A weekend of women, wine, and titillating page-turners sounds divine
By Heather Shoning
THERE COMES A moment in every good friendship when text threads and quick lunches stop being enough. Life fills up. Calendars get loud. And somewhere along the way, you realize you haven’t actually relaxed with your favorite people in far too long.
That’s when you plan a bookish weekend. Not a big trip. Not a complicated itinerary. Just a few days built around simple, civilized pleasures like wandering through charming bookstores, collecting novels you’ve been meaning to read, lingering over unhurried meals, and sinking into deep chairs with a glass of wine and absolutely nowhere to be.
Call it a reset with hardcovers.
A girlfriends’ reading getaway is part nostalgia, part indulgence. It’s a chance to remember who you are when you’re not juggling responsibilities. To talk without watching the clock. To trade recommendations, laugh too loudly, and rediscover the joy of getting lost in a story together.
Grab your gal-pals, map out these top-notch bookshops, then head south to The Broadmoor—and its beautiful Pourtales Library—and suddenly, you have a retreat. And the only thing on your to-do list is turning the page.
SPICY LIBRARIAN (RiNo)
720.826.3977
spicylibrarian.com
What it is
Spicy Librarian is a specialty bookstore built around one clear promise: a curated selection of romance books, plus gifts and accessories that play into the “extra spice” theme. The store hosts themed programming—book clubs (including dark romance and queer romance) and other romance-adjacent events—positioning the shop as both a retail space and a community hub for romance readers.
Why it’s worth a stop
Because it sets the tone immediately. This is not a polite little bookstore. This is a fun one (see the backroom, iykyk).
Spicy Librarian is playful, unapologetic, and deeply aware of what modern romance readers actually want. Walking in feels like permission—to love romance loudly, to buy the book with the ridiculous cover, to stop pretending your TBR isn’t 40 percent emotionally charged chaos.
It’s a perfect starting point because it’s energizing. You laugh. You talk. You immediately start comparing tropes. Someone definitely says, “Wait, what is this about?” and suddenly three books are being passed around. It kicks the weekend off with momentum—and probably the first group photo.
PRINTED PAGE BOOKSHOP (SOUTH BROADWAY)
303.777.7653
printedpagebookshop.com
What it is
Printed Page Bookshop is a bookstore housed inside a Victorian home on South Broadway’s Antique Row that deals in used, rare, and collectible titles. Rather than feeling like a single, curated retail space, it operates as a co-op of independent booksellers, which means each room reflects a different eye, taste, and obsession. You’ll find shelves packed tight with vintage paperbacks, literary fiction, obscure nonfiction, art books, and the kind of titles that clearly didn’t come from a distributor catalog.
The house itself matters. Narrow staircases, creaky floors, and room-to-room transitions make browsing feel more like wandering through someone’s eccentric personal library than shopping in a store.
Why it’s worth a stop
Because this is where the pace changes. After the buzz of RiNo, Printed Page invites you to slow down. You don’t rush through this place; you wander.
It’s ideal for discovery. Not “I came here looking for this exact title,” but “I didn’t know this book existed, and now I must own it.” The kind of stop where you find a forgotten novel, a vintage cookbook, or a beautiful old paperback that feels like it’s been waiting for you specifically.
This is where the weekend shifts from hype to curiosity—less squealing, more quiet “oh wow.”
TATTERED COVER (ASPEN GROVE, LITTLETON)
303.470.7050
tatteredcover.com
What it is
The Aspen Grove Tattered Cover is one of the metro area’s most accessible versions of the iconic indie bookstore. Large enough to offer a deep selection, but still designed for comfort, the space includes generous seating areas, a robust magazine and newsstand section, and the familiar Tattered Cover mix of new and used titles.
It carries the brand’s long legacy as a literary cornerstone in Colorado, just without the downtown logistics.
Why it’s worth a stop
Because this is the anchor bookstore—the one that feels expansive without being overwhelming.
Tattered Cover offers the comfort of a classic indie experience with oversized aisles, a wide selection of titles across all genres. It’s where browsing turns intentional again—where you look for the book you plan to actually read that weekend.
You’re no longer collecting for the sake of collecting. You’re choosing. Refining. Thinking, this is the one I’m bringing to the fireplace.
It marks the shift from accumulation to anticipation.
SUDDEN FICTION BOOKS (CASTLE ROCK)
303.856.8181
suddenfictionbooks.com
What it is
Sudden Fiction Books is an independent bookstore located inside Ecclesia Market in downtown Castle Rock. The shop carries a curated mix of new and used titles and positions itself as a full-service neighborhood bookstore—the kind that can special-order titles, track down hard-to-find books, and build relationships with regular readers.
Being inside a market setting shapes the experience. It’s less “isolated bookstore visit” and more part of a broader wander—books alongside food stalls, coffee, and other small vendors.
Why it’s worth a stop
Because this is where the trip officially slows to weekend speed. Being inside Ecclesia Market changes the rhythm. You’re no longer hopping from place to place—you’re lingering. Browsing a few titles, wandering out for a drink, coming back in to grab one more book you keep thinking about. It’s the kind of place where time blurs a little, which is exactly what you want before heading into the final stretch.
THE BROADMOOR POURTALES LIBRARY
855.634.7711
broadmoor.com
What it is
And, finally, your home—er, book base for the weekend. Tucked within the grand public spaces of The Broadmoor, the Pourtales Library feels like a deliberate pause in a resort known for movement. This room asks for something else entirely: stillness.
Wrapped in dark wood paneling and lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves, the library evokes an old-world sensibility that feels increasingly rare. Leather chairs are positioned for lingering, not passing through. A rolling ladder traces the shelves. The lighting stays soft, designed more for atmosphere than urgency.
Unlike a traditional library, Pourtales isn’t about studying or silence for its own sake. It’s about comfort—a place you and your tribe can sit with a book, sip a drink, and let time loosen its grip. Travelers often describe it as one of those rooms you wander into briefly and then realize, an hour later, you’re still there.
The space also carries a sense of history. Named for James Pourtales, a figure tied to early Colorado Springs development, the library nods to the resort’s long lineage without feeling museum-like. It’s lived in. Warm. Designed to be used, not just admired.
Why it’s worth a stop
As the final stop, Pourtales Library feels like a reward. After hours spent collecting stories—stacking novels in tote bags, debating covers, swapping recommendations—this is where the weekend turns inward. Where books stop being purchases and become companions.
If the road trip south is about gathering stories, Pourtales is where you finally let them unfold. It’s the hub for your bookish weekend getaway.
