Barnes & Noble is bringing two new locations to the Miami-Dade community. The first, located at the Colonial Palms Plaza, 13605 S. Dixie Highway, across from The Falls shopping complex, opened Wednesday, Sept. 3. The second will open in October at 8525 Mills Drive. at the Palms at Town & Country, replacing the Kendall Village Barnes & Noble about a mile away.
Both stores will feature the company’s modern, airy interior design compared to the traditional brownstone look. Colonial Palms Plaza Barnes & Noble employee Aneshka Ponce got trained at the closing Kendall location. She experienced both looks, but prefers the newer one, especially since it brings together the Palmetto community.
“I think it’s a great location. It is not the same dark wood vibe anymore from the Kendall one, but I think it opens up the space a lot more, and I think it is a needed location,” Ponce said.
These two physical bookstores, just over six miles apart, seem to be defying digital trends. Well, not completely. In an era often described as full of “screenagers”, there still seems to be a love for literature among youth. The reason teens are getting into and enjoying reading is different, though. Ponce says it has to do with young people being chronically online on BookTok.
BookTok is the name for a side of the popular social media app TikTok, where creators review and recommend the latest books. These recommendations hold significant weight, as authors praised on BookTok often become the next sensation and vice versa. Barnes & Noble even added a BookTok tab to their website, and many locations, including in Colonial Palms Plaza, have a BookTok-labeled table.
Young people are gravitating towards the young adult, sci-fi, fantasy, and romance genres, which also happen to be the genres trending on BookTok. Ponce recommends the “Shadow & Bone” series by Leigh Bardugo and the classic “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling for middle schoolers. For high schoolers, she recommends the work of BookTok sensation Rebecca Yarros. Freshman and sophomore English teacher Jacklyn Meyer sees this genre shift with her students as well.
“I think fantasy books are becoming more popular than they were back then,” Meyer said. “I mean, we had Harry Potter, but I think with the rise of Fourth Wing and ACOTAR, fantasy is really something that the kids are into.”
Generation Z seems to be shifting genres and moving away from going to traditional libraries. Freshman Cathariana Nieves is a self-proclaimed book lover and especially enjoys the rom-com genre and author Lynn Painter. Nieves prefers to buy her books at a bookstore, namely Barnes & Noble.
“I prefer bookstores because I can own the book; I don’t like borrowing books, ” Nieves said.
Another popular way young people purchase books is online through methods like Amazon. Ponce says that having a book delivered to your house is much more convenient, especially for students who don’t have time to stop and buy a book.
Whether ordering online or setting foot in one of the two new Barnes & Noble locations in Miami, students have more opportunities to explore entertainment beyond screens.
A great way to start is with Barnes & Noble’s seasonal book recommendations. For fall, the bookstore is promoting the young adult rom-com “Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice” by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, which is $5 with any cafe purchase.
Update:
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Palms at Town & Country Barnes & Noble location held its official grand opening. The event featured book signings by local authors, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and even a Cat in the Hat Meet & Greet for the whole family to enjoy. The aim of the grand opening and the new location as a whole is to bring together the Kendall community while fostering a love of literature.
The employees echo the success of this community celebration, describing how over three hundred people were lined up outside on opening day. The store design is highly similar to that of the Colonial Palms Plaza location, reflecting the modern, one-story pattern of new Barnes & Noble stores. So far, there has been a positive reaction to this new look, with staff highlighting that the smaller sizing is better suited to the community space and activities.
The participants of the grand opening seemed to agree with the employee’s statements. Christina Diaz Gonzalez is an author known for her children’s book The Red Umbrella, which explores the Cuban exile through the perspective of a fourteen-year-old girl. While Gonzalez was not at the grand opening, she was at the continued celebration on Saturday, along with authors Ixamar Palumbo and Nadine Gonzalez.
The energy during the grand opening was felt by many. Gonzalez says, “How many people are just wandering in when they are coming to shop at other places,” stood out to her about this specific storefront. She also says she loves seeing people not only go inside the store but also actually pick up a book.
The Palms at Town & Country Barnes & Noble location seems to have been a hit, just as the recently opened Colonial Palms Plaza. If you missed the grand opening, the staff says to stay tuned on Barnes & Noble’s Instagram, as the store hopes to host monthly events.
