If I were to build a book store, it would cater to those whose tastes run towards used books, as I too like the feel of picking up a title that already has seen some life. Used books just have more soul, and I like to imagine who might have held a particular tome as I dig in for the first time.
But I wouldn't stop at filling the comfy space with just used books. No, I would sprinkle in just the right number of vintage antiques all around the shop that I'm certain that other used book aficionados would appreciate.
Finally, I would create a series of reading spaces throughout the shop with mid-century modern furniture that would invite my new friends -- known elsewhere as customers -- to settle in and explore a few books before making their final decisions.
So imagine my surprise when this weekend when I discovered this very store already exists in our hometown, not more than a couple of miles from our house!
Shelley and I discovered "Words to Live By," a used book store that was opened this past fall by husband and wife Kris and Jill Johnson, who describes herself as a "hunter of books." And a visit to the shop is like taking a trip to an antique market, used book store and collector's emporium all in one. What a fantastic find!
Just to give you an idea of the experience, I walked away with a tabletop compendium about the world of whiskey, a curling stone shaped whiskey decanter to add to our decanter collection and a hardcover of "Byline" by Ernest Hemingway, which contains 77 of the articles that Ernest Hemingway wrote as a journalist between 1920 and 1956. Shelley came away with the 1979 ABBA album "Voulez-Vous" and a pristine 1970s Avon catalog for our mid-mod themed basement bar.
Housed in a former travel agency, the setting absolutely adds to the book store's experience. The main retail space is large and airy, the ceiling soaring two stories open to the next floor that contains some office and lounge space that looks down on the retail floor. This allows tall windows set in the wall well above the head to pour light into the space and make it feel much bigger than it really is.
But the detail that pulls it all together is the faux terracotta roof tiles adorning the inside wall of the space, giving the shop a European market feel.
The owners have said their goal is to eventually add a coffee bar, which would seal the deal for me: Then I might just spend all my weekends there!
The Johnsons said in a local newspaper interview that the store is a combination of both of their passions. Jill has spent years hunting down used books at estate sales, and Kris already was in the antique selling business, previously offering his wares at a local antique mall and online.
Jill said the universe aligned for them this summer and fall when they found the retail space they're now inhabiting and she picked up thousands of books at an estate sale. The result was "Words to Live By" which opened in Moorhead, Minn., in late November.
Martin Luther writes a lot about vocation, or the work that God calls us to do. This may be different than the work one does to make a living, but for those lucky ones in this life, their occupation and vocation align, and that is a holy combination.
In the short 30 minutes Shelley and I spent in "Words to Live By," you could easily feel that for Kris and Jill Johnson their occupations and vocations have aligned. And the effect is nothing but inspiring and joyful. They've created something that goes beyond simple commerce, and enters into the realm of a calling.
What a special little place! If you're a book lover, put this one on your list! ... Even better yet, make a little day trip out of it, and make a little time to visit the locally owned Swing Barrel Brewing Co. that's located just across the street!
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