First Light Books
4300 Speedway Unit 104 — Austin
firstlightaustin.com ✽ @firstlightbooks
Year Opened — 2023
Employees — We have 30 employees - a wonderful group of booksellers and baristas who have a love of books in common.
“Community. Curiosity. Coffee. ”
What’s the story of your store’s origin?
We opened our shop in August 2023 in the old Hyde Park post office. It was a beloved space to this neighborhood. So when we saw that the building was empty, we knew we'd found a home for the bookshop and all-day cafe we imagined.
What makes your store special?
Our neighborhood. Come by on a Friday morning and you'll see a packed courtyard and a full shop. It's incredible. And it's all about community.
What are a few of your store’s favorite books from the past year?
From literally the last 12 months: North Woods was a huge seller for fiction. Grief Is for People was a staff fave in memoir. And we continue to sell a boatload of Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, anything by Joan Didion, and Goodbye to a River by John Graves.
