A Novel Idea, a general-interest bookstore with a focus on community events, will open next month in Philadelphia, Pa. Owner Christina "Misty" Rosso and her husband, Alex, found a space in Philadelphia's East Passyunk neighborhood in August and have been busy renovating and remodeling the 800-square-foot storefront.
The store will have its soft opening on Saturday, December 1, and for the rest of December A Novel Idea will be open only on Saturdays and Sundays. Starting January 2, the store will be open six days a week, with a grand opening celebration planned for Friday, January 4.
According to Rosso, the vast majority of the store's inventory will be new books, with used books initially taking up just a shelf or so. The store will carry books across all genres and for all age groups, along with a section dedicated to local authors and small presses.
In terms of events, Rosso has several lined up for December, including holiday storytime sessions, an organic baby food launch, a book launch for an anthology called You Are Not Your Rape and an author event with local author Nick Gregorio. Once the store is fully open in January, A Novel Idea will host writing classes, book clubs, writing groups, more author events and potentially an open mic night.
The owners have also created a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $5,000. So far, the couple has raised around $570, with the money going towards rent payments, construction costs, ordering inventory and more. Once the store is open, they're planning a "special commemoration" for all of their contributors.
"I have always dreamed of opening a bookstore, but never thought it would become a reality," said Rosso. "It came up last winter and [my husband] said why not make my longtime dream a reality? So we started planning from there!"