Blue Couch Bookshop, a woman-owned independent bookstore, will be opening this summer at 1445 Grandview Ave. in the Grandview Heights community, Columbus, Ohio.
Owner Corinne Keyes, a lifelong, avid reader with a passion for learning and information literacy, has worked as a librarian for the past 10 years in higher education. She said she believes that "communities and its members are made stronger through literacy, and that magical things can happen when people of all ages read, expanding their understanding and perspective of the world around them."
Her hope is that the Blue Couch Bookshop becomes "a classy, cozy refuge within the community, where booklovers of every kind can come together for discussion and discovery, and to feel a sense of belonging. A place that sparks, and continues to fuel, a lifelong curiosity for learning."
The bookstore will offer new books in a variety of genres, including children's books, as well as gifts and other literary merchandise. In addition to traditional author readings, Blue Couch Bookshop is partnering with other local businesses to host events that cater to the surrounding community and its interests.
"With its classy decor, modern fixtures, and cozy furniture, which of course includes the signature attraction--the Blue Couch--the bookstore aims to become a welcoming space in the community where its patrons will want to stay after they browse or attend an event, to sink into a good book," Keyes added.