Does the perfect used book store exist?
Yes, yes it does. Right here in Portsmouth, Virginia on Portsmouth Blvd. And it's run by none other than Jeannie herself.
She invited me to sit with her behind her shop counter and we talked about life, love, marriage, motherhood, death, September 11th, children, disappointments, heartaches, and of course...books. I even got to meet a few of her regulars and hear a few of their stories too.
I stumbled into her bookstore years ago and I've never forgotten it. I walked in and immediately felt that this was a place I could linger in. And that says a lot because it's not a very large space. But with books from floor to ceiling (seriously, probably a million of them!), it's not hard to let your eyes wander for a bit. And it satisfyingly, unmistakenly smells of beautifully aging books.
It's kind of wild to think about how many different adventures and different worlds rest within these shelves and walls, isn't it?
So, how did it all begin?
Jeannie told me she had been working with a gal that owned a thrift store that sort of turned into a used book store and that she really enjoyed it. Simultaneously, a few things happened. Firstly, the corner of her home was sinking from the weight of her home library. Her husband told her she needed to do something about it and she jokingly said, "I'll open a used book store!" He said he didn't care, they just needed to be gone (side note: he became her biggest supporter and cheerleader!). Her friend that owned the thrift store sold Jeannie her business and that became Jeannie's Used Books on April 1, 2000.
What's it like being a woman and owning your own business?
"Hard," she says.
"What's the hardest thing about it Jeannie?" I say.
She takes a deep breath and solidly says, "People are always trying to tell me how to do my job. How to run my business."
It feels loaded, heavy. I understand exactly what she means. There doesn't really need to be more words.
And you want to know something else? Amongst all those books....thousands and thousands of books...she knows just about where every single one of them are.
Case in point? I asked her about an obscure book that I read over and over as a teen. She told me it sucked, what the author's name was, and where exactly I could find it in her shop.
I couldn't leave without purchasing it.
And I loved her even more for blatantly telling me she hated the book. She's as real as it gets, my friends.
Jeannie is an inspiring force to be reckoned with. She is full of grit and determination, holding onto her dream tightly with both hands- fighting tooth and nail against big box stores and the world of digital books.
I couldn't leave without asking her two more questions...
Favorite book? Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Favorite author? Stephen King.
The next time you want to browse a maze of floor to ceiling books and run your fingers along the spine to find the perfect book, visit her shop on Portsmouth Blvd. You can't find a better small, woman owned business to support. Tell her I sent ya.
