Jackson Thompson//
Credit: Jackson Thompson
On October 6th, the Literary bookstore in Champaign, opened its doors to the public for its grand opening. If you are a fan of books eager to find your new favorite nook, they’ve got you covered. Along with the sale of books across all genres, they are also collaborating with Hopscotch Bakery to serve books and pastries during the day and act as a bar at night. We took the time to speak with staff members Jenny Kim and Remington Rock ahead of the occasion, to learn more about the store and what novels they recommend for the autumn season.
What does this establishment mean to you?
JK: “The idea behind this place was to create a third place, which is a sociological concept based on theories of community…a gathering space for the community where people can come and meet cool people and talk about books and just enjoy themselves, relax, have a good time, and just foster a connection with people.”
RR: “If you put up books people will come! It was very important to create a space that is a place where people can have discussions and be open…where everyone is welcome and just creating a space for discussions with people that maybe you wouldn’t have an opportunity to anywhere else. We’re really looking forward to fostering this sort of place that can lead to relationships of all kinds.”
What books do you recommend for this time of year?
RR: “We have an extensive mystery and thriller section, a horror section, you know, pulling titles for holidays and times of the year…in October we will have a local author named Dan Wild come, and he has written a compilation of short stories called Stories for Imaginary Friends…he’s gonna come in late October and do some readings, do some discussion around that, make it cozy and spooky.”
JK: “I keep meaning to read that book I’ll be Gone in the Dark, which you guys have talked about extensively.”
RR: “Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying. It’s by Michelle McNamara, she was an amazing, amazing writer…she did all this research, painstaking research, and she actually died before the book was finished. So it was taken over by these retired investigators…”
JK: “Isn’t it about the Golden State Killer?”
RR: “It is about the Golden State Killer! As that was being written, they found him…it’s not for the faint of heart because it is terrifyingly true.”
Be sure to go check out this new spot and it will not disappoint!
The Literary is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and is located on 122 N Neil Street.
The Spread 