River Lights Bookstore is a small, cozy, and fantastic local independent bookstore in Dubuque's downtown area. It is described as very cute, unique, and a lovely small gem. The store offers a terrific and great selection of books covering a broad swath of genres, including some on foods of the midwest and the history of Dubuque. They also have a small selection of fun bookish items like art supplies, magazines, games and toys, and reading supplies. The staff are friendly, helpful, and attentive, providing good recommendations. If a book is not in stock, they will gladly order it. The store hosts quite a few book clubs and puts on events on a fairly regular basis, including those tied into literary calendars, with a schedule listed on their website. They allow friendly, well-behaved dogs on leash and provide a water bowl. Parking is on the street with meters, but finding a space is not typically difficult. It is definitely a place worth checking out, even if just passing through town.
This is a great independent book store! I am so glad we made the stop on our way through. Huge selection, friendly staff, clean store, lots of on shelf recommendations for books. I was so impressed!
January 2024
It is cute! And the employees are so sweet! I love all the books and the theme of the store
December 2023
Really enjoyed my visit here. Great bookstore with extremely friendly staff!