The Bookends

I found Bookends during a stopover in Menomonie, Wisconsin, visiting my friend and his family, during their family reunion, as I made my way north to Minneapolis. I was doubtful that there would be an independent bookstore in town, given Menomonie's size. The store is nicely located in the heart of the small downtown, right across the street from the incredibly beautiful, ornate Mabel Tainter Theater.

My friend and I browsed for quite a long time in Bookends and spoke to the new owner of the store. She was an ESL teacher, which is my own occupational calling, and so was quite knowledgeable about a new book written by a Hmong immigrant on her experiences moving to the United States. (I forgot the name of the book, but it especially interested me that the author was raised in St. Paul and went through that city's ESL program as a child.) The store owner was also very knowledgeable about literature in general and the business of selling books. She showed my friend some peace posters, which he bought for his classroom, and provided some insight on being a new bookstore owner in a small town.

In its small-town charm, Bookends reminded me somewhat of the one I had just visited in Viroqua. Very cute, laid out for comfort. The store had a broad array of genre categories, being strong in a few of them. It seemed to me that the owner had very good taste in buying some strong current titles. I also noticed that the store advertised a series of book discussion groups, a nice community service. I ended up buying Jeremy Rifkin's The Biotech Century: Harnessing the Gene and Remaking the World. If I'm ever in Menomonie I'll definitely stop back. I have no idea if the town has a Barnes and Border, but if so, I'd recommend skipping the corporate monoexperience by visiting Bookends and then taking a tour of the amazing Mabel Tainter Theater across the street.

The Bookends
214 East Main Street
Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751
(715) 233-6252
http://www.thebookends.com/