Amid the rise and convenience of ebooks and audiobooks, The Bookstore in Chico is a haven for people who find joy in turning pages.
Established in 1976, The Bookstore has been a part of the Chico community for nearly five decades, offering a wealth of books from all genres.
Muir Hughes and her husband, Josh Mills, took over the shop in downtown Chico in 2012 from its previous owner, Ron Barrett, who passed away last January.
“It's been basically a whole lifetime in the bookstore, and so it made a lot of sense when the previous owner was retiring for us to take over,” Hughes said.
Mills had worked in The Bookstore since he was 18 and owning a bookstore seemed like a good idea for the couple.
"We both have always loved books; it kind of brought us together, so it's a perfect fit," Hughes said.
If they aren’t home attending to family life, you'll likely see them roaming the halls and spending hours alphabetizing books and stocking shelves at the store in downtown Chico.
“Frankly, a lot of time is spent organizing. I would say that if you're a person that works in a library or a bookstore, a lot of your time is in the alphabet,” Hughes said. “A customer can undo in 20 minutes what's taken you all week.”
Hughes said that owning a bookstore is challenging but also fulfilling.
“It is nonstop, and as a used bookstore, you don't push a button and order what's missing, so you're constantly looking yourself,” Hughes said. “It's a treasure hunt on both ends.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Bookstore was among many local businesses that had to find ways to survive during the shutdown.
The Bookstore implemented online sales, book pickups and surprise genre boxes to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“The pandemic really in a lot of ways, despite some of the divisive national politics, I do think that people really wanted to help one another in their communities,” Hughes said. “And we definitely felt that.”
Hughes noted that the survival of independent bookstores is increasingly difficult, especially with the closure of national bookstore chains.
“I feel really privileged to be in the position of having a little bookstore, and I think that it has told me that we all need to take care of each other,” Hughes said.
The industry is changing, and reader preferences are evolving. Despite this, many people still value the experience of visiting a bookstore, discovering new books, immersing themselves in different genres and surrounding themselves with literature.
“Looking over the shelves and talking to a shopkeeper that can maybe point you in a direction, or maybe you find a book that no one you know has ever read,” Hughes said. “And yet it's like this thing that sets you abuzz and brings you so much more information than you would ever get by just pushing a button online.”
She also cleared up any misconceptions that owning a bookstore is easy.
"There's a romantic dream that people will retire. They'll have a little bookstore, little fireplace, a little house cat in there and read all day," Hughes said. "It's nothing like that."
Hughes strongly believes that one must develop strong relationships with the community to be a successful independent bookstore owner.
"Bookstores are unique in what you experience and how you experience your community and the public, the types of conversations you have, and the types of people you serve."
She says owning a bookstore is more than just selling a product; they are a hub for information, curiosity, and respite.
“You walk into a bookstore, and there's this immediate tension release in people's shoulders, and they take a deep breath, and it's a new experience,” Hughes said. “It's something that we all need, which is a space to explore, feel safe and be around other people.”
The Bookstore is open in downtown Chico seven days a week.
