New bookstores in NYC 2013: The best independent additions

There’s a serious shortage of LGBT literature shops in NYC. Co-owners Donnie Jochum and Greg Newton help to fill the gap with this spot, focused on queercentric tomes, magazines, readings and discussions. The Bureau began as a pop-up within the Strange Loop Gallery, but has since become an open-ended partnership. 27 Orchard St between Canal and Hester Sts (646-457-0859) • bgsqd.com

This relaxed used-book shop and hangout stocks a diverse selection of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, culled from customer trade-ins and owner Matthew Winn’s personal collection. Once you’ve picked up a title or three, settle in with a beer or glass of wine—both $1 off during
the daily happy hour (6–8pm)—or a cup of coffee. Molasses also hosts literary and theatrical readings, lectures and DJ nights. Night-owl bibliophiles can stay past midnight on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. 770 Hart St between Knickerbocker and Wilson Aves, Bushwick, Brooklyn • facebook.com/molassesbooks

The owners of Dumbo’s cavernous powerHouse Arena opened this more intimate outpost—with brick walls and a pressed-tin ceiling—last fall. The selection homes in on children’s and young-adult works, cookbooks and lifestyle reads, in addition to more general offerings. There are also plenty of events, including book groups and author appearances. 1111 Eighth Ave between 11th and 12th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-666-3049) ext 102 • powerhouseon8th.com

This volunteer-run store was originally supposed to be temporary, a pop-up shop that would occupy a vacant Washington Heights storefront for a month. But a bookstore-starved neighborhood clamored for more, and with help from the Northern Manhattan arts Alliance, one month became more than a year. The store was a reflection of its nabe, carrying a multilingual book selection and hosting a diverse array of locally fueled events. Now, Word Up is a beloved entity without a home—but the proprietors have one they’re zeroing in on, which they hope to move into later this spring, thanks to funds raised in an online campaign. In the meantime, keep an eye on the store’s website for one-off pop-ups and news on the new location. Monitor wordupbooks.com for news.

Despite being named after the hypothetical point in the future when human life will be totally transformed by technology, this spot is enamored with the past. Its mission: to pluck forgotten 20th-century sci-fi and fantasy titles from obscurity, both by publishing one out-of-print title a month as an e-book, and by selling vintage copies of classic and esoteric works at its Vinegar Hill shop. You’ll find early editions of works by Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, Piers Anthony and less famous cohorts, with all the awesomely bizarre retro cover art that entails. 18 Bridge St between John and Plymouth Sts, 1G, Dumbo, Brooklyn (347-460-7724) • singularityshop.com