Moonstruck Market bookstore will celebrate its grand opening at 329 N. Babcock St. in Melbourne, Fla., on July 26 and 27. Spectrum News 13 reported that author Connor Bryan, and her wife, August Bryan, are co-owners of the new and used bookstore, but "for them, it's more than a business--it's a vision years in the making."
Noting that they want the bookstore to be a welcoming environment for everyone, but particularly for members of the LGBTQ+ community, Connor Bryan said: "Two years ago, I woke up one day and I went, 'I could open a bookstore. I think I could do this.' And I told my wife, August, and I said, 'I think this is something we need to do, because Melbourne, it has a lack of third spaces and community spaces and safe spaces.' "
After an initial attempt to open in 2023 didn't come through due to funding and real estate challenges, they finally secured a location in May and have been working with volunteers to build furniture, paint walls, and other preparations.
The bookstore will feature a wide variety of genres--from queer fiction and romance, to thrillers and children's books--along with a dedicated book club room. Local gifts, art, and pop-up events in collaboration with other small businesses will also be on offer.
August Bryan, who is handling much of the organization and design, said the project "has been a whirlwind for sure. I mean, we really decided to start getting the ball moving in January of this year. Now, we've gotten an immense amount of support. We have gotten a building. We have made a lot of progress on the building. It's been incredible. We have a whole team."
Grace Stiles Williams, the store's events coordinator, said every aspect of the store has been shaped by local input: "We put four different colors up on the wall and had people vote on it. And this was the one everyone liked the most. We also put the voting on social media for the folks who couldn't come to the Vision Night."