Parchment & Potions, a genre-focused bookstore, opened October 11 in Prattville, Ala., the Montgomery Advertiser reported.
The bookstore, which focuses primarily on fantasy, horror, science fiction, romance, and mysteries, resides in an historic building at 119 1st St. The interior features a dark academia-inspired aesthetic and the store carries puzzles, games, totes, and candles alongside books. The "potions" part of the name, meanwhile, refers to six herbal tea blends sold in-store.
Owner Susan Johnson plans to host book events as well as Dungeons & Dragons sessions, writing and editing workshops, and classes for things like leather working and chainmail weaving. An avid reader and self-described nerd, Johnson told the Montgomery Advertiser she hopes "to build a sense of community here where everyone could feel like they belong, no matter who they are, what they look like."
Johnson described opening a bookstore as a lifelong dream, and said she and her husband had considering moving elsewhere before opening a business. But having lived in Prattville for so long, and recognizing that there's been a gap in the community since a Books-A-Million closed in 2023, they decided to "do it here," she explained.
Johnson said the opening on October 11 went very well, with hundreds of people stopping by. "It was honestly insane," she said. "We couldn't leave the checkout counter....I already cried on the way home [over the grand opening success]. We just couldn't believe the turnout."