Brazos Bookstore was established by Karl Killian in 1974 to encourage the nascent Houston literary scene at the time and has been a city institution ever since. Brazos is smart in its approach; the independent bookstore can't possibly compete with the big-box stores or the online sellers for sheer selection, and it doesn't try. Instead, it's lovingly stocked with books that are carefully curated to offer unusual copies of the classics nestled among great books you've never heard of. This results in a bookstore with remarkable depth of selection. Go in for a new copy of Melville, and you'll walk out with exactly what you were after along with an armful of new discoveries. As if that weren't enough, the store is involved with all things literary in Houston, from holding in-store book signings to supporting creative writing programs and readings by famed authors.