Tomorrow, a woman-owned, independent bookstore officially opens four miles from my house! This is a dream come true, and I was lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview event last night, so I can state with confidence that life is about to get a whole lot better around here! I just learned about Scout’s Tales and met the owner, Dana, in June, so this has all happened super fast for me (not for Dana, as you may imagine)! And no, I can’t write this post with fewer exclamation marks because this kind of thing is what they are FOR!
I was so excited to get inside that I forgot to take a photo from outside the store, but rest assured, I’ll get one tomorrow. Actually, I’m hoping it’ll be difficult because it’s so crowded with customers. And I believe it will be. Downtown Arlington Heights is a great location, and this whole area has been wanting a bookstore almost as much as I have. I say that only because I can’t imagine anyone wanting this more than me.
From the moment I walked in, I was welcomed and surrounded by others looking as moony-eyed as I, just wide smiles, and yes, some mouths open with wonder, one of them being mine. To the right of the entrance is a comfy sitting area with a gorgeous professional portrait of the owner’s dogs, above a very cozy couch and a coffee table piled with books. The book tree immediately caught my eye and drew me over, where I remarked to someone how much I’d like one of these in my house. I wonder how many other people made that same remark last night. I definitely heard a few others over the course of the 90 minutes I was there.
I’d been so distracted by the book tree, that I had to circle back later to the left side of the entrance, where the “Staff Picks” were, and where I was engaged in conversation with the owner’s wonderful husband and son (I’m pretty sure) and walked away with two more books. Good thing they sell beautiful canvas bags in different sizes, and bonus that Dana had arranged for someone to embroider bags for free for everyone invited. I was filling mine already. I had no trouble at all finding more books to buy as I wound my way through the store.
The children’s section is adorable, and though it was being used for the embroidery operation during the event, I returned Saturday to take the photos below. What cute and cozy space!
The store is gorgeous, and also sells things like cards, stickers, candles, socks, etc., most from local artist/businesses. Besides the canvas tote, I also bought the softest t-shirt, not because I need another t-shirt, but because it was irresistibly soft and cute, and I am here to support Scout’s Tales in ALL THE WAYS!!! I’m sure I’ll be picking up other little goodies during my visits.
Speaking of supporting this bookstore: I know many of my readers don't live nearby and sadly, can’t visit Scout’s Tales in person easily. But if you’d like to help my new favorite bookstore get off to a great start, you can support them by using Bookshop and choosing their store. Here’s a link:
You can also support Scout’s Tales by listening to audiobooks on LibroFM here:
Now—for a super fun update/aside..When I first met Dana, my friend Courtney Maum’s book was just coming out, and I asked her if she’d heard about it. She hadn’t, yet, but I was thrilled to see she had Alan Opts Out on her shelves!
Then, this morning, I saw the best news from Courtney Maum: Alan Opts Out has been bought and is being developed by HBO as a half-hour comedy!
Read all about it here:
And buy Courtney Maum’s book using this link to support Scout’s Tales:
I ended up buying six books. I’ve already bought several online using the Bookshop link above, and I’m sure to buy many, many more. I’m excited for some other possibilities, including offering some free writing workshops and starting a writing club, so stay tuned for more information on that.
In the meantime, here’s my haul:
I’m excited to see how crowded the store is for the opening, and I’ll report back. In the meantime, remember me like this, beaming with bookstore happiness, just after getting home from Scout’s Tales:
Postscript after Saturday’s Opening:
I went mostly to drop off a gift for Dana and take more photos, and I was thrilled to see the store was busy with customers and the line was long. I got a chance to chat with Dana’s mom and dad, who were wonderful, and so proud, and was also happy to find there was barely room to squeeze my gift in amongst others. Dana had received lots of flowers too, and well-deserved. I’m betting and hoping yesterday was one of the best days of her life, and I barely know her. Anyway, it’s inspiring and so cool to be able to see this all happening!
Do you have a bookstore that you love nearby? Or even a bookstore nearby? Where are your favorites? I’ll always have a special place in my heart for The Golden Notebook, in Woodstock, NY, but I’m sure they understand I have to pledge my loyalty to my “home store” now!
Tell me about your favorite and your go-to bookstores in the comments. And if you’re local, you better be switching to Scout’s Tales, or I don’t want to hear about it!
If you’re not only a reader, but a writer, or even if you’ve just thought about writing, check out The Someday Salon. Read more about it here and see below for the schedule:
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What a great name....
How exciting!!! Will be a perfect new hang out spot for your writer heart!🩷