The Book Shop of Needham will host its grand opening tomorrow, February 7, at 283 Chestnut St. in Needham, Mass. The new bookstore "is bright and welcoming, with little nooks for shoppers to tuck into as they search for their next read," the Needham Observer reported. "Cozy chairs are spread among the stacks, and a seating area up front invites shoppers to sit, read and relax. It feels like an oasis for anyone wishing to escape the chaos and frenetic pace of life and delve into someone else's story."
Co-owner Haley Stokes said, "I always loved this building, so when it came up for lease this summer I was like, I have to go see it. As soon as I walked in I saw so much potential in this space.... With a bookstore you either go very dark, old-school like someone's house library, or have to be light and airy like this."
The book selection features most genres, bestsellers, new releases, classics, staff picks, and a big romance section "because who doesn't love a good romance book?" Stokes asked. "It was really hard for me not to dabble in a little bit of everything because I love a little bit of everything." She added that her favorite spot is the children's section, designed for readers to stay a while: "My kids, we read so many children's books, so this is a big passion for me back here."
While the store offers a selection of gift items, Stokes said, "We are exclusively a bookstore with gifts, not a gift store with books. I love going into a bookstore and even if it's a get-well gift, I'll buy them a book and tea and a mug, or a blanket. They go well together, certain gifts and books. So it's a lot of bookish gifts."
Several author visits and book signings have been scheduled, and she has plans for a book group as well as other events and community collaborations. She also hopes to organize food tastings based on items from cookbooks with her husband, Dan Stokes, a chef and the store's co-owner.
Stokes said she knows she is living out many people's dream: "I think when you're dreaming about it, I pictured it that I'm the only one there, and when no one's there you're sitting at the counter reading a book, and then as soon as someone comes in you put your book down and you're like, 'How can I help you?' "
The reality is a little different, but she is "excited to see her long-held vision come to life to have a place she gets to go to every day and be surrounded by books and people she loves," the Observer wrote.
"People are so thankful and happy this is here, so I hope we're successful enough to stay here," she said. "I hope this is what people are looking for, and as we open we'll adapt and listen to what people tell us."