Rooted Books & Gifts - Grand Island, NE

Rooted Books & Gifts, Grand Island, NE

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For most people, Grand Island, NE is not a destination.  Located in the middle of rural Nebraska on Interstate 80 with a population of approximately 50,000 makes it a giant among its neighboring communities.  So Grand Island is simply a town you drive by when traveling east or west through the Midwest.  However, I suggest you consider making it a destination or make it a stop on your way elsewhere.  Excellent coffee shops, restaurants and cafes, a vibrant Hispanic community, and an outstanding independent bookstore with a very engaging and spunky owner that will guarantee a memorable bookstore experience.  

Rooted Books & Gifts has been open for about two years, located just off 3rd St. in downtown Grand Island.  This excellent location allows for easy foot traffic and easy on-street parking as well as nearby free public parking lots.  The store offers all new books and a wide variety of sidelines which are an important part of their business margin.  But I was happy to hear from owner Danielle that the books do extremely well on their own.  You’ll find many unique greeting cards, socks, candles, and stickers but the fidget/clicker gadgets (ask a kid) are selling very well.  If you can't visit the store in person, you can always support it by purchasing online through bookshop.org.  Already in two short years, the store has a very devoted core of regulars and as one of them told Danielle, she comes in once a week and buys something because they want to keep them in the community.  If you’re a regular, be sure to join the loyalty program.  Given their short existence, I’m happy to hear that things are going very well.  

Danielle has done a great job of offering off-site and pop-up events to expand the store’s outreach and generate additional revenue.  The night of my visit the store was offering a “boozy book fair.”  Previously, these have been a huge success.  They have a story time for children and every other one is held in Spanish to support the strong Hispanic community.  Inclusiveness is a hallmark of most independent bookstores, way to go Danielle.  Additionally, the store offers books in Spanish for these Grand Islanders.

Danielle and Rooted Books are hitting it out of the park in every way.  If you’re in the Grand Island area, don’t walk, RUN to this fantastic bookstore and enjoy a unique independent bookstore experience.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Up In The Old Hotel, Joseph Mitchell.  The author was a frequent contributor to the New Yorker in the mid 1900s and this is a collection of his stories about characters, misfits, oddballs, and savants living on the fringe in NYC in the 1930s-1940s.  

CURRENTLY READING:  Dock Ellis in The Country of Baseball, Donald Hall with Dock Ellis.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  The Emperor of Gladness, Ocean Vuong.  HR-Approved Ways to Tell  Coworkers They're Dumb, Jaycob Paldro.

Don't let this unassuming storefront fool you.

Buy your book, go outside, enjoy a nice day, and read.  

View looking to the right from the front entrance.  

You can find the most unique socks in many bookstores.  If you see it and you like it, GET IT.  It will be hard to find anywhere else.  

Bella on guard at the front door and waiting to welcome the next customer.  Precious as the picture.  

Bella is the best bookstore ambassador and will enthusiastically welcome you.  As Danielle told me, some people stop in just to see Bella.  

A few of the greeting cards available.  

The perfect birthday card.  I love independent bookstores.  

Attractive table display of sidelines on the right side of the store.  

Books of local and regional interest and books in Spanish.  

The bookend in this picture is a folded vinyl record.  Interesting.  

Bookstore candles can be found in many bookstores.  

A few of the staff picks available.  

This is where Bella takes her breaks but is still close to the front door to greet you.    

Find this shelf and pick out a blind date with a book.  A fun promotion at many bookstores.  

Always ask your bookstore about gift cards.  

Bring your cash and save some money.  

The very popular fidget/clicker (ask a kid).  

Is it just me or does this look like Jim and Dwight? 

The perfect place to sit and try-out a book.  

The ideal place for two little readers.  

Looking into the children's section.  

Another angle of the children's section.  

Find this section of non-fiction on the other side of the children's area.  

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

If you have friends who speak Spanish, tell them they can find books in Spanish here.  Also tell them about the story time for children held in Spanish.

Just a few of the sidelines at the checkout counter.  

My visit wore Bella out.  

With Danielle, the fine owner at Rooted Books & Gifts.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Prairie Pages Bookstore - Sun Prairie, WI

Prairie Pages Bookstore, Sun Prairie, WI

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If you know anyone who might be planning a move to Sun Prairie, WI, boy do I have the perfect place for them.  Prairie Pages is located in a beautiful, modern, multi-use building on the edge of downtown Sun Prairie.  You can get a great place to live in a luxury apartment above a bookstore.  And a coffee shop.  And an ice cream parlor.  A living location like this would be a dream for many people.  Best of all, you can enjoy a beautiful and attractive bookstore below your apartment and easily become a daily visitor with easy access like this.

And if you’re a daily visitor, you should absolutely take advantage of the store loyalty program that many regulars are already in.  I wish all indies would offer a program like this.  This is just one of the several successful features of Prairie Pages, only in its 8 months of existence.  Its perfect location is also a benefit for the many customers who also visit the town’s weekly farmer’s market.  This one-level store is very neatly organized with an inventory offering all new books and many unique sidelines.  Typical sidelines include stickers, greeting cards, and store merch.  I thought the art work offered here by local artists was especially strong including everything from canvas paintings, candles, and wall-hangings to pottery, journals, and bookmarks to name just a few.  In the store’s brief existence, they already have hosted author events and story time for kids.  They also have a store book club.  When you visit here, take time to enjoy the remarkable wall mural running the length of the store on the right side.  Outstanding.  But if you can’t visit in person, don’t forget you can always order a book from Prairie Pages online.  

I’ve learned on this journey of bookstore visits that people come to their ownership from a wide-range of occupations besides bookstores.  I’m not sure I’ve been to a bookstore where the husband/wife owners were an NFL player and an occupational therapist.  But that’s the case here with James and Erin D. (I didn’t get to meet James and Erin but I know they’re super people since they’re graduates from the University of Iowa).  Even though I didn’t get to meet either on this day, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting MacKenzie, the very knowledgeable and kind bookseller on duty.  Booksellers like MacKenzie are one of the reasons to enjoy a bookstore experience like the one you’ll have at Prairie Pages.  Congratulations to you all.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir. 

JUST FINISHED:  Miss Muriel and Other Stories, Ann Petry.  One of the best African-American female authors of the early to mid-20th century.  Collection of short stories that are a reflection of her life and times in a racist country.  Recommended.  If you want to read something other than short stories by this author, get a copy of The Street, my favorite book of hers. Highly recommended.  

CURRENTLY READING:  Up In The Old Hotel, Joseph Mitchell.  

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, Kristin Harmel.  

What a dream this would be living above a bookstore...

... and a coffee shop..

...and an ice cream parlor.  

 

 

Amen Prairie Pages.  

View looking into the bookstore from the front entrance.  At the back of this space you can see a doorway that enters a hallway and runs behind the coffee shop, ice cream parlor, and the bookstore.  Perfect for exploring all these businesses without going outside.  

View looking to the right from the front entrance.  Check out that mural on the wall, a remarkable work by the artist who created this.  

Just inside the entrance, a table display of various sidelines and books. 

This is an example of the unique works of art you'll find in the store.  If you see something here and you like it, GET IT!  You rarely find it elsewhere.  

Attractive table display, front and center.  

All of the artwork available for purchase has been created by talented local artists.  

Probably my favorite place in the store, located near the front of the store.  

 

Uniquely crafted pottery and bookmarks.  

Interesting.  

Head over to the right side of the store and let the browsing begin.  

One of the many bookshelf aisles.  

If I'm not in the front of the store, I just might be stretched out here.  

Variety of bookstore socks.  

Incredible wall hanging created by a local artist.  

You'll only find Prairie Pages merch at Prairie Pages.  

This is the display of books offered as the "blind date with a book" promotion.  I can't believe how far this idea has evolved.  The wrapping and packaging just gets better and better.  Great job MacKenzie.  

The detail and neatness of this blind date book is excellent.  

Another super example of attractive blind date book wrapping.  When I first started seeing these promotions, books were wrapped in plain brown paper.  Now I see everything.  Booksellers are a creative breed.  

Freedom to read banned books.  

Beautiful aquarium leading into the children's area.  

Overview of the children's area in the back of the store.  

Some great places to share a book with a little reader.  

Brilliant work of art in the children's area.  

Table display for children readers.  

Overview of the store looking from the back toward the front entrance.  What an attractive space.  

Just a few of the greeting cards available.  

Bookstore candles created locally.  

I'm so impressed by people who can create works of art out of old books.  Beautiful.  

Did you know that Prairie Pages has a book club?  You should join them and meet other like-minded spirits and enjoy books like this one.  

With MacKenzie, one of the fine booksellers you'll meet at Prairie Pages Bookstore.  Thanks for a great visit.