The Literary Opens in Vermont

The Literary [4] is a new bookstore that opened just before Christmas at 34 Pleasant Street in Morrisville, Vermont. Its motto is “selling new and used books, bread, and soup.”

Owner Michael Isabell told Bookselling This Week that opening the store was a dream he nurtured during his 30 years in carpentry and 20 years as a general contractor. An English major in college and an avid reader, Isabell said he’s excited to share his love of books.

He’ll also be sharing his cooking skills when he opens the kitchen side of the business next week. The 700-square-foot store has room for six dining seats amid shelves of new and used books on a wide array of general interest topics.

Isabell said he’s also selling locally crafted gifts from area artisans and local maple syrup.

Greedy Reads Sets Opening Date

Greedy Reads [5], a new independent bookstore coming to the Fell’s Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, has set a date of February 25 for its opening, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun [6].

Owner Julia Fleischaker, who is going into the bookstore business after a career in publicity for Melville House Publishing and Penguin Group USA, told the newspaper that she’s planning two reading series and hopes the store becomes a part of the community. “Independent bookstores are good for people and the community and the country and for how we talk about ideas. I’d like to be a small part of helping that to continue,” she said.

Alabama Bookseller Marks First Year

Ernest & Hadley Booksellers [7] of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is celebrating its first year in business. “We’re just really excited about how it’s been received in the community,” co-owner Easty Lambert-Brown told Planet Weekly [8], a local publication.

Lambert-Brown’s daughter, Avery Leopard, manager of the store, said Ernest & Hadley is the only independent bookstore in the area. “We noticed a real need in the community for a bookstore,” Leopard told Planet Weekly. “Tuscaloosa was missing that.”

Bridgeside Books Merging With Home Store

Bridgeside Books [9] in Waterbury, Vermont, is planning to merge with its sister store, Bridgeside Home, which will join the bookstore’s location at 29 Stowe Street. “We’re excited to merge the two shops and have all our fabulous offerings under one roof,” the bookstore announced on its Facebook page [10].

Gift certificates for Bridgeside Home will be honored at Bridgeside Books. “We will continue to offer unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for the home and look forward to blending these items in with Bridgeside Books,” the bookstore posted.

Ripped Bodice Serves as Set for TV Show

James Brolin and Dianne Wiest were on set at The Ripped Bodice to film a TV episode.

The CBS TV show Life In Pieces filmed a recent episode at "Times New Roman";">The Ripped Bodice [11] in Culver City, California.

The romance bookstore shared behind-the-scenes photos of the shoot on its Twitter feed [12]: “It was really fun having @LifeInPiecesCBS film at the store in October! Here are some behind the scenes pics. Make sure you check out the episode tonight.”

The episode, which featured Dianne Wiest in character as Joan at a book reading at The Ripped Bodice, was titled “Reading Egg Nurse Neighbor” and aired on January 4. It is also available to watch on CBS.com [13].

Phoenix Books Bans Plastic Bags

">Phoenix Books [14] of Vermont, with locations in Essex, Burlington, Rutland, and Chester, has announced that it will no longer use plastic bags as part of a New Year’s resolution.

In announcing the plastic bag ban on the Phoenix Books website [15], co-owner Michael DeSanto said his stores will instead offer customers a recycled paper bag or sell them a reusable tote at or below cost.

“Despite the challenges of finding sturdy replacements to protect the purchases of our customers, I am determined to make plastic bags disappear from our stores,” he wrote. “I strongly believe this is the right thing to do.”

Citing an EPA report that found that 380 billion plastic bags were used each year in the United States, DeSanto wrote that he wants to help reduce demand for the petroleum that goes into the bags and also reduce the load on the local waste and recycling stream.

The move has won accolades from Michele Morris, director of outreach and communications for the Chittenden Solid Waste District, who told the ">Rutland Herald [16] that the decision speaks to DeSanto’s character. “He’s a businessman and this is a choice he’s made,” Morris told the newspaper. “It’s costing him an investment, and he’s got the integrity to listen and want to make a sustainable choice for his business and for his customers, and walk the talk.”

Share your news in Around Indies! E-mail [email protected] [17] with photos and details of what’s new at your store, whether it’s opening for business, moving to a new location, expanding, changing ownership, hosting a special event, or celebrating a milestone anniversary.