Garden Party Books is an independent bookstore in Rochester, Minnesota, that celebrates reading, books, and the community. We opened in October 2021, and we wanted to create a fun, bright space that allows book-lovers and the book-curious to explore, browse, wander, and play.

The store has small rooms themed by genre, including Romance, Sci Fi/Fantasy, and the Murder Room (Mystery, Thriller, and Horror). There’s also a Kid’s Room, YA Room, Craft Room, Fiction Room, and tons of Non-Fiction.

We organize events including local book launches, poetry readings, craft nights, local author festivals, the book fair at the brewery (at Thesis Beer Project), and so much more!

We’re also a (primarily) used bookstore that works to keep secondhand books out of the landfill. We accept donations of any kind of book any time we’re open, and if you bring 5 or more you get a coupon for 20% off used books in the store. We clean, sort, and shelve the books to get them ready for their next home!