Our Story

Like Many Good Stories, Pocket Books Began with a Dream…

A daydream, to be exact. For years, we’ve been daydreaming about owning a cozy bookshop with wide windows and twinkling lights and shelves overflowing with a collection of our favorite titles — but we assumed it would always be a ‘maybe-someday’ ‘wouldn’t-it-be-nice’ far-off wish, as we all had busy lives and even busier careers. But as we rounded our second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home and feeling so disconnected from our community, we decided that life is too short to delay our happiness. So, we decided to bet on ourselves and bring Pocket Books to life.

We’re three friends who share a deep love of literature, a commitment to progressive ideals and the power of opening oneself up to other worlds and experiences through reading, and a firm belief in #BigFriendship a la Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman. Conventional wisdom says that as we age, careers and romantic partners and children should take priority over friendships and hobbies. But, as we’re told so often, we’re living in unprecedented times—so why should we play by the old rules? At Pocket Books, we’re shaking things up and investing in ourselves: a trio of hyper-competent women who are more than ok with being ‘a little much’ and refuse to settle for just okay.

So, we moved to Lancaster, PA and opened the feminist/queer-friendly/antiracist bookstore of our dreams! We believe that bookstores are places for communities to share knowledge, wisdom, resources, and connections. We opened our doors on April 30, 2022, and we also sell online if you can’t visit us in person. We stock an intentional and eclectic selection of books that we hope will help you feel safe exploring something new. Pocket Books is a place where people find support for their ideas and interests & a place where readers discover new things to care about. We can’t wait to meet you!