Read the Waves Bookstore is coming to St. Pete Beach, Fla., later this year, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Owner April Elliott, a former criminal defense attorney, will sell new titles for all ages along with nonbook items like games, stationery and puzzles. She plans to host community-focused events such as book signings, book club meetings and trivia nights, and there will be a monthly subscription service "for grandparents to send books to their grandchildren across the country." Elliott is also considering a mocktail bar.
The bookstore will reside on the first floor of a two-story building located at 425 Corey Avenue. Elliott purchased the building last August, and work is underway to combine three first-floor retail spaces into one larger space measuring around 2,000 square feet. The building also has an apartment on the second floor, which Elliott plans to rent out.
Elliott told the Times that she chose to open a bookstore in St. Pete Beach because of the lack of book buying options in the area. "You can walk by any beach or any pool and there's tons of people reading books, actual physical books, not e-readers. So it was just strange to me that there wasn't an outlet or provider for that," with the nearest option being a Barnes & Noble store at a mall.
Elliott hopes to open by October, but the exact timetable will depend on construction. She noted that starting in the spring, Read the Waves will appear as a pop-up vendor at local farmers markets.
"I have been more inspired in the past year while conjuring this vision to life than perhaps ever before," Elliott wrote in an Instagram post announcing her plans. "That alone tells me this place will be something special. That it will mean something not just to me, but to residents and visitors alike. I have so many ideas and plans that I cannot wait to unveil and experience with anyone else who is interested in books and social discourse!"