Cosmic Community Corner: Bright Side Bookshop

Discover the Charm of Bright Side Bookshop in Flagstaff, Arizona

Nestled in the heart of historic downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, Bright Side Bookshop is more than just a place to buy books—it’s a vibrant community hub that welcomes book lovers of all ages. This independent bookstore has quickly become a beloved institution in Flagstaff, offering a unique and enriching experience that goes beyond the pages of a book. As our local experts on what people love to read, we sat down with Bright Side’s General Manager Bianca Fahy and asked her questions about their bookshop.

Science communication can be found in many forms, including social media, videos, and even this blog you’re reading now. It’s a great way to make science more accessible to more people, and as book lovers ourselves, we know all kinds of books help get people interested in space. On our podcast, Star Stuff, we have even covered a few of our favorite space-focused books, including fiction novels.

As the Observatory that inspired H.G. Wells and coined the term “Martian,” we are very happy to indulge in amazing Science Fiction books and media. We were very excited to learn more about our favorite local spot to buy our Sci-Fi (and other genres), and of course we are proud to partner with Bright Side for events like the annual I Heart Pluto Festival Pub Crawl. 

Curated Selections with a Focus on Sci-Fi, Science and Mathematics

From the moment you step inside Bright Side Bookshop, you are greeted by the warm, inviting atmosphere. The store’s cozy nooks and crannies are filled with shelves of carefully curated books, ranging from contemporary bestsellers to timeless classics. The layout invites visitors to take their time browsing, discovering new titles, and losing themselves in the world of literature. Whether you’re a seasoned reader or a casual browser, Bright Side has something for everyone.

One of the many standout features of Bright Side is its thoughtfully curated selection. The staff are passionate about books and take great care in selecting titles that cater to the diverse tastes of their customers. They are always on hand to offer personalized recommendations, ensuring that each visitor finds the perfect book for their interests.

“We really do have books for all reading levels,” said Bianca, General Manager at Bright Side Bookshop for nearly two years. “We consider both fiction and nonfiction STEAM books, and are always ready to help students or guests find the book they’re looking for, no matter the topic. Sometimes they come in with a general idea of their interests, and we have to connect them to the perfect book. When it comes to Science Fiction and space, they have a lot of options.”

One of our favorite parts of Bright Side (though we admit we may be biased) is its impressive Mathematics and Science section, offering a wide range of STEAM-related books for readers of all ages and levels. From fiction and nonfiction titles that explore the wonders of science to educational resources for kids and adults, the store’s selection encourages a love of learning and discovery. This focus on STEAM ensures that budding scientists and curious minds will find plenty of inspiration on the shelves.

At Lowell, we talk a lot about the importance and magic of imagination and curiosity. Scientists are driven, actually, by these two things. Without the imagination to dream up new questions and the curiosity to pursue the answers, our research wouldn’t exist. Bring up titles such as The Three Body Problem by Cixen Liu, or Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, and you will see eyes light up and conversations spark. The common thread is imagining a world outside of our own — what those worlds may look like, what atmospheres they may have, and of course what we can learn about our own existence from learning more about theirs. Reading ignites imagination.

“Of course, a lot of people are interested in Pluto’s discovery,” said Bianca, when asked about what people look for in their science sections. “But truly, Science Fiction and Fantasy are some of our most popular categories besides general fiction novels.”

Out-of-this-World Reads

Check out this list for just a few of the astronomy-related titles on Bright Side’s shelves right now! We encourage you to shop locally and shop small, so if you want to buy any of these books or see what all Bright Side Bookshop has, check out brightsidebookshop.com/browse/book.

The Night Sky: Ready-to-Read Level 1 (Our Universe) (Paperback) | Bright Side Bookshop Learn all about the night sky in the fourth book in this nonfiction Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about the universe that’s perfect for kids who love science and space! From planets and stars to constellations and meteor showers, readers will discover the amazing sights that can be seen in our night sky in this stellar Level 1 Ready-to-Read!

 

Night Sky Playing Cards: Playing with the Constellations (Nature’s Wild Cards) (Other) | Bright Side Bookshop Play Cards and Learn to Identify Constellations in the Northern Hemisphere! Anyone who enjoys nature, the great outdoors, and stargazing will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flashcards.

 

The Stargazer’s Handbook: An Atlas of the Night Sky (Paperback) | Bright Side Bookshop Fully illustrated with 400 of the most striking and up-to-date astronomical images and covering all the major constellations and landmarks of the night sky, The Stargazer’s Handbook reveals the treasures of the cosmos – what they are, where they are, and how to see them, including month-by-month guides to the changing hemispheres and tips and guides on the best stargazing equipment.

 

What We See in the Stars: An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop A richly illustrated guide to the myths, histories, and science of the celestial bodies of our solar system, with stories and information about constellations, planets, comets, the northern lights, and more.

 

The Night Sky Month by Month (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Learn how to observe and navigate the night sky with this guide to stargazing for beginners!The dazzling reference book shines bright with crystal-clear charts of the planets, stars and constellations in both the northern and southern hemispheres for each month of the year!

 

Wonders of the Night Sky: Astronomy Starts with Just Looking Up (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Astronomy starts with just looking up in this luminously illustrated nonfiction middle grade guide to the spectacular treasures of the night sky from an award-winning physicist and astronomer.For millennia, curious people have looked to the sky and wanted to understand the wonders that appeared. www.brightsidebookshop.com

 

Glow: A Family Guide to the Night Sky (In Our Nature) (Hardcover) Glow: A Family Guide to the Night Sky is a lushly illustrated introduction to the wonders of the night sky, inviting young readers to explore stars, planets, and other celestial bodies and learn how to spot them.

 

Night Sky: A Field Guide to the Constellations [With Card Flashlight] (Paperback) Stargazing is among the most peaceful and inspiring outdoor activities. Night Sky, the award-winning book by Jonathan Poppele, makes it even better Take a simple approach to finding 64 constellations by focusing on one constellation at a time, instead of attempting to study dizzying charts.

 

We Dream of Space: A Newbery Honor Award Winner (Paperback) | Bright Side Bookshop Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly transports readers to 1986 and introduces them to the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas in this pitch-perfect middle grade novel about family, friendship, science, and exploration. This acclaimed Newbery Honor Book is a great choice for readers of Kate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Rebecca Stead. www.brightsidebookshop.com

 

Pluto Gets the Call (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Pluto loves being a planet. That is, until the day he gets a call from some Earth scientists telling him he isn’t a planet anymore! You probably wanted to meet a real planet, huh? So, Pluto takes the reader on a hilarious and informative journey through the solar system to introduce the other planets and commiserate about his situation along the way. Younger readers will be so busy laughing over Pluto’s interactions with the other planets, asteroids, moons, and even the sun, they won’t even realize just how much they’re learning about our solar system!

 

Pluto!: Not a Planet? Not a Problem! (Our Universe #7) (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Hot diggity dog! Meet Pluto! The runt of a litter of eight planets. Pluto may not be the biggest or fastest planet to revolve around the Sun, but it has a unique story to tell.

 

Space Is Cool as F*ck (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Packed with wild art and mind-blowing space facts, this book proves how awesome the universe is—and that space is for everyone. From astrophysics to rocket science to the future of space exploration, Space Is Cool as F*ck explains everything you thought you’d never understand about the universe in plain-old filthy English.

 

Astroquizzical: Solving the Cosmic Puzzles of Our Planets, Stars, and Galaxies: The Illustrated Edition (Hardcover) | Bright Side Bookshop Exploring the family tree of the cosmos, from humans on Earth to stars and galaxies to the first atoms of the Big Bang; with striking color illustrations. Looking up at the night sky, we see not only stars twinkling in their constellations and planets caught mid-orbit but our cosmic family tree.

 

Lowell Observatory (Images of America) (Paperback)| Bright Side Bookshop Written by Lowell Observatory’s very own Historian Kevin Schindler, this paperback offers a glimpse of the scientific discovery, community pride, and personal triumph that define Lowell Observatory.