New Bookstore in Fort Collins Specializes Death & Sex

In today's age, where technology is all over the place in Colorado, it's great to see a small bookstore open with real books. This bookstore in Fort Collins has fiction, non-fiction, kids' books, etc., as well as a section for books on death and sex.

Past Experience Leads to a Focus on Books About Death and Of Sex

In September of 2026, The Crowded Bookshelf opened in west Fort Collins off of Drake and Shields, near Gib's Bagels/Spoons. It's not Fort Collins' first independent bookstore, but it will be known as the first one to have a section dedicated solely to books on death and sex. I'd caught The Collegian's story about the shop and was intrigued.

The owner of the shop, Renee, used to work in the funeral home industry as a Removal Technician, which is where the "death" section comes in; one of the books on death that Renee pointed out to me was 'All the Living and the Dead,' a non-fiction book about people whose work involves death: embalmers, grave diggers, etc.

The Crowded Bookshelf in Fort Collins

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The "sex" book that Renee wanted to highlight for me was 'Becoming Cliterate,' where the author explores the typical social norms of sexual activities and replaces them with true methods in achieving pleasure. I was too embarrassed to inquire as to why Renee wanted to have a "sex" section.

The Crowded Bookshelf in Fort Collins

There are also currently two book clubs at The Crowded Bookshelf: One that highlights books about death and dying (Memento Mori), the other about sex positivity and social change (Smash the Patriarchy).

I looked, and the shop does carry my favorite author, Christopher Moore; so, that's another win for the little shop.