Plans to bring a mobile bookshop to Greater Fall River are rolling along
SOMERSET — Buster's Bookhouse has been a labor of love for the Reilly family that's been over a year in the making. Now, Somerset resident and founder Libby Reilly is finally ready to turn the page on her exciting venture.
The wait is over, local book lovers. Soon you can treat your shelves to some new reads as Buster's Bookhouse mobile bookshop gets rolling to spots across the SouthCoast.
Libby and her husband, Shane, are the brains and brawn of the operation, which is housed in a refurbished 1975 Shasta Starflyte trailer.
Renovations on the trailer wrapped up last weekend, and Libby said she is excited to debut her long-time dream-turned-reality later this month.
"It's so much better than I ever could have pictured," Libby said. "I really wanted it to be cozy and have a little bit of a vintage vibe. I just really wanted people to be inspired and excited. It is a novel concept being a mobile bookstore so I really wanted it to match people's expectations when they come in and shop for books but also have this cozy fun space where you can sit."
You certainly won't get lost in Buster's compact shop, but you can cozy up on one of their reading nooks and get lost there — in a book.
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You'll also find a checkout counter, there will be an outdoor setup that will serve as an extension of the trailer, and soon shelves will be lined with books of all genres as she readies for their very first pop-up sale Saturday, Sept. 23.
Libby gives a huge shoutout to her husband who took her ideas and vision and ran with it, building Buster's from the ground — or wheels — up. With his ingenuity, the Reillys were able to really maximize the limited space they had.
"It's a tiny shop but I think people are going to be surprised at what we've done with the space," she said.
Buster's first pop-up book sale slated for Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Cornerstone Community Church Fall Festival, 111 Highland Road, Lakeville. Stop by between noon and 4 p.m., take a tour of the trailer, grab your next page turner, and get some fall fun in while you're there - with pony rides, face painting and more for the kids.
After that, you can catch Buster's at the South Coast Open Air Market in Somerset the following week.
According to Libby, it's been "really humbling and inspiring" watching her dream shop finally come to life and seeing the Buster's community grow over the last year.
"It's so cool when you have this dream and this vision and this crazy idea of what could be and then see it come together and happen and literally grow in front of my eyes as far as the trailer itself," she said.
Even more awe-inspiring, she says, is the way locals have rallied around Buster’s.
"To see people excited about it and really want to be a part of it .. and different local businesses that have reached out excited and wanting to partner is just really confirming and inspiring," Libby said.
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For Libby, the newly minted Buster's is everything she hoped it would be, which is "bringing the community together over a love of books and being able to support local businesses and organizations. It's amazing."
While Buster's is still inching toward its official trailer debut, the wheels have already gotten rolling on other fun Buster's offerings. Their fall book club launched a couple of weeks ago, drawing a great turnout of excited local readers to the Pink Bean in Somerset for book discussion, giveaways and raffles.
"Everyone was from a different walk of life. It was really cool," Libby said.
The way it worked: Participants purchased the pre-order, which also came with a gift from a local maker and a coupon to the Pink Bean for that day. Interested in signing up? There's still time to get in on the club's latest page turner before their next meeting the first week of October. Check the website or Facebook for more details.
Going forward, Libby said plans for Buster's include collaborating with businesses across the SouthCoast. So you'll likely find Buster's popping up in front of your favorite local coffee shop, brewery, beach, restaurant, winery and more.
The goal is for Buster's to be a place where you can "go get your morning cup of coffee and also a book, I think it's the perfect combination," Libby said.
And she'll be specially curating book selections for each event, so each Buster's pop-up pick will offer something different.
For Libby, who has a 2- and a 4-year-old, Buster's is about building a legacy for her family, as well as facilitating community connections through a shared love of reading.
"I want to connect with people and organizations in the community, to be a bright light and to connect through the love of reading but also to inspire people who might not think that they like to read or want to find a new thing to get involved in — whether its a new genre or book club," she said.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Buster's Bookhouse mobile bookshop is almost ready for book lovers
