It’s been 1 year and 9 months since I started down this journey of becoming a bookstore owner. In actuality, its been many more years in dreaming, planning, researching, and training, for Culinarian Bookshop to become an official business. Even though, I do not have a brick and mortar location, yet, I have been able to meet other bookish foodies like me from all over.
I’ve created an online book club community with now 87 members, connected with members in my local community though fundraising and pop-up shop events, and I am making more collaborative events with local food authors. My success in not measured in sales, but in the impact I am having on my community. I feel like I’m going in the right direction!
I say this because Culinarian Bookshop was just awarded a full scholarship to attend the annual Winter Institute hosted by the National organization, American Booksellers Association (ABA). When I shared with ABA how Culinarian Bookshop is working toward bringing wellness to the community through books and events related to food, their committee must have seen the potential our little shop has for effect change. With a mission to help families cook more and read more, we hope to inspire the next generation to be healthy readers and eaters.
There have been many studies done on the health benefits of reading and many more on healthy eating habits. It probably is not shocking to hear that reading, cooking home cooked meals and gathering in community are essential for good health. Studies have shown that reading promotes healthy relationships, improves sleep, reduces stress and can even extend your life by a few extra years! You can read more about these studies in my post, Reading for Wellness.
If you would like to be apart of this community effort, you can! Join our Community Supported Bookshop program, today and bring wellness into your life along with that of the community. Read more about our CSB program.
