Why indie? This week's Southern Bookseller Review newsletter shared some of the comments from book lovers about their favorite indie bookstores when they placed their vote for the Southern Book Prize.

Those was just a drop in the bucket. Every time someone submits a Southern Book Prize ballot they also have a chance to say something nice about their local indie bookstore. With an average of 1500+ ballots submitted each year, that is a lot of love for indie bookstores. So here are more wonderful things readers are saying about your stores.

Because indie booksellers know exactly what books to suggest.

• Bookmiser is amazing! They always recommend books I would have never picked up and they are always spot on!
• Everyone at Battery Park Book Exchange is so friendly and will always recommend the perfect book.
• Eagle Eye Books' Doug and co. are attuned to something true about literature in the South. The store takes me back to a time before "prime" time.
• Fountain Bookstore is a lovely place to just walk around and find books!
• Main Street Books keeps me up to date on new releases and my TBR stack has never been longer.
• The staff at Flyleaf Books are amazing!!! Their reviews of new books are very helpful.
• Virginia Highland Books always has amazing staff recommendations and makes book shopping such a delight!
• The Little Bookshop is a community treasure! Mary Patterson, the owner, is an expert at finding the “just right” book for her customers.
• Octavia Books is bright, cheerful, and never doesn’t have the books I want.
• I love The Bookshop in East Nashville. I always struggle not to leave with a giant stack.
• Avid Bookshop is always well stocked and has great help when you can’t decide.
• I love McIntyre's Books -- they are always friendly and have introduced me to a lot of new authors and books.

Because indie booksellers are good people.

• Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews has the best staff and owners around!
• Page 158 Books, Sue and Dave Lucey, and all the rest who work there make you feel like family.
• Righton Books has the nicest, most helpful folks!
• Alabama Booksmith has the sweetest people.
• The ladies at Book Bound Bookstore go above and beyond to ensure a great reading experience
• WordsWorth Books has a fantastic selection of books and the friendliest booksellers!
• Lyn and Cody of Square Books for President!
  
• M. Judson, Booksellers! Such good people run this store.

Because indie bookstores are the heart of their community.

• Blinking Owl Bookstore is one of the few things keeping me sane in Florida. That place is a treasure!
• Hello Again Books has built an amazing community that I love being a part of!
• Cleary’s Books is such a wonderful pillar of the community. Alison is a true champion of books, readers, and authors, and our city is fortunate to have her here.
• Scuppernong Books is a one-stop shop for culture, engaging events and soul-nurturing literary finds.
• In a state banning more books than any other, Midtown Reader is a refuge.
• Tombolo Books is a gift to Florida - a queer-owned, inclusive, events-driven safe haven!
• Owners Olivia and her Mom Wendy at Litchfield Books in Pawley's Island , SC have created a friendly and perfectly cozy bookstore with selections for everyone and amazing author events!
• A Cappella Books is the center of literary life in Atlanta. It is indispensable.
• Brave + Kind Bookstore is always supportive of amazing authors!!!
• Highland Books is a beauty of an independent bookstore and a boon to our small mountain town!
• All Good Books in Columbia, SC has brought local reading back to town.
• I’m grateful for Books & Books. Their author talks are an illuminating. What they bring to our community fuels the fire for learning and appreciating different perspectives.
• Copperfish Books is a safe space for anyone and everyone and I love that they host 3 different book clubs each month!
• The Country Bookshop is a very important place to me and my family in our community. Especially in tough times.
• Writer's Block Boosktore is a beautiful store with a friendly staff and a wide variety of titles, and it has one of the best children's sections I've seen. I love what they add to their communities!

Because indie bookstores feel like home.

• Bear's Books in Macon, Georgia is such a warm and welcoming place. The owner has a heart of gold. It's my little relaxation spot.
• The Regulator Bookshop feels like home. It is a safe place to enter and linger and browse and discover.
• READ Books in Virginia Beach is more than a bookstore -- it's an island of sanity.
• Local is where it is at! The Snail in the Wall in my neighborhood is so tranquil and a lovely escape from the day to day!
• I love Back in the Day Books in Dunedin, FL! It is my sanctuary!
• Atlanta Vintage Books lets kids hang out and play games in the basement.
• Papercut Books is the perfect slice of literary magic!
• Jen never forgets her patrons. Her store, Book Exchange in Marietta Georgia, feels like home, like my childhood bedroom, like the dogwood tree I would climb to hide out and read.
• E. Shaver Bookseller lets me camp out for hours and read and work.
• Portkey Books is a warm hug for this reader's mind!
• Quail Ridge Books is my favorite place to visit when life gets me down.
• Blue Cypress Books is my bookstore home. My home away from home. I love being a part of this family.
• City Lights Books is an absolute gem of a bookstore. With a great selection, friendly staff and cozy vibe, it is a place you could hang out in for hours, but always discover something.

Nothing makes booksellers happier than hearing how much they have helped the people who come into their stores. Point your customers to vote for the Southern Book Prize and say something nice about your bookstore!