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WE'RE OPEN!

Come and visit our new store!
8 am - 10 pm every day, open until midnight Friday and Saturday
202-897-4201
600 H Street NE (next to the Fancy Radish)

Welcome to Solid State Books, Washington DC’s newest independent bookstore and coffee bar! We are excited to bring the finest books and merchandise to our nation’s capital. Ideally situated in the heart of the bustling and historic H Street Corridor, Solid State Books provides our neighborhood with a vital intellectual and social hub. We are a city of readers, writers, students, artists, activists, and politicos. Solid State Books is the nexus for all of these diverse groups, engaging the community through our slate of dynamic programming and an unparalleled bookstore experience. 

Solid State Books is a full-service general interest bookstore with a deep and diverse selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, as well as gifts curated to appeal to customers of all ages. Solid State Books has an extensive children’s book and young adult section to fully serve our smallest readers. Our deep slate of programming includes author readings and signings, children's story hours, book groups, local interest panels, political conversations and more. We also have a coffee bar with a delicious selection of pastries, snacks, beer, and wine. We can't wait to see you in the store!

You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to find out more. 

Our Story

 Co-Owners Jake and Scott met in 2004 while working at another DC bookstore. They struck up a fast friendship right away, based in large part upon a shared love of books and their belief that bookstores at their best are places where people can gather, connect, and make new discoveries. That they also shared a love of music and baseball didn’t hurt either! After toying with the idea for a long time, they finally decided to strike out on their own in 2017. DC needs more great independent bookstores, and they are working hard to build one that will serve the H Street neighborhood completely.  Solid State Books is rooted in their experience and in their love for DC.

SCOTT ABEL Midwestern born, liberal arts educated, and committed to the craft of independent bookselling. Scott Abel is a longtime bookseller and bookstore manager with more than a dozen years frontline bookselling experience. He began his career at Kramerbooks & Afterwords in Washington DC, one of America’s most famous and successful independent bookstores. A transplanted Iowan, he was the General Manager of K&A from 2007 to 2017. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Middle East Studies from Beloit College.

SCOTT ABEL

Midwestern born, liberal arts educated, and committed to the craft of independent bookselling.
Scott Abel is a longtime bookseller and bookstore manager with more than a dozen years frontline bookselling experience. He began his career at Kramerbooks & Afterwords in Washington DC, one of America’s most famous and successful independent bookstores. A transplanted Iowan, he was the General Manager of K&A from 2007 to 2017. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Middle East Studies from Beloit College.

JAKE CUMSKY-WHITLOCK A lifetime dedicated to the written word; extensive industry knowledge and experience. Jake Cumsky-Whitlock has worked in publishing and bookselling for more than 15 years. He has worked for large publishing houses in Boston and New York, and he has served on Baker & Taylor’s Independent Retailer Advisory Council. He has frequently appeared in local and national print, television, and radio outlets in his former position as Head Buyer for Kramerbooks & Afterwords in Washington DC. He holds a B.A. in English Literature and Art History from The University of Virginia and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Boston University.

JAKE CUMSKY-WHITLOCK

A lifetime dedicated to the written word; extensive industry knowledge and experience.
Jake Cumsky-Whitlock has worked in publishing and bookselling for more than 15 years. He has worked for large publishing houses in Boston and New York, and he has served on Baker & Taylor’s Independent Retailer Advisory Council. He has frequently appeared in local and national print, television, and radio outlets in his former position as Head Buyer for Kramerbooks & Afterwords in Washington DC. He holds a B.A. in English Literature and Art History from The University of Virginia and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Boston University.