Around Indies

Stirling Books & Brew to Debut in May

Albion, Michigan’s Books and More, which has been owned by Dorothy Dickerson since 1999, will become Stirling Books & Brew effective May 1, under the ownership of Jim and Staci Stuart, reported the Albion Pleiad. Dickerson and the staff of Books and More will continue to work at the store.

The Stuarts, who are residents of Albion, purchased the bookstore’s building but decided to keep the bookstore in operation. The store closed April 1 for renovations and will celebrate its grand reopening with a ribbon-cutting on May 2.

The outside of the store will soon have a new sign and fresh paint; interior renovations include warm-colored paint to imbue a European feel, as well as the installation of leather chairs and couches. The young adult and children’s book sections will be expanded, and a new trade-in program will allow customers to earn store credit. New items will be added to the café’s menu, and locally made merchandise will be added to the store’s shelves.

“We think of ourselves as a bookstore and a coffee shop, but we want to be a venue,” said Jim Stuart. The goal is to make the store a place for live music, author visits, book clubs, church groups, and more. Future plans for the store include expanding it into the vacant space next door.

Plans for Peach Street Books Underway in Cape Charles, Virginia

Sisters Carol and Beth Ann Sabo are working with the Department of Historic Resources to renovate an historic building in Cape Charles, Virginia, into a home for their new bookstore, Peach Street Books, according to Delmarva Now.

Carol Sabo is currently the owner of Haymarket Veterinary Service and Machipongo Trading Company, and Beth Ann Sabo is a retired federal government employee and the founder of Eastern Shore Dog.

“We both have always been advocates for independent bookstores,” Beth Ann Sabo told Delmarva Now. “We’re both big readers. Our mom taught us to read really young, to love books really young."

Peach Street Books will open in the former Straight Line Auto building, which was constructed in 1932, with a garage added in the late 1960s. The bookstore will maintain the feel of an auto garage, said Carol Sabo, but will be infused with the same charm, funk, and friendliness that many patrons have come to expect from her Machipongo Trading Company. Plans call for outdoor seating and a small kitchen offering light fare.

Marissa’s Books to Reopen

Marissa’s Books & Gifts, located in Murray, Utah, will reopen on April 6 after closing in February to relocate, reported Shelf Awareness. Owner Cindy Dumas opened the store in 2012 and named it after her granddaughter.

The new space, in Southlake Shopping Center, grows the store from 2,900 square feet to 4,200. Marissa’s Books sells new, used, vintage, and hard-to-find books and has a large children’s books section; non-book items include essential oils and diffusers, tarot cards, artwork, candles, CDs, and items for kids.

A new website will feature books paired along with “fun choices,” Dumas told Shelf Awareness. “It’s a year and a half in the making and is very customized.”

Former White House Staffer Joins Kramerbooks as Head of Programming

Washington, D.C.’s Kramerbooks has hired Matt Megan to fill the newly created position of head of programming. Megan was previously associate director of the White House Visitors Office, where he helped to produce large-scale events.

“We continue to bring in top talent to support our commitment to excellence in serving an institution we all love and cherish in Kramerbooks. Matt will be a tremendous addition to our team as we look to vastly enhance our programming initiatives,” said Steve Salis, president of Kramerbooks.

Megan will work with Perry Hooks, the co-founder and president of Hooks Book Events; Hooks has been serving as a senior advisor to Kramerbooks since February 2017.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café was founded in 1976 by Bill Kramer and David Tenney; in 2016, the business was bought by entrepreneur Steve Salis.

Brewster Book Store Celebrates 35 Years

Massachusetts’ Brewster Book Store is marking its 35th anniversary this week with raffles, refreshments, and good cheer.

The charming neighborhood store was founded by John and Nancy Landon in 1982 in one room with 3,000 books. Over the past 35 years, it has grown to fill several rooms with a wide array of books, games, toys, greeting cards, stationery, and gifts.