The Indie Bob Spot: The Bookworm of Edwards

The Bookworm of Edwards - Edwards, CO

Darn you Sarah B! Excuse my French, but double darn you all to heck Sarah B, owner of Watermark Books in Wichita. Because of my visit at Watermark Books, I met Sarah B, the fine owner there and she was strongly encouraging me that I must visit Nicole and The Bookworm of Edwards in Edwards, CO. during the Colorado portion of this leg of my journey. Doesn't she know that I had already mapped out this part of my tour? How can I possibly add another bookstore to my tour? Sarah, I take back everything! Thanks for sending me to this wonderful indie in the small Rocky Mountain town of Edwards.

Regular readers will know that my goal is to visit every indie featured in My Bookstore, by Ron Rice. It is impossible to do this without visiting many of the fine indies that are not in this book. You need to hear about these others and The Bookworm of Edwards is one of them. You will not believe how this place began. This business was founded by a former teacher who refitted a van, filled it with books, and traveled between coffee shops selling books. From those meager beginnings, the store blossomed into its present location where it has been for 7 years. When you see this store, it is clear to see it is well managed and well maintained. The store is in its 3rd ownership and the current and sole owner Nicole, has been part of the 2nd as well. The bookworm of Edwards is lucky to have such a great owner.

The store is a one level bookstore, selling only new books. There is a wonderful entrance (one of two main entrances) into the store directly into the children's section and this area is very attractive. The store also offers many sidelines, those non-book items that are so essential to the health of an independent bookstore. Greeting cards and stuffed animals are two of the better selling sidelines, although this can be cyclical. It is also huge for The Bookworm to have a wonderful cafe right in the store. This indie also has a liquor license but is definitely dressed up as and by all appearances a coffee shop at heart. If you don't want to sit inside with your latte, go outside to the patio seating and enjoy a panoramic Colorado view. Business here is going well thanks to great support from different groups of people. Support of this indie is divided equally among locals, 2nd home residents, and tourists. A perfect combination for success.

Nicole has assembled an all-star staff at this indie. At least, that 's how it seemed to me. Maybe I just didn't meet the slackers?! Karin, Lauren, and Christopher, along with Nicole were all great to talk to. Very informative about the store and simply nice people to visit with. Remember to visit with the staff when you visit these indies. They're great people to talk to and they always have book recommendations for you to check out.

Before this leg of my journey I'd never heard of Edwards, Colorado and I'd never heard of The Bookworm. It should be high on your list of places to visit. And if you're in Edwards, run, don't walk, to this gem in the Rockies. Thanks Sarah at Watermark. Go to an indie and buy a book. Bonsoir.

RECENTLY FINISHED: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin. About an independent bookstore owner. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

CURRENTLY READING: A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman. Just started.

RECENTLY PURCHASED: The Painter, Peter Heller.