At The Quill & Candle Bookshop, getting lost in a good book is celebrated.
The bookstore, a recent addition to Longmont’s Prospect New Town neighborhood, is a haven for every kind of reader. Books lining the shelves include entries in the romance, science fiction and fantasy genres. A separate room is filled with reading material for children and teens.
For visitors hoping to stay a while, seats are abundant, from a big couch in the middle of the store to a chair facing a window in the back. There’s plenty to look at besides the books, such as plants, gifts, local artwork and antique furniture. If you stay long enough, one of the owners might even bring you a cup of tea.
Co-owners and married couple Aubri and James Cook owe a lot to books, considering that they met at a Barnes & Noble. Both are passionate about reading, and with The Quill & Candle, they’re taking that passion to the next level.
For Aubri, owning a bookstore was always a “starry-eyed dream,” she said. When a retail space in Prospect New Town became available to rent earlier this year, she knew that the former clothing boutique could make her dream come true. After a summer of renovations, The Quill & Candle Bookshop held its grand opening last week.
Aubri Cook said she wants the store to be a place where people can relax and read whatever book speaks to them.
“We just wanted to create a really cozy, whimsical atmosphere,” she said. “The world feels like a really overbearing and unsafe place right now, so we just want to create a space where people can kind of escape for a little bit.”
The Quill and Candle Bookshop has a robust horror section and a “rare” display containing a signed Ray Bradbury book. The store also features novels published decades ago, which James Cook said other bookstores might ignore in favor of newer releases.
“We wanted to have physical copies of stuff here that we think are great books that may have been forgotten,” he said.
A few new bookstores have come to Longmont this year, including Main Street businesses Vintology and Composition Shop. The other options don’t feel like competition to the Cooks, since they all bring something special to the table.
“You can never have too many bookstores,” Aubri Cook said. “I think what makes an independent bookstore unique is the environment you cultivate.”
The Cooks, who live in Firestone, are both happy to run a business in Prospect New Town. While they said it can be hard spreading the word about their shop beyond Prospect residents, being the development’s only bookstore “feels right.”
“Because this place is so small and tight-knit, everyone was just really supportive and excited that we were going to be here,” Aubri Cook said of Prospect New Town. “That meant the world to me.”
As big Halloween fans, the Cooks are looking forward to the holiday next month. On Oct. 31, The Quill & Candle will be covered in spooky decorations. The Cooks will also serve hot chocolate provided by fellow Prospect New Town business Cavegirl Coffeehouse.
At 2007 100 Year Party Court, The Quill & Candle is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.