I made a trip to a huge bookstore called The Book Nook that’s located nearby MBIP World Headquarters on University Street in January of 2013. Hard to believe that’s almost two years ago! Christoph Traugott from the Peoria Historical Society sent me an email saying the store has a new owner and there’s a mural being painted in there by a local artist. Well, that’s a very good reason to make a return visit to The Book Nook, so let’s get going, it’s just a three minute driven from here, we’ll be there before you know it...
See, here we are already!
You enter over here on the side of the building.
They're open, so let's go inside and take a looks at the books.
As soon as you enter you're treated to just one aisle of the large inventory of books in this shop.
Here's the new owner of The Book Nook, Jessica pointing to a couple of special edition Star Wars collections. Jessica took the store over from the previous owner Mike over a half a year ago. Jessica's a writer and a poet and she plans on having poetry readings in here down the road and when that happens we'll let you know. Here's a link to Jessica's blog: In Potentia. You can read more about Jessica right here.
Lucas helps Jessica manage the store and here they are behind the store's counter.
Here's Jessica standing next to an on-going mural in the store. Local artist Daz Cox is painting it and we'll show you updates of it as it progresses, it's very cool so far!
I'm pretty sure this is the largest locally owned book store in Peoria. As you can see the aisles are crammed with books.
Let's take a look at some of the books in here, I love browsing and looking at book covers and titles.
Jessica said that when she purchased this "Blue Dog Man" book for inventory she had no idea...
That it was autographed by the author, George Rodrigue! You won't find that at a Barnes and Noble or at Amazon! It's finding treasures like this that make shopping at a local book store like Book Nook fun and exciting.
Jessica's particularly proud of this leather bound Victor Hugo set of books. All that's missing is book number five, so if you have that and are in need of cash, get thyself to the Book Nook toot sweet!
If you're into ultra-rare books, they're located behind the counter right over here. I'd tell you some of the titles but that would spoil your surprise when you go to the book store. So you don't get to know until you go!
An illustrated history of Tabasco Sauce. I just pray that there's not an edition about Frank's Hot Sauce!
"Life Is Too Short," by Mickey Rooney. The pint-sized actor really learned this lesson on April 6th of this year.
Dueling John Belushi books are featured over here in the performing arts section.
Born to be wild...whoops, wrong Steppenwolf...never mind.
Here's a stack of new arrivals of books right here just waiting...
To be placed into rotation on the New Releases wall over here.
Here's a collection of Easton Press editions at the bottom of this section.
In addition to books, there's a huge selection of CD's and DVD's available in here.
Free bookmark alert! Hooray!
This bookcase features local authors and books about Peoria and nearby cities.
Jessica told me that Rick Baker's "Baker's Best" paperbacks are always flying off the shelf in this section. Right after I took this photo, Jessica called me over to the front counter...
To meet a local author that just happened to be shopping in the store, Douglas Love. Douglas wrote this book with Peoria icon, Jim Maloof, "Go Help The Children & God Help You - The Memoirs of Jim Maloof." As Douglas flipped through the pages of this book about Peoria's popular mayor we stopped at a photo in the book...
It's a photo of Mayor Jim Maloof at a St. Jude telethon with MBIP pal, Vic Burnett, the weatherman who changed my life. But wait, there's more...
The book is autographed by Jim Maloof to Vic and his wife Pat! Okay, I'm buying this book and returning it to Vic, stay tuned for that! I love it how things come full circle here at MBIP!
For now it's resting in between "Please Kill Me" and "The Cat in the Hat" on the MBIP World Headquarters book shelf. Thanks to Jessica for a fun tour of Book Nook and we'll see you all tomorrow!
The Book Nook
6944 N University
Peoria
309-693-3612
Related posts: Revisiting: The Costume Trunk, Wheels O’ Time Museum and George’s Shoeshine and Hatters World Headquarters.
And when I write the book about my love,
It’ll be a POP publication, tougher than tough.
When I get down on the pages all I missed,
It will shoot to the top of the best-sellers list,
When I write the book about my love.