Discover LGBTQ Authors At Brooklyn's New Queer Bookstore Cafe

Business & Tech

Discover LGBTQ Authors At Brooklyn's New Queer Bookstore Cafe Hive Mind Books opened this October in Bushwick.

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn's very own roving LGBTQ bookstore, Hive Mind Books , has officially opened its first physical location on Irving Avenue in Bushwick.

The bookstore-cafe hybrid, which took over the UR Fancy Shop storefront in late October, specializes in books written by queer and trans authors and Brooklyn-roasted coffees.

This is the first bookstore in Brooklyn to primarily stock LGBTQ authors, co-owners Julie Wernersbach and Robyn Warren said.

"We've been popping up with queer book fairs and author events for several months now and have seen how excited people are for a thoughtful, curated selection of these books," Wernersbach said.

The seeds of Hive Mind Books were planted more than 14 years ago when the two owners met while working at an indie bookstore in Texas. Now, they both live in Brooklyn where they live and breathe queer books.

Though they are an LGBTQ-focused bookstore, they also stock books from people of all identities, the owners said.

"The world is big," Wernersbach said. "We read widely."

The cafe serves coffee roasted by East One Roasters and serves pastries from The Good Batch, both Brooklyn-based companies. The cafe has wi-fi, and the owners are encouraging customers to work from the store, they said.

Once things get settled, the bookstore plans to host community events and author readings, the owners said.

"We've had such a warm welcome from the neighborhood," Wernersbach said. "This is my neighborhood, too, and it feels really good to hear local readers say that a bookstore is adding something of value here."

Hive Mind Books is located at 219 Irving Ave. in Bushwick.