New bookstores and comic shops continue to open in Toronto, if not at the pace that the city once witnessed. These days it takes gusto to open a new store dedicated to the printed word given the disparaging fate of city landmarks like the World's Biggest Bookstore and the ubiquitous presence of e-readers and online shopping.

Here are five bookstores and comic shops that opened in Toronto this year.

TCAF Shop (Page & Panel)
The Toronto Comic Arts festival opened a permanent outpost for comic enthusiasts near Yonge and Bloor. This sprawling store has an extensive selection of indie comics, graphic novels, action figures, t-shirts and various swag, all on offer from inside the Reference Library.

Flying Books
This is a store within a store. Found Inside the Weekend Variety near the Drake Hotel on West Queen West, Flying Books offers a small, contemporary selection of fiction. Owner Martha Sharp rotates memoirs, graphic novels, science and award-winning Canadian authors.

The Sidekick
The Sidekick in Leslieville transformed an old antique store into a spacious hub for comics and caffeine. This energetic store offers everything you need to unwind, escape and get lost in the world of superheroes and/or idiosyncratic routines.

PRESS Books
A vibrant cluster of old and new, PRESS is a library of classic literature alongside contemporary fiction and old-world titles. Stay for the Reunion Island Coffee and browse through novels and old-school rock records in this East Danforth dwelling.

Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore
The beloved children's bookstore in the Beaches packed up shop this summer and moved to new digs on Kingston Road in the Upper Beaches. With a fond collection of books from children to teen, Ella has a trusted selection of fiction to choose from.

Photo of PRESS Books.