Author: mike

Posted on

Vons (Book) Shop

Last week I was brought to Indiana for a work trip, and with any good trip (be it work or vacation) there comes a stop at a local book shop.

Vons Shop (specifically their bookstore) is a treasure trove of paper and archive. Walking through their nearly too tight aisle’s is a pleasure, getting lost amongst the troves of books feels like a trip home. I felt that way BEFORE I found their basement, which just amplifies that feeling. Attached to the bookstore are several other sister stores, focusing on records, new age and general pop culture.

Vons is more than a bookstore, it’s got a great history tied with West Lafayette (and Purdue) that is better written elsewhere, see below. The brick building brings to mind another brick and mortar I visited a few years ago, John King in Detroit.

For more information (and a better look at the store’s history) see their website.

https://www.vonsshops.com

Posted on

Elephant Ear Books

Opened in November 2024, this petite bookstore fills a massive void in Plymouth, namely the lack of bookstores downtown, twenty years since Little Professor Bookstore closed down. Tucked away, it provides a ton of flavor and is easily walked to. Plymouth is just so much nicer with this little slice of literary shop. The future looks bright and hopefully this great store will stick around for another 20 years.

Are you looking for a cozy atmosphere? Homemade greeting cards? You can find more information about this great place here:

https://www.elephantearbooks.com/

Posted on

Road Less Traveled

What a delight it was to find a bookstore in my own little corner of the world. Two years of planning and re-modelling paid off for this multi-roomed bookstore. The owner, a former developer (hey we know computers!) was very open with his plans for the shop to become a beacon of community focused projects and it shows. The center of the main room has several long counters, perfect for working on jigsaw puzzles or relaxing and reading. Additionally they serve coffee from cafe Ground Control, another locally owned small business that makes Farmington a great place. Additionally they have several smaller rooms that give the bookstore a cozy feeling while still providing a wide variety of books. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time here and look forward to many repeated visits in the future.

https://roadlesstraveledbooks.com/

Emot 1
Corner Books 1
Anatomy 1
Mix 1
Im Dead 1
Cute Dino 1
Emot 2
Smart Raven 1
Mushrooms 1
Staff Picks 1
Little Shelf Spy 1
Puzzle 1
Cute Raven 1
Note 1
Cute Raven 2
Bookshelf 1
Spider 1
Myth 1
Smart Raven 2
Note 2

Posted on

Bettie’s Pages 2

Since my last visit here, Bettie’s Pages has an all new expanded area that includes a larger children’s section. You could see hints of it in my last shoot. The back area is a relaxing winding series of shelves leading to new book discoveries. Since my last visit they’ve expanded to a staff of four, and they are lovely people. They’ve already filled it to capacity with books and love, in fact they’ve run out of room! Their next big plan is a relocation to a larger venue a mile or so away from their current space. You can help with their move here:

https://www.ifundwomen.com/projects/betties-pages-bigger-and-better

This proud, LGBTQ+ friendly store deserves as much support as they can get. Look for an update after they move, planning on doing another photo shoot sometime in October or November once they’ve settled in.

Posted on

Gotham Night Comics

I haven’t photographed a comic book store for this blog yet, however I felt compelled immediately upon entering Gotham Night Comics. Fergel, co-founder and president, is a gracious and energetic host. Ready to chat about the minutia of DC’s Flashpoint or the various talented artists drawing and penning old and new Marvel characters. The store shows a real love for both collectors items and comic book history and it’s present in every corner of the store. It was a pleasure to visit and I look forward to coming back again.

Visit their website for more information about their store.

https://comicbooklivonia.com/

Posted on

The Bluestocking Bookshop

Amy opened The Bluestocking Bookshop in 2019, due to some great foresight she put her entire inventory online, allowing her bookstore to thrive despite the very awful gross bad things that happened in 2020 (COVID of course). This allowed customers to buy books without having to risk health and avoid soulless online shopping.

Recently expanded, taking over the neighboring mobile store, this fantastic bookstore offers a great variety of reading material. My wife and I felt immediately welcome there with its cozy chairs, artistic tables and brightly lit rooms.

Amy also let us know about Bookhop, happening soon in Michigan!

To see more please visit their website https://www.bluestockingbookshop.com

Posted on

Between the Covers (Holland Michigan)

Between the Covers bookshop has been in business for about 10 years, the last 5 in it’s current space. The owner, Elizabeth, is a warm host. She started her bookstore following childhood dreams and that’s reflected in the whimsy of the store, located near Holland Michigan. The other bookstore owner is a friendly cat named Ms. Patty who greeted us immediately when we first walked in and followed my wife around dutifully showing her all the bookshelves.

To see more from this great bookshop please visit their instagram page @btcbookshop.

Posted on

Books & Mortar

Books & Mortar

A small open spaced bookstore with shelves lining each wall, Books & Mortar is surrounded by a supportive community of book lovers. Initially opened in 2016, the current owner Jenny took ownership in 2018 and has a staff of four. Each shelve has multiple hand written notes (either from the bookstore employees or from the community) giving little mini reviews of the books therein contained.  The bookstore finds it’s roots in literary activism and it shows in every corner, including the large prints of book covers covering their walls, flying books strung from the ceiling, shredded page garlands and rainbow colored yarn art (made and donated by the original owner).  The space has a warm and open feeling, ready to accept any and all readers.  “Consiously currated, fiercly independent and proudly progressive” (the store slogan)`, this is a bookstore that I look forward to visiting again and again.

For more information on this bookstore, please visit their website http://booksandmortar.com/ or their instagram.

Posted on

Paper Trail Books

Going on 5 years, Paper Trail Books has been part of a new revitalization of bookstores in Michigan (see previous entries on Betties Pages, Library Books). Situated next to Cafe Muse in downtown Royal Oak, down the block from several hipster clothes shops, it’s a fantastic spot for walkins and regulars. The owner, Dave, has a long history with books that starts way back to his earlier days working in several previous bookstores and it shows on everyone of his custom made shelves. It was a delight to walk around the store, with it’s moody lighting, island shelves and gander at his stock. Thanks Dave for letting me in to take pictures! Also thanks to my dear wife Tina for encouraging me to continue with this hobby and taking all the instax photos down below.

You can get more information on this great little bookstore at their website here.

On a personal note, I’ve lined up several more bookstores that I will begin covering in the near future, will try for more updates this year now that covid is…well…is still there but not quite as limiting. 😀