Rivendell Bookstore - Abilene, KS

Rivendell Bookstore, Abilene, KS

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This is another one of MANY bookstores I visit that I hope can provide encouragement to other small towns who have nothing.  That’s because if it can succeed and thrive here in a town of approximately 6500 it can happen in your small town if you have the right owner.  The right owner at THIS indie is Lisa S., who just began her ownership position within the last year.  But this indie was around way before this for more than 15 years and Marilyn was the owner and founder until Lisa took over.  Credit to Marilyn for the great job of getting Rivendell off the ground but in her words, Lisa has taken it to a whole new level.  That was clear to me on the day of my visit and when I asked Lisa what her secret was she told me, “because I’m good.”  Even though she’s only owned the store for a year, she spent several years learning the business from Marilyn as a bookseller.  She already knew what to stock thanks to her relationship with Marilyn and the many local regular customers who come to Rivendell.  On the job training made it easy for Lisa to step into ownership.  

This creatively arranged store allows for a unique browsing experience that includes new and used books shelved together.  For customers who bring books in they can receive store credit in return.  But as Lisa told me, they’re particular about what they take. Best of all for customers is that the store has the used books entered in a data base so they know exactly what they have.  Customers can’t purchase books online yet but Lisa hopes to offer that sometime in the future.  The store offers a nice variety of sidelines including puzzles, teas, and loose dice but without a moments hesitation Lisa said stickers are THE hot sideline here, something I've heard everywhere.

If you’re planning summer travels, Abilene is easy to visit just off I-70.  Head to the store’s great location in the heart of downtown Abilene and enjoy the company of kind, knowledgeable people like Lisa, Sam, and Marilyn who can help you find your next great read.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  The Cactus League, Emily Nemens.  I was hoping this would be a little bit more about baseball but it's relevance to baseball is due to the characters involved in baseball.  A bit slow in places but maybe that's like a baseball game itself for some people.  This book was nothing but a big fat strike out for me.  There are many baseball books out there much better than this one. 

CURRENTLY READING:  A Winter's Rime, Carol Dunbar. 

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree.  

 

The historic building in downtown Abilene. 

Picture of the same historic building when it was much newer.  I love it when I get to see things like this. 

 

The store has a lot of display window space.  This is only some of it. 

When you enter the front doors you can go to the left...

...or you can go to the right.  A fork in the road right off the bat!

This is what you'll see if you go to the right. 

Looking toward the back of the store from the right side choice of entry. 

The stickers are hot sellers and it looks like a good variety to me. 

Looking at a cross section across the front of the store. 

Wonderful table display for kids' books. 

New customers take note. 

One of the many book nooks. 

Looking across the back section of the store. 

Overview of the mystery area and just some of those books offered. 

If you ever wonder about books that are part of a series, how many, and what order, head to this display. 

Historic buildings tell many stories.  At one time, this space was home to Hamburg's Ladies Fashions.

For a great assortment of puzzles head to this display in the back of the store. 

If this were your TV, you'd have no other choice. 

A perfect place to sit and chat about books. 

I took this overview of the store from the back balcony, a common design found in old department stores.  The bookshelves make it a fun maze. 

View across the balcony in the back of the store. 

Just a few of the books by local authors. 

Take a look around the store for book art like this. 

Always one of my favorite promotions. 

These dice are selling well. 

Books made famous on social media. 

A great way to help your local school and support a local business.  This is a win-win for Abilene.

Overview of the children's area. 

With Lisa, the fine owner at Rivendell Bookstore.  Thanks for a great visit.