A novel idea: Somerset mom taking love of reading on the road with mobile bookstore
SOMERSET — Attention local bibliophiles: a novel new concept will be rolling into the SouthCoast come spring.
Somerset resident Libby Reilly has been booked, quite literally. When this avid reader and mom of two isn't getting lost in the latest page turner, her weekends are lit gearing up for the debut of her unique new store.
Reilly is looking to take her love of literature on the road, sharing it with Somerset and beyond with the introduction of Buster's Bookhouse, a "tiny shop with big ideas."
Housed in a refurbished vintage trailer, what this mobile bookstore lacks in space it will make up for in creativity that presents countless possibilities.
The mission with Buster's is "to ignite a love of reading through community connections," said Reilly, who anticipates a late spring opening.
Old-fashioned nostalgia in a new, unconventional way
As more people turn to e-commerce sites and big-box stores like Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores are few and far between. With no bookstore within 30 minutes of Somerset, Reilly said she saw a need for Buster's here.
After all, who doesn't love getting lost in a good book or a bookstore?
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"I'm hoping to bring some of that old-fashioned nostalgia back to life in a new, unconventional way," Reilly said. "There are a lot of challenges with brick and mortar and in this post-COVID world I think people are looking for something a little bit out of the box."
While getting lost is impossible within the compact Buster's, the most appealing aspect of her shop on wheels is the opportunity to bring the community together.
"The experience of talking to someone about a book choice or the latest reads, you're not going to get that on Amazon," Reilly said. "I think people now more than ever have a desire to support local businesses and to have that personal shopping experience."
How Reilly got her start
This mobile bookstore venture marks a new chapter for Reilly.
A native of Florida, Reilly and her family moved from Alabama to Somerset six years ago when her husband Shane, a native of Raynham, got a job up here.
For the entrepreneur, who worked in the marketing and communications fields before leaving her career to raise her children Clara and Winston, owning her own book store is something that seemed bound to happen.
"I've always been a dreamer, I've always been a reader, I've always had these lofty ideas," Reilly said. So to finally see Buster's come to fruition and get the buy-in from her family and the community has been amazing, she said.
Refurbishing the 1975 Shasta Starflyte trailer
Buster's became an official business in March, and in June the Reillys purchased the 1975 Shasta Starflyte trailer that will become Buster's home.
Since then, Buster's has been a "complete labor of love" with Reilly providing the vision and husband Shane making it happen, taking care of all construction and handiwork. Not without some assistance from a pair of little helpers, of course.
Reilly said this project has really been a family affair. Even their 4-year-old Clara has gotten in on the action, sweeping the trailer and putting her hammering talents to use alongside dad.
"I love that I'm able to show that to my kids — starting something from the ground up and taking a dream and making it a reality and putting in the hard work to see something through," Reilly said.
The vintage camper was gutted down to the studs, giving Reilly a clean slate. Now work is underway on reframing, wiring, putting new flooring and bookshelves and making the space her own.
"I have awesome plans for what it's going to look like," Reilly said. "I think it's going to surprise people how much we can accomplish in such a small space."
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How the mobile book shop works
Plans include a reading nook area inside the trailer and shelving featuring a curated selection of books so every time you visit Buster's there will be new offerings to browse with "something for everybody."
Folks can climb aboard to shop books as well as gifts and accessories — with a focus on merchandise from local makers and businesses. Because room is scarce in the trailer Reilly also plans to have a small outdoor setup serving as an extension of Buster's.
Since it's not a brick-and-mortar and hours will be limited, Reilly noted that Buster's will be "socially charged" with pop-up events promoted on social media. The idea, Reilly said, is to hopefully get folks asking themselves "where is Buster's going to be next?"
You may see Buster's popping up at local farmers markets — like the Southcoast Open Air Market in Somerset — as well as coffee shops, breweries, even birthday parties. Reilly said the goal is to partner with local businesses and make it a whole shopping experience, where customers can grab a good book to go with their coffee.
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Reilly said she's excited to get started organizing children's story times, community events, book clubs, subscription boxes, and teaming up with local authors to highlight their work.
"There's an amazing local author scene in the southeastern Massachusetts area ... so I'm really excited to host them at Buster's," Reilly said.
While it'll still be a few more months before Buster's hits the road, Reilly will surely have a lot of stories to tell when it does. So far, she said it's been surreal watching her dream slowly take shape.
"It brings me to tears to see how supportive people are," Reilly said of her Somerset family. "We love it here. We've built a really awesome community here and have fallen in love with the people and the businesses here. I'm just so excited to be a part of it."
For more information on Buster's Bookhouse or to follow its progress, visit Buster's Facebook or check out bustersbookhouse.com.
In the meantime, you can also head to Buster's page on Bookshop.org, where you can buy books that will be sent directly to you while supporting independent bookstores. Check it out at https://bookshop.org/shop/bustersbookhouse
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Somerset family converting vintage camper into mobile bookstore
