Reagan Josephine on doing the Houston Bookstore Crawl.

Since 2024, the Houston Texas Bookstore Crawl has served as a celebration of the indie bookstores scattered across the Greater Houston Area. Spanning from Spring all the way down to Galveston, this beloved annual event has grown to over 31 stops on the map, and it keeps getting bigger. Participants pick up a bingo card at any participating store and need to collect at least 15 stamps to be entered into a raffle for prizes. It is a brilliant, low-pressure way to discover bookstores you may have never otherwise wandered into. 

The official website, HTXbookcrawl.com, lays out the rules simply: 

"Plot your path! Visit a participating bookstore to get your bingo card. How many stores can you get to in the month of April? Interact with the stores while you're in them and get your bingo card stamped! If you can make it to at least 15 stores during April, you'll be eligible to be entered into a raffle for prizes.”

As a published indie author and lifelong book aficionado, I have loved participating for the last three years, though I'll admit I never quite made it to the full 15 stops before this year. Life, distance, and a packed schedule always seemed to get in the way. This April, I made a deliberate decision to drive back to Houston and dedicate a full day to the crawl. No excuses. Just books, stamps, and good mileage. 

My first stop was Murder by the Book, a store entirely dedicated to mystery and thrillers. I have been a fan for years, having previously picked up some gorgeous autographed indie horror titles there. The atmosphere inside is exactly what you would hope for: a little dark, a little literary, and thoroughly delightful. Their monthly author events are a wonderful bonus on top of an already impressive selection. The clerk greeted me warmly and handed me my official Houston Bookstore Crawl bingo card, pressing the first stamp into it with what I can only describe as ceremony. 

"We definitely see an uptick in business," they told me. "It's nice to see people get invested in the local indie bookstores." 

That sentiment stuck with me as I made my way across the street to my next stop, Brazos Bookstore, a longtime favorite. In an era of one-click digital purchases and next-morning deliveries, it is more vital than ever to physically walk through the doors of locally owned stores and put money directly into the hands of the people who built them. Brazos did not disappoint. I left with an armful of books for myself and a stack for my child, because their children's section carries a fantastic progressive selection. For noon on a Tuesday, the foot traffic was noticeably strong. Nearly every person I saw inside had a bingo card in hand, already decorated with stamps. The energy was quietly electric. 

On my way out, I passed another mother with a small child in tow. I smiled and asked the obvious question: "Are y'all doing the book crawl too?"

"Yes! We are so excited, it's their first time," she said, squeezing her little one's hand. 

That moment stopped me in my tracks, in the best possible way. There is something deeply moving about watching a new generation sink their roots into the local Houston literary community. Books were their entry point, and a neighborhood bookstore was the place where it began. 

This matters now more than ever. In a time when books are increasingly being banned, restricted, and challenged, it is not enough to simply love reading in private. We have to show up. Small bookstores, independent presses, and local authors carry niche voices, community perspectives, and titles you will not find algorithmically recommended to you by a corporation. They are gathering places for curious people. They are havens. The Houston Bookstore Crawl is, at its heart, a reminder that these spaces are worth protecting, and worth visiting, one stamp at a time.

Houston Bookstore Crawl ends on April 31st. That means you have one more week to participate and get your stamps. Follow @htxbookcrawl for updates.

LATELY IN HOUSTON

MFAH's Latin Wave is here! Latin Wave lands in Houston this weekend with films from Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil including Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent. This year's unofficial theme: journeys, hard ones. Organizers leaned into dark comedy because, well, the world demanded it. Tickets start at $10. Houston Chronicle

"Slow loud and banging; all in my trunk.” 21 years later, Z-Ro's "Mo City Don Freestyle" (Houston's undisputed rap anthem) is finally getting a music video. J Prince made the call, Z-Ro said let's do it! Better late than never for the song that never needed a hook. Chron

Houston does the cachetada. The cachetada, a Monterrey-born taco of crispy cheese costra, tortilla, and premium beef, is taking Texas by storm. At Houston's Maximo, chef Adrian Torres does it right: a wide, flat fan of barbacoa de cachete, queso Chihuahua, avocado crema, and habanero salsa. Consider this your sign to go. Texas Monthly

WEEKEND EVENTS

All Weekend:

• Latin Wave Film Festival at MFAH

• Plantcon Houston 

• “Undercurrents,” new immersive installation at Buffalo Bayou Cistern

• Heirlooms Sale by Judy Robinson Estates Sales

• Houston Bookstore Crawl last weekend

Thursday, 4/23

4pm-7pm, Community | Pups and People Social at Jo’s Coffee partnered with Let’s Walk Houston.

6:30pm-7:30pm, Art | Poetry Workshops in the Galleries: Abstraction is Transformation at MFAH. Included with museum admission.

Friday, 4/24

5pm-8pm, Dancing | Tango Night at MFAH. “A 30-minute introduction to tango at 5 pm is followed by open social dancing at 5:30 pm.” Included with museum admission.

7pm-9pm, Art | Opening Reception for Roots & Routes: A Visual Exploration of Black Southern Legacy at Anderson Center for the Arts.

7pm and 9:50pm, Film | Watch Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror at AMC Gulf Pointe 30. “Houston-area fans can celebrate its legacy tomorrow with a documentary that pays tribute to the cult classic and its fandom.” $9 and up.

8pm, Concert | The 18th Annual H-town Blues Festival at NRG Arena. $77 and up.

Saturday, 4/25

10am and 11:30am, Concert | Abracadabra! A Magical Musical Adventure at the Houston Symphony. “Bring your little wizards and witches to Jones Hall and have your magic conducting batons at the ready for magical moments from Harry Potter, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and more that will delight little wizards and their families.” $40 and up. 

10am-4pm, Art | Healing Art Exhibition opens at Art League Houston.

10am-4pm, Community | Planet Earth Celebration at Space Center Houston.

10am-4pm, Festival | Houston Poetry & Arts Festival at The Orange Show. Free.

12pm-5pm, Community | Earth Day at Discovery Green.

3pm-10pm, Festival | Reggae in the Park Fest. $12.

4pm, Workshop | Spring Floral Workshop with Taiba’s Florals at Eden. “You’ll learn essential floral care, design principles, and color theory while working with textures and shapes specific to the season.” $75.

6:30pm, Community | Corgi Races at Sam Houston Race Park. $5.

Sunday, 4/26

10am-12pm, Community | Jazz & Journaling with Carla Lyles at Art League Houston. Sold Out. 

5pm-7pm, Live Music | Lil’ Nathan and The Zydeco Big Timers in Jazzy Sundays at Discovery Green.

7pm-10pm, Live Music | VSTRONOMY III at Moth.

ON THE HOU(S)E Concierge

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