Curious Iguana bookstore in Frederick, Md., is in the process of an ownership change, effective this September. Marlene England, who opened the bookstore in 2013, is selling the business to longtime manager Lauren Nopenz and her spouse, Tyler Fairley.
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| Marlene England (l.) with Lauren Nopenz | |
"I'm thrilled that Curious Iguana will continue to thrive in Downtown Frederick under Lauren and Tyler's leadership," England said. "Lauren has been an integral part of the bookstore since we opened our doors almost 13 years ago. I know she and Tyler will take excellent care of the business and all the loyal customers who consider the Iguana their 'book home.' "
Nopenz added: "Nothing means more to us than our downtown community. Tyler and I are beyond excited to continue the great work Marlene has been doing for 12 years. It feels so natural to slip into the role of owner after managing Curious Iguana for so long. We are looking forward to what the future of our little bookstore holds for us, our customers, and our staff."
England will continue to play an active role in the book world. She and her husband, Tom, also own WordPlay, an indie bookstore in Wardensville, W.Va., which opened in 2020. They also launched the nonprofit WordPlay Connects in 2022, which brings authors and illustrators into rural schools and provides free books for young readers in the five-county region.