When her second child went off to college, Karen Emmerling "needed to
do something not to miss her too much." She also has always loved books
and wanted to "get a little closer" to her journalism and English
degrees. The result: Beach Books, the Seaside, Ore., bookstore that
opened last week.
With some 7,000 titles, the 1,000-sq.-ft. store offers general fiction, children's, gardening, skiing, home books and more. In addition, "because we're called Beach Books, we have the kind of light read for when you go to the coast and expect sun but get rain," Emmerling told Shelf Awareness.
Emmerling is new to bookselling and so far is "really enjoying it." She and her husband, a blacksmith, have a company that makes custom iron furniture. He didn't make any fixtures for the store but did contribute a display table and lamps in the window.
Beach Books is the only new bookstore in the town of about 6,000 people about "an hour and twenty minutes" west of Portland. There are also a used bookstore and new and used bookstore; Emmerling said, "I think there's room for all of us."
Beach Books is located a half block from the main street downtown, which attracts many tourists although the town is "growing to be much more of a yearround place," Emmerling said. Still, summer is the busiest season, and the store will have longer hours then.
Beach Books is located at P.O. Box 71, 37 North Edgewood, Seaside, Ore. 97138; 503-738-3500; Karenemmerling@iinet.com. The store doesn't have a Web site yet but will.
With some 7,000 titles, the 1,000-sq.-ft. store offers general fiction, children's, gardening, skiing, home books and more. In addition, "because we're called Beach Books, we have the kind of light read for when you go to the coast and expect sun but get rain," Emmerling told Shelf Awareness.
Emmerling is new to bookselling and so far is "really enjoying it." She and her husband, a blacksmith, have a company that makes custom iron furniture. He didn't make any fixtures for the store but did contribute a display table and lamps in the window.
Beach Books is the only new bookstore in the town of about 6,000 people about "an hour and twenty minutes" west of Portland. There are also a used bookstore and new and used bookstore; Emmerling said, "I think there's room for all of us."
Beach Books is located a half block from the main street downtown, which attracts many tourists although the town is "growing to be much more of a yearround place," Emmerling said. Still, summer is the busiest season, and the store will have longer hours then.
Beach Books is located at P.O. Box 71, 37 North Edgewood, Seaside, Ore. 97138; 503-738-3500; Karenemmerling@iinet.com. The store doesn't have a Web site yet but will.