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Amazon’s book sale crashes Independent Bookstore Day—and readers are pushing back

As more than 1,600 indie bookstores prepare for their biggest day of the year, Amazon’s overlapping sale draws sharp criticism.

Independent bookstores have long been champions of community, curiosity, and culture—and on Saturday, April 26, they get their moment in the spotlight. Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of indie bookstores, invites readers to shop locally and support the spaces that keep storytelling vibrant. But this year, the festivities come with a wrinkle: Amazon is holding a major book sale at the same time, and many booksellers and readers aren’t having it.

Independent bookstores and users on BookTok are expressing their frustration with Amazon while encouraging readers to stay off of the online shopping site and instead make the trek to their local bookstore for the day. Some are even directly calling out Amazon and another large book retailer, Barnes & Noble, for having their sales so close to Independent Bookstore Day. 

Read more here.