Our Story

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!

People

You! You make Garden Party Books possible with your support, donations, encouragement, and good cheer. Thank you for making our jobs so much fun.

Anna Smith (she/her) is the majority owner of Garden Party Books. She loves reading and books, especially memoirs about faith transitions, history, and the works of L. M. Montgomery.

Andy Smith (he/him) is the entrepreneurial spirit behind the business, the hype man, the minority owner, occasional worker, and the eye candy (according to Anna). He loves science fiction and fantasy, and his favorite book series is Malazan Book of the Fallen.

Carrie Boes (she/her) is a bookseller at Garden Party Books. She’s an avid reader who loves talking about books, and she keeps the store ship-shape! She recommends The Lonely Polygamist and Musical Chairs.

For more book recommendations from all staff, shop our Bookshop page!