Neighborhood Reads - Washington, MO

Neighborhood Reads, Washington, MO

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

This bookstore has been on my radar for quite awhile and now I can happily say that I've finally visited.  This was an especially fun visit because Dawn K., the owner, has been a faithful follower of The Indie Bob Spot for the almost 10 months the store has been open.  Heck, she actually started following before the store even opened.  So this is another one in the wave of those newly opened bookstores that I'm seeing all over the country and like the many other newbies I've visited, I couldn't have been more impressed.

For someone with no background in business or retail, Dawn can check off all the boxes that successful bookstores need.  Author events?  Check.  Weekly story time?  Check.  Book fairs and partnerships with schools?  Check.  Book clubs and knitting clubs?  Check.  Customer incentives, community involvement, store promotions?  Check, check, and double check.  And I'm sure there is MUCH more than this.  So while Dawn may not have the business background, she does have a passion of advocating for reading and literacy for children which this store is dedicated to promoting.  Her other job at the local paper also helps to deliver this message with monthly book reviews for all ages of readers.  She, along with good friend and colleague Chris S., really provide a one-two punch for support of the bookstore and the importance of reading.  

The store is in a house that is over 100 years old.  They remodeled the interior, added some great original art work on the walls and floors, and built on a beautiful addition for a meeting and events space.  As all new bookstore owners know, this takes a lot of work.  Dawn is blessed with a GREAT team of family and friends that helped to pull this off.  And now customers are able to visit and appreciate a store that offers all new books and a variety of sidelines in multiple rooms of a historic house.  The children's section and sidelines are particularly strong thanks to Dawn's talent for this genre.  If nothing else, you need to come here to be enthusiastically welcomed by Benji, the shop dog.  Just meeting Benji will guarantee a better day for anyone!

I'm such a sucker for bookstore dogs and Benji is a softie who will welcome you shortly after you enter the store.  

The store is off to a great start but that momentum must be maintained in order to impact the community in a positive manner (shop local, buy local, keep your money in your community).  Local leaders, teachers, civil servants, and others can all set a GREAT example by patronizing a terrific local business.  So many towns much larger than Washington's 13,000 have nothing like this.  Washington, wrap your arms around this gem of a bookstore and don't ever let it get away.  Congratulations Dawn and congratulations Washington.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

CURRENTLY READING:  Stephen Florida, Gabe Habash.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Exit West, Mohsin Hamid.    

Another exterior view.  This picture is going to look incredibly better in a couple of weeks.  If you look in front of the sidewalk, you can see a variety of flowers coming up and getting ready to bloom.  

One of the display windows with a reminder that Mother's Day is around the corner.  Pick up your gift and card here.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  

View looking into the room to the left of the front entrance.  

This is in the room to the right of the front entrance.  Dawn's expertise is with children's items and this is one of the nice displays for kids (and grandparents!).  

I've seen these books in a few other stores and I think they're great.  Washable, rip proof, chew proof, and nontoxic.  Perfect for the drooler in your family.  

Ask how you can adopt a bookshelf in the store, a great promotion.  

View looking toward the rear of the store through the second two rooms on the right side of the store.  The room in the foreground is mostly children's, the room beyond is a large events space.  Thanks to a lot of great help, Dawn was able to build-on this addition.  

A few of the sidelines available.  

A great addition to the original building.  Picture your bookclub in this space.  

Two great places to sit and test drive a book.  

A portion of the books of local interest.  

You can always find something for any budget at a bookstore.

Dawn uses the walls of the main hallway to display a few of the greeting cards available.  

There are some sidelines displayed here but I was more impressed by the great work on the wall, thanks to Dawn's daughter.  

Why drive to KC for a soy candle when you can get them right here in Washington?

A nice table display of sidelines in the back room.  

Talent can not only be found on a bookstore staff, but also with the people who helped put the store together.  In the back room, take a look at the great artwork under your feet thanks to a middle school art teacher.  

This is the room to the left inside the front entrance but this view is from a doorway that approaches it from the back of the store.  

A rare glimpse of these two celebrities together.  Informed readers may recognize a rare photo of the celebrity on the right actually facing the camera.  Yes, that's my mom.  All others will definitely recognize one of the country's favorite celebrity shop dogs, Benji.  

A nice table display of staff picks.  

A view from the back room looking straight through the main hallway to the front entrance.  

Every single teacher in the Washington area should be all over this.  Set the example.  Shop local, buy local.  

Set up a birthday party in the store for your child's birthday, a great idea.  

Readers, honestly you're lucky that this blog entry doesn't feature about 25 pictures of this lovable guy and one picture of the store.  Here, Benji is on the lookout for more customers.  Prepare to be welcomed to the store.  

Two of the fine folks you'll meet at Neighborhood Reads.  Dawn in the center and Benji on the right.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Book Bank - Largo, FL

Book Bank, Largo, FL

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

If I lived in Largo, FL or anywhere within 30 minutes, I'd make this place one of my weekly errands.  Heck, I'd come in here that often even if I didn't buy a book just to visit with Amy S., one of the friendliest bookstore owners you'll find anywhere.  Readers, how many times do I have to tell you that bookstore people are simply the best?  This is a bright, comfy bookstore with a wonderful owner yet some in Largo are unaware or don't understand the importance of shopping local.  I'm here to tell Largo that it's time to step up and appreciate a bookstore that many other communities would love to have.

Book Bank and Amy have been in business for 20 years.  The one-level store offers new releases and used books in a very well-organized and well-lit space.  Customers who bring books in are able to receive store credit in return.  Book Bank offers a few sidelines including greeting cards, touristy postcards, and some very cute glasses holders to name just a few.  Thankfully, the store has a good core of local customers in addition to tourists who visit the store, especially during the winter months.  And as if you need further incentive to visit a bookstore, it's located right next door to a donut shop.  Come for the donuts, stay for the books.  Good grief Largo, what more could you ask for?!

While I've observed many bookstores around the country enjoying a resurgence and showing positive business growth the same cannot be said for Book Bank.  The good news is that they've survived many years and are still here.  But sadly, many in Largo have taken this terrific store for granted.  Citizens of Largo, spring breakers (come on, you people need beach reads!), snowbirds, and tourists.  Get yourselves into this bookstore and bring your friends.  Bookstores are part of our culture and our heritage.  Amy and her staff take pride in offering an experience in a space that simply cannot be found online.  Don't talk to me about cheaper books online, the prices in this store are great.  Discover what I did, a friendly owner with a great bookstore.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Elizabeth Is Missing, Emma Healey.  Story of Maud in the present who is in her 80s and descending into severe dementia, obsessed with finding her friend Elizabeth.  And story of Maud in her teens after WWII and her family's agony about Maud's sister who has gone missing and her disappearance is never solved.  Or is it?  This book is very readable but all in all I found it very sad due to Maud's dementia.    

CURRENTLY READING:  Stephen Florida, Gabe Habash.    

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Not purchased but gifted, The Woman In Cabin 10, Ruth Ware.  Thanks Amy.  

A storefront with lots of window space.  

You can start your browsing before you even walk into the store.  

View looking straight into the store from the front entrance. 

View looking to the right from the front entrance.  

Unique eye-glass holders for your readers.  

Just a few of the books of local interest and by local authors.  

You'll need a birthday card for that book gift you bought.  

In addition to used books, you'll find new recent releases.  

Looking into the children's aisle.  

Display of New York Times top ten.  

Anybody's budget can find something here.  

One of the long book aisles in the store.  

Roll the dice, take a chance, you might find that book you didn't know you needed.  I love these promotions.  

This sign is applicable to every single independent bookstore I visit.  

Check out this room in the back of the store, loaded with books to meet your budget. 

A great place to sit and sample a book.

View from the back of the store looking toward the front entrance.  

With Amy, the fine owner at Book Bank.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Inkwood Books - Tampa, FL

Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

(Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)

With this entry, I can finally wrap-up a 2-part series.  Two sisters (biologically speaking), two bookstores, two different states, two 5-star bookstores.  The stores share the same name, Inkwood Books, and some of you may recall the entry about my visit to the Inkwood Books in Haddonfield, NJ.  I've now completed my Inkwood journey by visiting the original, owned by Stefani B., in Tampa.  With these two true sister bookstores you can flip a coin.  You'll meet two wonderful people and have a great bookstore experience in either.

Inkwood Books in Tampa has just recently moved in the last few months to its current location.  I had a great time talking to Stefani but I think she underestimates her business and bookstore talent.  This store is now located in an area that is showing some growth that will be very compatible with the bookstore.  It's a good location for foot traffic, a developing river walk area, new housing on the horizon, and Stefani's brother has a nice cafe right across the street.  All of this located in one of Tampa's oldest neighborhoods, a fun area to see.

The one-level store has an interior that is evolving and I'm very excited to see what Stefani does with the space within the next year or so.  Inkwood offers all new books and a small but good variety of sidelines which are doing well and are an important part of the business.  Much of the interior has been furnished, painted, and designed by small-business owners, something Stefani feels quite strongly about and I couldn't agree more.  The store has a fantastic space for events, always a great way to bring people into the store. 

Stefani is the 2nd owner of Inkwood Books and has been here for about 5 years.  In total, the bookstore business has been going for 26 years, a good sign.  I'm also happy to say that things for Stefani are going pretty good but they can always be better.

And that's where you come in Tampa.  It's time to step-up and patronize a great local business.   If you haven't discovered Inkwood Books yet, get with it.  Shop local, buy local, keep your money in the community to insure you can continue to enjoy places like Inkwood Books in Haddonfield, NJ or Inkwood Books in Tampa, FL.  Check these out and return again with a friend.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Origin, Dan Brown.  Let the debate between religion and science begin.  Some of Dan Brown's books can spark some interesting conversations and this is another one.  Edmond Kirsch is a futurist and is on the brink of revealing an earth-shattering discovery that will rock the religions of the world.  Where do we come from and where are we going?  A chain of events early in the book set in motion another page-turner from this author.  I don't know if this one is as good as his others but I found it entertaining and enjoyable.  Recommended.  

CURRENTLY READING:  Elizabeth Is Missing, Emma Healey.    

RECENTLY PURCHASED:   Panorama, Steve Kistulentz.  Stolen Beauty, Laurie Lico Albanese. 

If you happen to be on this side of the building, just follow the arrow to the entrance.  

And if you happen to be at this building, you're at the old location that is no longer open.  Look for the bookstore that you see at the top of this page.  

View looking into the store from the front entrance.  

View looking to the left from the front entrance.  Enterprising readers will undoubtedly recognize the celebrity bending over a bookshelf.  Yes, that's my mom.  Some readers may also recognize The Indie Bob Spot graphic designer and logistics coordinator, Cheryl M.  

View looking to the right from the front entrance and into the children's section.  

A very user-friendly display of best-sellers near the front entrance.  

A couple of great places to sit and try out a book.  

A unique display of staff picks.  

Take a seat here and pretend you're back in 1962.  Very cool.  

Another attractive table display.  

I think the store has a great set-up and space for author events, located toward the back of the store.  

Another view of the events space.  Authors, when you do your event here at Inkwood, this will be your view (except for the empty chairs that will be filled with people!). 

Sooner or later that white wall will be hidden by bookshelves or an attractive mural.  

The store offers a variety of sidelines for all ages...

...including the young and the young in heart.  

A few of the greeting cards available.  

Great art work of the Inkwood logo.  

Overview of the store looking from the rear and event space toward the front entrance.  

A portion of the books of local interest.

Another view into the children's section.  

Take time to admire the great mural in the children's section.  

Anything that offers store incentives to customers is a must if you're a regular.  

With Stefani, the fine owner at Inkwood Books.  Thanks for a great visit.