INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Independent bookstores across central Indiana are teaming up for The Indy Indie Book Crawl. The four-day shopping event kicks off on Thursday.

It’s only the second year for the Book Crawl. This year’s edition includes 27 stores ranging as far south as Columbus going up north to Noblesville.

The now annual effort is organized by Tomorrow Bookstore on Mass Ave.

The Rose Romance Bookstore is new to the lineup. Jackey Brake opened the store in Mooresville last August.

She says it’s the only romance-focused bookstore in the area.

“We’re just a niche group of girls,” Brake said. “We’re just excited to bring more people out here to know where we’re at and where they can find us.”

Organizers say the shopping event is meant for casual readers, book lovers and everyone in between. The goal is to connect people who love to read with each other while discovering new bookstores in the area.

Loudmouth Books in downtown Indianapolis was part of the inaugural event last year. The store specializes in banned and challenged books.

Loudmouth Books owner Leah Johnson says the Indy Indie Book Crawl was one of her shop’s biggest weekends of the year.

“My passion is getting Hoosiers excited about reading and about books,” Johnson said. “The book crawl is such an example of how many people there are in this city that still care about literature and care about diverse literature.”

Pen and Pink Vintage is a shop that celebrates women and Hoosier authors. As the name suggests it curates vintage books.

The store in the Garfield Park neighborhood is also returning to participate.

Laura McPhee says it’s always great to connect with new customers.

“We were not prepared for the number of people, McPhee said. “This year I’m better prepared, ordered a lot more books. We have some special gifts for people — really it was just the sheer number of people that came out that blew everyone away. Book people are so nice.”

There is no official route. Each store will have the official Book Crawl bookmark that can be stamped at every location. Each stamp is an entry for a prize drawing that includes a stay at the Bottleworks Hotel, gift cards, and merch from participating stores.

Sara Gelston Somers owns Golden Hour Books in south Broad Ripple. She says the event comes at a time when more and more people look to shop for books in person.

“We have absolutely felt the excitement for book buying locally,” Gelston Somers said. “This year especially — since Christmas, we have seen such a surge of business, which we’re thrilled about. The excitement is palpable. People are very stoked to buy books locally.”

This year, the crawl also includes a bingo card to complete while visiting stores. Organizers say it is a bit more interactive than just checking off a location on the bookmark. It includes activities like donating a book to a little library or biking to a shop.

The Indy Indie Book Crawl kicks runs through Sunday. It is free to pick up a bookmark and go on the crawl.

For a list of participating stores, click here.