These five independent bookstores offer reads for all ages and interests.
Georgianne Vecellio
Doloris Vest and Lisa Uotinen of Book No Further
Book lovers in Virginia’s Blue Ridge have a lot to be happy about. Sure, there are a couple of big name stores, but, more importantly, there are five local booksellers, and each one brings something unique to the area, be it a brick and mortar establishment or a pop-up. Shop these five entrepreneurs for the bestsellers you want, or the uncommon books that are overlooked in the big name stores’ algorithms.
Book No Further
Est. 2017
Book No Further first opened at 16 West Marketplace in 2017, but in 2019, owner Doloris Vest jumped at the chance to relocate to the market, and now has three floors of books of all genres. Most are new, but there is also a selection of used books.
After working running nonprofits, Vest wanted something new, and decided that “there’s not a lot of things I’d be comfortable selling, but books were one of them.” Vest quickly realized that owning a book store is 20% books and 80% business, including tasks such as ordering books, planning events, dusting the shelves, and maintaining the artwork for sale that is displayed throughout the store.
Vest considers Book No Further as a general interest book store, featuring horror, romance and cookbooks, a significant amount of space is devoted to Appalachian fiction and non-fiction. Local authors also feature prominently, and book signings are planned throughout the fall in anticipation of the holidays. Although in-person events have not drawn large crowds post-COVID, one exception was local celebrity author Beth Macy, who drew a crowd of more than 400 people in August, with her launch of the new title “Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis.”
One category of books that Book No Further actively promotes is books that have been banned by some organization somewhere in the US. In fact, there are multiple signs declaring that “we sell banned books.” Banned books are good for business, and also generate a lot of conversation, which Vest and employee Lisa Uotinen enjoy.
Hours:
10 am-5:30 pm Mon-Sat
12pm-5 pm Sunday
540-206-2505
112 Market St SE
Georgianne Vecellio
Jason and Katrina Hill of Rainy Day Reads
Rainy Day Reads
Est. 2021
For Katrina Hill, owning a book store is a natural progression of her life-long love of books. Rainy Day Reads, owned by Hill and her husband, Jason, is a pop up that stocks titles not found elsewhere. The inventory is small, but showcases family friendly reads featuring people of color and diversity of all types.
Hill, an English teacher at Community School, loves putting book lists together to match people with books, and she is good at it, often hearing things like “I never would have picked this book up, but I loved it!” She keeps around 100 books for all ages in stock, both fiction and non-fiction, focusing on paperbacks because they are more affordable. More titles are available on her Bookshop site.
Hill hatched her plan to open a bookstore during the worst of the pandemic, thankful to have something to think about other than COVID. It was the “perfect outlet I needed to sustain me” during COVID, she claims.
One early Rainy Day Reads pop up was at a family event at Crystal Spring Grocery. A bunch of kids congregated around the books, their parents bought books for them, and the kids hung out and talked about the books they were reading. As someone who wants to share her love of reading with others, this “brought me a lot of joy,” Hill says.
In March 2022, Hill hosted a Readers’ Retreat at Wilderness at Eagle Landing, where 14 people spent a weekend working on their to-be-read list. Most of the participants didn’t know one another, but they shared a cabin and spent most of their time reading in a quiet room with a fire, hot beverages, and snacks. They shared book recommendation and did a book exchange, and new friendships were formed. There is a second retreat in the works for 2023.
bookshop.org/shop/rainydayreads
Georgianne Vecellio
Too Many Books
Too Many Books
Est. 1993
Owner Linda Steadman has over thirty years of experience selling books in the Roanoke area, changing locations several times before settling in the Grandin Village. Located in Grandin Village, Too Many Books is now a vital part of the neighborhood.
The shop encompasses two levels, which Steadman proclaims are “stuffed” with books (estimates are around 40,000 volumes). Shoppers can often find a small selection of greeting cards, but the focus is on a wide variety of books, including collectors’ editions and signed copies by local authors.
Too Many Books specializes in vintage, first editions and Virginia history, but, according to employee Mary Justice, the “bread and butter” of the store is general fiction and mysteries.
Hours
10am-5:30pm Tues-Sat (opens at 11am on weekdays, Jan-March)
1pm-5pm Sunday
540-985-6469
1504 Grandin Rd
War On Books
Georgianne Vecellio
Angelo Colavita of War on Books
Est. 2022
Angelo Colavita has loved books all his life. Having managed several bookstores in the Philadelphia area, he and his wife, Isobel O’Hare, a writer and small press owner, decided to open their own business following their move to Roanoke. While brainstorming a name for their burgeoning business, Colavita’s mother in law jokingly suggested “War On Books” due to their decision to sell more liberal-leaning titles. After the initial laughter, they got serious and decided it was appropriate.
You might think that War On Books only sells banned books, but that is a misconception. Sure, there are some controversial titles, but you can find genres such as poetry, fiction, history and environmental science, all carefully selected to match Colavita’s beliefs and his customers’ preferences. To some people, though, the choice of reading material is a “threat to people’s comfort—both liberals and conservatives.” That’s fine with Colavita, because it makes people think. “Reading is step one,” he says, “but it has to lead to action.”
You can find War On Books at West End Wednesdays at Golden Cactus Brewing in downtown Roanoke from 5-8:30pm. The market, which also hosts other vendors, plans to continue outside into the fall and holiday season as long as the weather permits. In addition to selling books, Colavita has also created Community Writing Workshops every first Sunday from 3-5pm at Ursula’s Café, where writers of all levels and genres can engage in language games and language experiments. More events are listed on the website and social media. He plans on adding more swag in addition to the T-shirts and tote bags he already stocks, but his main focus continues to be books that make people think.
“Come yell at me about what you’re mad about,” he challenges, “I have books on that.”
540-339-7546
Wondrous Books and More
Georgianne Vecellio
Savannah Oaks of Wonderous Books
Est. 2020
Growing up as the only reader in her family, Savannah Oaks dreamed of owning a bookstore, where people could come and talk about books. Her mom tried to talk her out of it, but Oaks insisted that “every small town needs a book store.” She got her wish in March 2020, when, just out of college, she purchased Walter & Co. Booksellers in Salem and transformed it into her own unique space, Wondrous Books and More.
Oaks learned the basics while on a road trip exploring used book stores, but still, she says, “it’s a learning experience.”
Wondrous Books and More sells used books, both hardcover and paperback, of all genres, as well as “bookish goodies” such as bookmarks, book lights and wooden thumbholders (to hold your book open with one hand). The store gets its inventory from donations and book-buying trips, so the stock constantly fluctuates, and the layout gets switched up frequently. The exception to the used book rule is new releases by local authors, which get a special display in the store.
Oaks is always looking for ways to add more merchandise to the store, and added a display of products from Salem Apothecary, including candles, dried herbs and metaphysical items.
Hours
11am-7pm, Wed-Fri
10am-6pm, Saturday
11am-5pm, Sunday
25 W Main St, Salem
540-580-0229
wonderousbooksandmore.square.site
These five booksellers can get you the book you are looking for, or can suggest something completely different. They all state that the best part of their job is talking to their customers and discussing books, so go ahead and ask. Each seller offers something unique to Roanoke, and we need each one of them.