Boneshaker Books

Boneshaker is the place to find social and political justice books.We visited Boneshaker as a stop along the 2024 Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport. The space itself is fun to take in and the guys at the counter were friendly with some suggestions. There were numerous eye-catching books written by minority authors on display in this specialized indie bookstore. As someone who rarely reads this genre of liberal literature, Boneshaker is probably not a bookstore I will frequent. However, I would recommend it to someone looking for a different perspective!

I love this place so much. The energy is always so chill and the workers (who are volunteers) are kind and helpful. They have events with local artists outside sometimes and are always looking for people to help out as cashier. They have affordable prices and a great variety of books on important political and social topics as well as a number of zines that are free for anyone. This is a hidden gem of the Seward neighborhood that deserves more love. Ever since covid they require masks to go inside but they provide them at the door.

Boneshaker offered to host my book, and we did a reading. What a large turn-out, we had! They also worked with us throughout the year to host our book and share it with incarcerated women. Social justice and great reading for all.

What a lovely little bookstore with a badass name and cool building! It's a small, but good, selection of books. There was a mix of used and new, and a strong support of minority authors! The staff was friendly and welcoming. 10/10 would come back!

Sometimes your country chooses a really terrible person to be the leader. Sometimes you feel so sad and so defeated by this decision. Sometimes you feel so hopeless and have no faith left in humanity. .....And sometimes you stumble across a place that makes you remember that there are good people in the world, and that the world is only half bad. I was feeling so bummed out a few weeks ago and happened to be in the Seward neighborhood to grab lunch when I saw a sign that I thought said "F**K Trump" on it. I did a quick turn around to drive by and make sure my eyes were seeing what I was hoping they were seeing. Sure enough, my eyes didn't fail me. The sign mentioned that they were giving away "F**K Trump" buttons for free. You better believe I stopped in. This place was a social workers dream. It was a whole bookstore dedicated to social justice issues. None of that one-little-corner-section of the books you like business. IT WAS A WHOLE SHOP OF IT! They even had an adorable kids section that had important books too. I picked some up for my 8 month old nephew. No sense wasting time on grooming him to become a little activist, right?! I saw signs that they host a LGBTQ book club as well. They also had signs up supporting their Muslim neighbors and that Islamophobia and Xenophobia were not welcome in their store. These are the places that we need to be putting our money into. Love you Boneshaker books, thanks for healing my heart a little!

Boneshaker's main downfall is that it is small. And although this means that it carries fewer items, it does not affect the quality at all. There are tons of books, from conventional fiction novels, to graphic historical novels, to non-fiction personal accounts, to translated conversations about sex from the French impressionists. Unlike most big bookstores, Boneshaker doesn't feel overwhelming. You can see and look at most of the books without spending hours there. Conversely, you could spend hours if you wanted, as they have a nice little sitting area, as well as a play area for children.Cat allergies beware, as there is sometimes a cat roaming around. I am told it is the landlord's cat. The other downfall is that the store is run by volunteers. This is not an issue in and of itself, often volunteers bring an enthusiasm that paid clerks often lack. However, volunteers can bring a lack of professionalism. The last time I was in the store there was a women complaining about buying her wedding dress. I'm not sure if she was a customer or a volunteer, but in a small space it was impossible not to hear her talking, even if she was talking at lower volume. I sort of felt like I was intruding on someone's living room. All in all Boneshaker is a great little book store to head to if you're not really sure what you're in the mood for, but even if you know what you want...you might be surprised!

This review is best enjoyed with the following aperitif: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYiKdJoSsb8This bookstore is the best tool you'll find for putting your fury somewhere productive. The economy sucks! The corporations are buying our democracy! The earth is full of garbage! Kids these days have bad grammar and ugly shoes!Yah, yah, yah, fine- but you won't be able to do a damn thing about those helpful observations without getting yer facts straight first. That's why you need Boneshaker Books.They have books on everything you're mad about. Angry about capitalism? Please help yourself to dozens of books that suggest alternatives to our happy little (effed up) economic system. Sick of watching the feminist movement wheeze through its 40-year-old song and dance? Pick up a few books from writers on the vanguard of feminist theory who can give you the what-fer and some new ideas to bat around with your friends. Wanting to know why Minnesota is so freaking awesome? They have books on how the labor and progressive movement built this state to serve all Minnesotans, not just the wealthy few.They also have well-chosen fiction, some discount used books, Occupy publications, and a GREAT zine collection. Yes, their books are $15- but (prepare for the mantra) you've investing in your local radical community. It's good for you. It's a worthy investment.In the timeless words of En Vogue, "Free your mind/and the rest will follow."

This place had everything I was looking for and more. The selection is small, but pointed. If there were more places to sit and some coffee I could have sat there all day paging through thought-provoking and action-driven literature.

The tiny, quirky, friendly, volunteer-run bookstore (and meeting space) you didn't know you needed

Though the space it inhabits is fairly small, Boneshaker has an astoundingly intelligent selection of books that a person could fall into for a long, long time. Most of their selection focuses on socially relevant subjects such as gender, sexuality, race, class, gentrification, activism, police accountability, and so on, but there are also sections for literature and poetry. It's a very content-dense space, and honestly if time and money were no object, I would want to read the whole store end-to-end. Stumbling on this place was quite the happy accident!