regional bookstore. We walked up from our Airbnb to pick out a couple of books with our kids. The store is huge, with a solid selection and helpful staff. It is connected to a coffee shop and has some outdoor seating. The kids section is ample with some great areas to sit there as well. Overall nice independent bookstore where you can shop local.

This place is amazing! I love supporting local and independently owned businesses especially book stores! I love that they are always clean and organized, have the newest releases of books and they have a rewards program! Bookmarks mission is to bring the community together through educational school trips, donating to charities, coordinating for authors to present on their new books, and even hosting an annual Festival of Books & Authors which is actually coming up this month! They have trivia nights which are also fun!

So in 2018, the last things I thought would be successful business ventures would be bookstores and record stores. Both are making a comeback by serving a niche group of people. To be completely honest, I have long made the transition to Kindle readers. I like the ability to download a book anytime I want. That said, I still love browsing bookstores. There is something cool about looking at the selection and finding something new to read. They have a very good selection of books, including young adult and kids sections. Having Footnotes next door for coffee is also a nice touch. Anything that gets people reading, I'm all in favor of it.

This is a hidden place in downtown Winston Salem. It is a lovely place to adventure into like you're on a journey to the world of books! The exterior is quaint and the alleyway leading to it is decorated with art from books. The interior is clean and organized, the kids section is just too cute. They have a coffee shop imbedded into it and they hold events here! This is a must go place for book lovers and adventurers!

I had heard we have a new bookstore in Winston-Salem (finally, to complement Bright Leaf books over on 5th Street near Burger Batch at the corner of North Cherry St.). I heard it was on 4th Street and always kept my eyes open for it as I drove on 4th St. doing my other business. But I never saw it. BECAUSE IT HAS A 4TH STREET ADDRESS BUT IS ACTUALLY BEHIND FOOTHILLS BREWERY. So you can access it through a breezeway to the left of Foothills or from behind that row of buildings on 4th St. Once I stumbled on it, I was excited and impressed. A good collection of books in most common areas, and we have taken to ordering books that they don't have in inventory to support the enterprise. Not a ton of space for loitering, but that's OK because there are other places nearby to take the books you buy here and go read them. I understand they may open up the space between the bookstore and Foothills to offer space for eating/drinking/reading, which would be cool. Not sure of any timeline on that, though. Support your local bookstores! Amazon don't give a damn about Winston-Salem.

*COVID-19 visit* Bookmarks is the ultimate, local bookstore. Their selection is well-organized, relevant, and diverse (read: extremely relevant). The fiction section is a DREAM. I found the world history section slightly anemic; however, you can use Bookmarks' convenient 'FIND A BOOK' to purchase any title through their website. As an aside, they are taking COVID very seriously. Customers must check in at the front for a time-limited browse after sanitizing their hands. All the employees are passionate, knowledgeable, and welcoming. Please support this local business!

If I were a bookstore, I'd want to be Bookmarks when I grow up. Not only is the store laid out well, it's next to Footnote, where you can get a drink coffee or a real, adult beverage) and browse books. Not only are local, national and international authors represented, the engagement level of the staff and the displays are HIGH. There are multiple bookclubs to join, including Well-Read Black Girl; There is a mystery book section where all of the books are wrapped like presents and the only descriptor is a passage written by a staff member in order to entice you to buy the book, sight unseen; Weekly and monthly visiting authors come for book signings and book readings and it's all just such a magical place for any bibiliophile of any and every age.

I finally stopped by Bookmarks, and all I can say is that I waited way too long! What a great, and much needed spot, in downtown Winston-Salem. I was incredibly impressed with the selection of books as well as other small items as well. If you have children, the back corner of the store is perfect for them, with plenty of books, as well as a decent size "classroom" area (for lack of a better word) to hold events for youngsters. Speaking of the events, they had many signs up in the store for different bookclubs for everyone from kids to adults, and other speakers and things. This seems like a good way to build a little bit of a community instead of just a bookstore. Bookmarks is also connected to Footnotes, which has coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages, so grab a new book and sit down with a drink to relax and read a little bit. Overall, I think this is a great place that will hopefully thrive downtown.

Love this place! Ordered a lot of books from here and would go pick them up, support local businesses!!!

Bookmarks is my happy place, I'm in there at least once a week! Amazing selection, great non-book merch, I can usually find 1 or 8 things to buy. Awesome events too, I never miss book trivia, and drag queen story time is super fun!

Why, why, why have I waited so long to go in here?! I just wanted to spend hours in here looking over all the books, finding one, getting some tea from Footnotes and reading my book. It's so welcoming the second you walk in. My favorite part was definitely the section that had books wrapped up and have a description on the front but you don't know what book it actually is. A blind date with a book, which is probably the best kind. You must go in here at least once. Just do it.

Love this place!!!! And how inclusive it is Thank you for the safe space Continue being awesome!!

We love this bookstore. The staff is very friendly. They have story time twice a week at 10:30. They are on Wednesday and Saturday. There are also lots 9f community events. Park in the lot on Holly St.

Nice bookstore. Pleasing atmosphere. Great selection, though I didn't get very far into the store. I ended up spending all my time on the journals and poetry. The staff was very frisky and helpful. I would go back.

So excited Winston has this new independent bookstore downtown! They have great events set up including story times for kids. The children's section is BEAUTIFUL!! I cannot wait to take my son there again to hang out and read interesting books. They have such creative ideas; books wrapped in paper so you can "go on a blind date" with a book you might not usually choose. And a "banned book" section with caution tape around it! I love this place already. I look forward to attending an event in the very near future.

Bookmarks is an amazing independent bookstore. Their carefully curated selection of books is wonderful. I love the shop's industrial aesthetic!

As a street festival, Bookmarks just gets better and better. In recent years, the Spruce Street location has meant that there's the fun of a street festival, with food trucks, booths, and activities, combined with the comfort of the talks being indoors, where it's easier to hear. I've been every year, and I always have both the excitement of hearing an author whose work I already love and the serendipity of finding out about books and authors I didn't know about before. Now that Bookmarks has a permanent home with a retail store, it's like having a festival all the time. Just being in the store really makes books and reading feel like the most important, timely, vibrant, and relevant part of life. And that's not even when there are special events going on!

Love the location- attached to a coffee shop and next to dominoes pizza. Employees are super nice.

Terrific local bookstore with extremely helpful staff. Every Wednesday and Saturday they have a children's story time. A treasure to have in Winston-Salem. There's also a coffee shop next-door so you can grab a coffee and browse in the bookstore.

my new favorite place! i decided to stop by after reading that they're good about covid and i was not disappointed! the book selection and layout is so pleasing and extremely organized which i loved. very easy to find what you're looking for and i LOVED the diversity present in book choices, especially in the children's section. when you come in you check in at the front and get 30 minutes of browsing time and have to keep your mask on and use hand sanitizer before going to look around. i wish all stores would take these precautions! i had to wait around 10 minutes before i could go in bc they were at capacity, but it was nice out so i just pushed my daughter around for a bit! the staff was extremely friendly! they were around to help the whole time and even offered to help me find where i could get a book that they didn't have! and they're readers so we were able to have a short conversation about books which i loved! such a completely different environment compared to books-a-million or barnes & noble.