The low creaks of the hardwood flooring and the smell of pulp from the books permeate through the air. The grandness of the old mansion is felt in the vast sea of books.
“Whoa this is awesome, I love it already,” a customer says as he enters, presumably for the first time. This is Sundance Bookstore, the old mansion turned into a Reno staple.
Walking through each of the rooms in the store you can really get a sense of what those running it like to see. You will see many books with the focus on the empowerment of women’s voices as well as a wide range of cross-cultural novels.
Hidden in a little hallway is the magazine shelf where you can see the zine scene alive and thriving. Bitch magazine was really a standout with its provocative language that hits hard with its feminist message.
As you go up the stairs you will be greeted by a friendly dragon and find yourself with an almost overwhelming choice of fiction, nonfiction, spirituality, and lifestyle books. The room designated for fiction will have any reader wanting to go through their wonderfully curated works they have for sale. Whether it is Albert Camus, Dean Koontz, or Haruki Murakami there will be something you’ll want to take home with you.
The huge collection of fiction books that can be found on the second floor of Sundance Bookstore. Photo taken by Jacob Kostuchowski.
“Can you order Gulliver’s Travels for me, specifically a classic edition?” a customer asks the woman working the front counter.
“Yes, we actually have a person who tracks down out of print books for customers,” she replies back to the man. This is clearly a place that cares deeply for literature and the people who wish to read it.
Christine Kelly, the owner of Sundance, also finds a way to help local authors through her publishing company Baobab Press.
A close look at one of the staff favorite cards that are placed around the store making books the staff think deserve extra attention. Photo taken by Jacob Kostuchowski.
The store has even more local authors on display, not just ones Kelly publishes. On this Sunday there was a local science fiction author trying to find his own book on the shelves. He could not find it, seeming likely that it was sold out.
The environment of this shop is unmatched, there is nowhere else in Reno where you can get a similar feeling. It is a place that wishes to truly cultivate the literary mind.
“Isn’t it fun coming to a bookstore?” a mother asks her two small children as she exits holding a pile at least five books high.
Our Town Reno reporting done by Jacob Kostuchowski