Book Thug Nation
Book Thug Nation was a small independent bookstore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It opened in 2009, started by four local booksellers, and sold used books mainly in fiction. It also hosted events like readings and film screenings. Visual artist Robin Treadwell joined as manager for two years. The shop helped start other bookstores in the area, including Codex Books, Troubled Sleep, and Human Relations.
Book Thug Nation closed in 2025.
The store received attention from several outlets. Publishers Weekly and others wrote about it. CBS named it one of the five best used bookstores in New York City and one of the best independent bookstores in Brooklyn. Dazed called it one of the best book/zine stores in the city, and Eye of Photography included it among the city’s best independent bookstores. Brooklyn Reader ranked it second for Brooklyn bookstores. Musician Craig Finn said in The New York Times that it was one of the bookstores he frequented in Williamsburg. Artist Ben Sisto used books bought at Book Thug Nation to create an exhibit called Used Books at the Good Works Gallery, including a piece inspired by Josef Albers’ Interaction of Color.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:40 (CET).