This Bookstore Trip Report is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project.
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I have visited quite a few bookselling establishments over my 30-ish years, but this was my first opportunity to check out a genre-specific bookshop. I follow a number of romance bookshops on social media and as my appreciation for the genre has deepened, I’ve looked forward to patronizing one of these niche shops. Tropes and Trifles in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a great introduction to what a romance bookseller has to offer.
When I think “romance bookstore,” I envision pastels (especially pink), hearts, and an overall coquette aesthetic. This is not Tropes and Trifles, which boasts high ceilings, white walls, and dark wooden shelving. There’s a cute accent wall behind the register where staff have hung garlands of origami hearts and birds in a rainbow of colors. In one corner you’ll find a comfy purple and white couch with some funky purple wooden chairs, perfect for a bookclub gathering.
I really liked the minimalist approach to design, because it really allows the books to shine. The store is also very neat, with orderly shelves and thoughtfully stocked displays. Overstuffed shelves can be overwhelming to shoppers (especially if you were once a librarian and have to stop yourself from instinctively pushing spines out so they all align against the edge of the shelf).
The majority of titles are from within the last five-to-ten years and they sell exclusively new books – no used titles here. You’re not going to find, say, Lynsay Sand’s entire backlist here, or that one Nora Roberts you read back in 2005, though I am sure if you spoke with store employees they could obtain it for you easily. There’s a lot of BookTok and indie rep. None of this is bad — it’s a smart way of stocking, given the current publishing market, and similar to how Barnes and Noble stocks their own shelves. It’s clear the staff knows the market and is working with it rather than against it.
As an example, just below the registers there is a Heated Rivalry display. Given the publisher’s head-scratching decision not to amp up printing ahead of the show’s debut, it’s difficult to find a hard copy of the now highly-sought-after title. Therefore, there were no copies of Heated Rivalry to be had but a great selection of other hockey romances.
Their stock reflects the market today — big walls of dark romance, romantasy and paranormal, and an especially large contemporary section. YA, historical, and classics all had smaller, but well-stocked sections. In addition to the expected subgenres, there was a “not-quite-romance” shelf full of titles that might feature romance but weren’t romances per say, and a selection of graphic novels. I was delighted to also find non-fiction titles, covering subjects like pleasure, anatomy, civil rights, and abortion. Up front you can find a “MN-Related” shelf, full of books with some connection to the state, and the “Local Authors” section.
My one tiny criticism of Tropes and Trifle’s set-up is the number of staff recommendation cards they have on some of the shelving. There were some sections where there were so many it made browsing difficult, as in hard to see the books themselves. It’s wonderful to have booksellers who are so excited about the titles they have to offer, but the number of shelf talkers on display could be scaled back a pinch.
I’m very much a trinkets girlie, so I had fun browsing the non-book offerings. Beyond the branded totes, tees, and mugs, Tropes and Trifles filled displays with scented candles made by local vendors, themed to certain genres or popular characters. There were fancy locally-made chocolates, handmade book sleeves, coloring books, puzzles, book annotation supplies, cards, and my biggest weakness — stickers. My favorite sticker of the bunch was a cute “Girls just wanna have guillotines.” That was the first thing I picked up to purchase.
I like shopping for books in person, precisely because I can be exposed to titles beyond what my algorithm serves. It can be hard for me to sometimes look past reviews when choosing to pick up a title. I find walking aisles, devoid of the stars and commentary of Goodreads/BookTok/reading influencers, can help me find unexpected treasures. With a neat, diverse, and genrefied collection, Tropes and Trifles is a great place to find a hidden gem.
Books and trinkets aside, I want to address how Tropes and Trifles shows up for their neighbors. Because if there’s one metric by which I judge a small business, it’s by how it supports its community. And the community Tropes and Trifles inhabits is currently under attack by our federal government.
The day I visited, ICE agents had been especially active in their neighborhood, which sits only a few blocks away from George Floyd Square. Almost every storefront I passed featured a red and yellow sign, indicating that ICE was prohibited from entering that establishment. Citizens stood on street corners, keeping an eye out for ICE activity, whistles and phones at the ready. Tensions are high everywhere in the Twin Cities, but particularly in the neighborhoods where members of the community are being snatched or assaulted by ICE agents.
Tropes and Trifles have a yellow and red sign at the front. On the display beside the register, there is a bowl of whistles, flyers outlining your rights and how to be an observer, bumper stickers, and buttons. While I browsed the shelves, I noted small mutual aid posters beside the Historical section. And as I was checking out, the store clerk quickly offered me a whistle and the other resources they were offering for free. They told me grimly that they’d gotten a lot of experience in being an observer and using their whistle in the last few days.
Last night, while browsing my socials, I saw a post on the store’s Instagram that they will be closed for sales this coming Friday, January 23rd, in solidarity with the strike calling for an end to ICE’s occupation of the state. However, they will be open as a community resource station with coffee, charging station, and a place to warm up.
Now more than ever, we need to stand up for one another. It’s especially heartening to see a business make the effort to support their neighbors, particularly in light of the harassment other stores have faced as a result of their anti-ICE stance. I was excited to visit a romance bookstore, and now I’m excited to continue supporting a local business that has a proven record of lifting up their community.
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Thank you for the trip report, Danielle! If you’d like to write a trip report about your visit to a romance-focused bookstore, I would LOVE to hear from you.
