A books and records shop opens in an old funhouse; books meet pizza in a Bushwick shop; the Milwaukee, Wisc., staple, Reader's Choice, is set to close; and more.
Funhouse Records & Books to Open in Middletown, Mass.: In July, Wild Bill’s Nostalgia will add a new feature, a book and record store inside a portion of a restored funhouse surrounded by the bars of a lion cage. Its owner, Bill Ziegler, is still hunting down $200,000 to complete the restoration of the funhouse, but the shop will open seven days a week next month nonetheless.
Books & Pizza in Bushwick: Forget the wine bar—a Bushwick store has found a more interesting combo: books, vintage clothing, coffee, and pizza. Hybrid bookseller Bookkeepers opened June 22 in a space attached to Bushwick’s Norbert’s Pizza. Owner Stonie Clark, formerly owner of pop-up vintage shop Bad Seeds, brings along some of her former shop's stock.
Literary Bookpost Changes Hands: Bookseller Wendy Beeker is purchasing the Salisbury, N.C., bookstore and changing its name to South Main Book Company. Beeker plans few changes to the interior (aside from, perhaps, a fresh coat of paint), but will beef up the shop's North Carolina history section.
Milwaukee’s Reader’s Choice to Close: The staple of Milwaukee's inner city and Wisconsin's only black-owned and and -operated bookstore will close after nearly 27 years. After operating the store in tandem with her husband for its entire existence, its owner, Carla Allison, will move to Texas.
Religious Store in Austin Closing: Philomathian Religious Books and Gifts, a primarily volunteer-run operation in downtown Austin, will close at the end of June. Co-managers Sharon Wagner and Judy Gerlach made the decision after the store stopped bringing in profits and "just paid the bills."
