SolidState_logo(primary).jpg

WE'RE OPEN!

Come and visit our pop-up!
10 am - 8 pm every day
202-897-4201
600 H Street NE (next to The Wydown Coffee Bar)

SSB-Pop-Up.gif

Just a few doors down from our permanent home at 600 H St NE, our pop-up is stocked with books, cards, stationery, and much more. Open every day from 10-8, we have something for everyone!

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 will provide downtown Washington DC with the vital intellectual and social hub it so desperately needs. We are a city of readers, writers, students, artists, activists, and politicos. Solid State Books will be the nexus for all of these diverse groups, engaging the community through our slate of dynamic programming and an unparalleled bookstore experience. Come with us on this exciting journey!

Please get involved by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Be sure to look out for updates on our blog as we inch closer to our opening day!

SSB.jpg

A Full Retail Experience 

Solid State Books will operate as a full-service general interest bookstore with a deep and diverse selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, as well as gift items curated to appeal to neighborhood residents of all ages as well as to the many visitors from other parts of DC, Virginia, Maryland, and beyond. Solid State Books will have extensive children’s book and young adult sections to fully serve our smallest readers. Our deep slate of programming will include author readings and signings, children's story hours, book groups, local interest panels, political conversations and more! To better meet the needs of our clientele, we will 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!

The-Apollo-at-twilight.jpg

Our Story

The genesis of the Solid State Books story began in 2004 when Co-Owners Jake and Scott met 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.