Once in a Blue Moon: Bookstore opens in Canton

Jun. 25—CANTON — Nestled on Main Street in downtown Canton is a cozy local indie shop called Blue Moon Books.

Bonnie and Greg Owens experienced a once-in-a-blue moon opportunity when they were able to open a new bookstore in Canton earlier this year.

They opened Blue Moon Books because they wanted Canton to have its own bookstore and it was important to them to support teachers. The response to the new store has been positive, the Owenses said.

The Owens' focus on upcycling and recycling books and making sure there are good books at reasonable prices for their customers.

Instead of a guest book, an old manual typewriter is available for customers to write messages as they come in the door.

Favorite memories at new location

Greg Owens said that customers tell him the book store feels like it has always been there. "They said it's the feeling they get and the cozy atmosphere," he said.

Their first customer was an old friend, Ryan Buchanan, a former member of the church youth group they once ran. Buchanan is now a therapist/counselor and his office is in downtown Canton. He showed up opening day and typed the first message on the typewriter, which doubles as a guestbook for customers to sign.

"It was very special to have him be the first one when we opened the door that morning," Bonnie Owens said.

Long term goals

Since Blue Moon Bookstore is new, hours and scheduling are still in the works, along with plans for special events. One recent change was to extend the bookstore's Thursday hours to 6:30 p.m., to run the same time as Smathers Farmers and Public Market. The Owenses also plan to have special sales for the holidays and a craft weekend.

"During the summer we plan to add children's activities," said Bonnie Owens.

Greg Owens said they want to do book clubs in the future. "We want people to be able to see that the bookstore is more than just a bookstore," he said.

"We are also working on bringing in more inventory," including more non-fiction as well as fiction.

When the Owenses opened the bookstore it was important to them to have a small-town identity, so they are open to feedback about what community members want to read.

Their new location is bigger than their Wall Street Bookstore in Waynesville, and they plan to use the extra space for events in the future.

Their history

Bonnie grew up in Waynesville, and Greg is originally from Arizona. He graduated from Western Carolina University and wanted to stay in the area.

The Owenses wanted to open a bookstore because they're book lovers, and they found it hard to choose just a few books to buy. "When you love books, it's hard going into a bookstore to choose a book," Greg Owens said.

"We also have a system where customers can bring in their own books for trade credit," Bonnie said. "Customers can also use this to open an account."

Staff picks

There are endless possibilities for a favorite book, said the Owense, so they have started a section of books their staff recommends — usually what the staff is currently reading.

The bookstore also offers different genres of books, which adds to the difficulty of choosing a favorite. Bonnie said she really likes working with the children's section and the YA (young adult) section and Greg likes reading true stories and outdoor stories.

They said they are fans of the Harry Potter series and each of their three children has their own set.

During the Christmas season, at their Wall Street Books location, the Owens have a Harry Potter-themed Christmas tree and they plan to have that at the Canton bookstore, too.

Blue Moon Bookstore is like a treasure hunt. With the option of being able to trade books for store credit, shoppers will never know what they will find in between the pages of the books.