‹‹ Colorado Matters

An indie bookstore adapts to a fast-changing Denver

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10min 37sec
A cluttered bookstore with walls of teal and green. There are books everywhere.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
West Side Books in Denver’s West Highland neighborhood. Jan. 23, 2026.

In an essay for Denverite, best-selling author Kali Fajardo-Anstine recalls being a customer, then employee of West Side Books. She invokes the comforting scent of the used books that surrounded her. Now, under new ownership, the indie book shop will focus on new titles.