Around Indies

Binnacle Books Opens in Beacon, New York

On November 14, the town of Beacon, New York, welcomed the opening of Binnacle Books. Owners Kate Ryan, Annmarie Nye, and Corey Eastwood, who met in New York City, each worked in various bookstores around the city before opening Binnacle Books.

“We were feeling increasingly alienated and pushed out by gentrification,” Ryan told Philipstown.info. “We were looking for a space to spend time in that was less intense, and had more of a feeling of community and possibility. We like the mix of things that Beacon has.”

The bookstore, which features mainly used books with a small selection of new titles, is planning to host readings, performances, and film screenings. It will also offer a used books purchasing program.

“People are so excited and supportive,” said Ryan. “The community is already giving us a lot of love. A lot of people have been coming in and telling us that this town needed a bookstore. It feels really good to have that kind of symbiosis.”

Reston, Virginia, Welcomes Scrawl Books

On November 23, Reston, Virginia’s Scrawl Books opened under the ownership of local resident Rachel Wood, a longtime library employee. The store is located in Reston Station’s Urban Pop row of small pop-up shops, but Wood is seeking a more permanent and bigger location, reported Reston Now.

Scrawl Books is hosting a small grand opening event on November 28, Small Business Saturday, and will celebrate with refreshments and readings and book signings by authors Maria Gianferrari (Penny & Jelly: The School Show, HMH Books for Young Readers) and Terry Catasús Jennings (Sounds of the Savanna, Arbordale Publishing).

Walls of Books to Open in Washington, D.C.

On December 12, a new Walls of Books franchise location will open in northwestern Washington, D.C., reported Borderstan.

The store will carry more than 30,000 new and used books in English and Spanish, according to owner Pablo Sierra, who hopes the bookstore will be a hangout spot for neighborhood residents. “People like bookstores,” Sierra said. “This is where I wanted to open up. I like this community and I wanted to provide something to it.”

The 2,400-square-foot bookstore will feature a literal wall of books as well as couches and chairs. “It’s a great big space. It’s wide-open,” Sierra said. “It’ll be a pretty chill environment. I want this to be a place where people can sit down.”

The Walls of Books franchise is owned by Shane Gottwals, who founded Gottwals Books in 2007.

Village Books Opens Branch in Lynden, Washington

Bellingham, Washington’s Village Books & Paper Dreams opened the doors on its new location in nearby Lynden on November 22.

Co-owner Chuck Robinson founded the original Village Books in Bellingham 35 years ago with his wife and business partner, Dee. The new 3,000-square-foot store will feature books, gifts, and cards.

Village Books was also recently named the reader’s choice for Best Bookstore as part of Cascadia Weekly’s Best of Bellingham.

New Owner for Merritt Books

Kira Wizner is taking over as the new owner of Millbrook, New York’s Merritt Bookstore, reported the Millbrook Independent. Wizner plans to close the shop for an extensive remodel in March, moving into a temporary pop-up location in the town during the renovations.

“I feel lucky to have found the Merritt Bookstore at a time when it was looking for a new owner,” said Wizner, who, with her family, currently divides her time between New York City and a weekend home in Millbrook.

Merritt Bookstore was previously owned by Alison Meyer and Scott Meyer, her husband, who died earlier this year. Alison Meyer will continue to work at the bookstore and produce the Millbrook Literary Festival.

Fox NFL Sunday Features Eagle Eye Bookshop

Decatur, Georgia’s Eagle Eye Bookshop was recently used as the setting for a TV segment featuring actor Rob Riggle discussing his team picks for week 11 of the NFL season.

Riggle presented a staged story time in the children’s section of Eagle Eye Bookshop, reading aloud from the fictional picture book Maybe You Don’t Stink, which offered comedic commentary on the current football season.

The segment aired on Sunday, November 22, on the national broadcast of the Fox NFL Sunday television show.