Like most bookworms, I love books, bookstores, and libraries. My husband knows this all too well and had seen an advertisement on a Facebook scroll for Pierce Bookkeeping and Bookstore's grand opening. He pointed it out to me. We had the weekend off and settled on going. We got there in time to see the ribbon cutting.
We learned the owner Becky Pierce has been doing taxes/bookkeeping for the past 15 years and had so many of her own books she decided to open a bookstore. Her son helps her run the store.
The new building that houses the bookstore is welcoming. I love the signage and complementary to the open porch is a working traffic light.
Upon entering the bookstore, I noticed that many of the gently used books were housed in a range of bookcases and bins.
My eye was immediately drawn to the left as there were shelves packed full of Amish romance books. I thought, "Oh how Mom would love to be here." Mom and her friends gravitate to these types of reads and exchange them with one another.
Passing a bin, I made my way down an aisle toward the back of the store. I'd been informed that this is where the majority of the poetry and vintage books currently are shelved. There, I found a copy of Ivanhoe which tells the story of the period after King Richard's imprisonment in Austria. I decided to forgo a copy that depicts the corrupt versus the noble and look at what other treasures were on the shelves.
I ended up selecting two books.
Eben Holden A Tale Of The North Country by Irving Bacheller. I have not read this book but had seen it referred to as the "first best-selling novel of the 20th century. I also selected That Girl From Memphis by Wilbur Daniel Steele as I have been enjoying Westerns that depict mining in the 19th century.
When I had these two books secured under my arm, I moved to the set of shelves on the right and looked through the mysteries. A few Agatha Christie that I didn't already own caught my attention. Soon after, I was distracted by a noise behind me. Turning, I saw my husband and quickly snapped his photo.
Shortly after this, I turned around and made my way along the back and down another aisle that led to the west side of the store. There, I found a large collection of westerns. Many were by Max Brand and Zane Grey.
I picked up an old copy of Wilderness Trek by Zane Grey and leafed through it. In hindsight, I wish I would have brought it home with me. How stupid I was to pass up a book by the man who wrote The wild, free moments in life are the ones worth living for.
There was much chatter at the front of the store as people were gathered near the checkout talking. I joined them and they pointed out some books beyond a door I hadn't seen.
Becky was at the cash register so I went ahead and settled up. A lady to my right told me to go through the stack of bookmarks they had sewed and select whichever one I wanted as a gift. I looked through them and picked the one that appeared to be the Nightmare Before Christmas.
What a marvelous way to spend the morning!
The majority of the books in the store are in English though I did find other languages too.
Pierce Bookkeeping & Bookstore
501 West Jefferson Street in Ohio City, OH
Book store hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Tax preparation is by appointment only.
- “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen