As the Page Turns — Local services in Travelers Rest

I used to visit the large bookstore and the ladies were super friendly and just wonderful. When they closed down and moved to the TR location, I was sad they weren’t able to keep the larger building but delighted in their new quaint little location. However, all the ladies were replaced with one or two staff. I do not know if this is the same person I am encountering, but every time I come in, the one sitting behind the desk gives me an unwelcoming stare. I look like an ordinary TR shopper. I’m a well-educated American citizen; my parents are of a different ethnicity so I am not Caucasian. When my young child came in during a holiday week, my child greeted the person behind the desk. The person ignored us, and whenever she did look up, she would cast an unwelcoming stare at me. Am I imagining it? When my Caucasian husband came in with my child, all of a sudden the person could SEE, turned friendly, and was all smiles and even acknowledged my child, the same one she had ignored earlier with me. I am a lover of classic literature and old books; I absolutely love little book stores. But this behavior is unprofessional, immature, uneducated, and sadly so much of a turnoff that we cannot visit this bookstore anymore. This is not to say the owner is to blame, but if he or she ever hired again, I would encourage looking for amiable character traits such as friendliness and professionalism, and having a good grasp of the world he or she lives in. Yes, there are people of different countries who exist. How ironic, for a bookstore is a place where the works of multiple authors from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and mindsets are placed for others to peruse, explore, and enjoy. It made me miss those former employees of the first location even more. God bless them and if they could only read this, I would say, “Thank you for being so kind, professional, and warm to my children and me. Those sweet memories will always be ones to treasure along with the books we bought.” That being said, it’s always fun to look through books in a little bookstore. I just wanted to be a voice of honesty among all the other reviews. My experience with the first location was...

I come here for almost all of my books. This place is pretty decent size, but comfortable enough. There is a hallway you can go down and explore in different rooms and areas. They have a large selection of books of all kinds. New and used books. There's things like puzzles, card decks, shirts, tea bags, and stickers. They also do a cozy mystery thing every now and again and have speakers. I havent been to one yet, but im hoping i can, one is coming up soon. Three of the books iv bought were signed by their authors. That will be a memory I hold since iv never owned a signed copy before. The owner is so sweet and she works hard to make sure everybody gets what they're looking for. She offers to have a new or used copy of the book you're looking for shipped to the store for you if it's not in store. My favorite thing about this place is I always have a selection. They keep new series and hot books or favorites. I always have something new to choose from. I recommend this book store over and over. It's my favorite. Thanks...

I don’t know how I’ve missed rating this bookstore this long! It’s one of my favorite places in TR! Everyone who works at the store is lovely, I thoroughly enjoy how the store is laid out, and I almost always end up leaving with more books than I planned to take home. Their prices are pretty normal for a used book store around here but their donation credit system beats anywhere else! The building certainly has a quirky layout and they have really worked with that to make this store so unique. I also love all of the events they host throughout the year. Whether it’s the summer bingo, a winter author festival, or hosting bookish artists to go with events down Main Street, it is always a wonderful time. They have made this place what feels, to me, an integral part of the community. I can never wait for...