Author Charity Alyse is launching her mobile book store next month. She hopes to bring a mini-book shop to readers at places like coffee shops, farmer’s markets and book events.
An author and former township resident is launching a mobile book store next month named for one of her favorite authors.
Charity Alyse will hold a grand opening for Austen’s Shelf – as in the English novelist Jane Austen – at the Cherry Hill Mall outside of Nordstrom and the E-Bar all day from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 5 to 7.
Austen’s Shelf operates out of a fully renovated 7-by-14-foot enclosed trailer, equipped with wallpaper, a hand-painted fireplace mantle and books of all genres for all ages. The mobile store will also bring a mini-book shop to coffee retailers, farmer’s markets, wineries, breweries, book clubs and even weddings.
“This is something that I can do right now in following my dream,” Alyse said, “and (it’s) also something that is a little bit different than a brick-and-mortar bookstore … It’s still something that offers unique stories to readers, but it brings it to them. It’s nothing that stays in the same place.”
Alyse was born in Willingboro and lived in Moorestown for three years. A few months ago, she had a breast cancer scare when two tumors were found on her left breast. She was going back and forth to the doctors more times than she could count, and at only 29, Alyse described it as a scary experience.
But the ordeal also made her question what she would have regretted never doing if she had ended up being diagnosed with breast cancer. The first thing that came to mind was opening a book store.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s also been just such a place of peace just throughout everything that I’ve been going through personally,” Alyse explained. “ … Everyone has been so excited and on board, and I feel like I’ve gained new friends from this experience, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Alyse wanted to create a way for books to come to readers in the state, especially for those like her who lived farther south and therefore lacked indie book stores nearby. When she announced Austen’s Shelf on social media, Alyse got a great response with some of her videos, with views in the hundreds of thousands.
“I’m really hoping that when people step inside of Austen’s Shelf – or when it shows up at their local coffee shop or their local farmer’s market – that they know that what they’ll find inside is a story for everybody,” Alyse noted.
“ … My main goal is I hope they (readers) know that reading is for everyone. Everyone should have access to affordable books.”
The mall is just the tip of the iceberg for Austen’s Shelf. More pop-ups are listed at www.austensshelf.com or the shop’s Instagram and TikTok for the month of September. It will also be on hand often at Grounded Coffee in Maple Shade.
