Written by Stephanie Avery
Take a step into Space Cat Books and time slows down while you browse the quirky assortment of books. Soothed by soft jazz music, you can let your mind wander through the collection while you sip on a drink from the mini café. Sister store to Starlandia, Space Cat Books is located right next door to the discount art supply store.
The owner of both stores, Clinton Edminster, can be found hopping from one store to the next. Even though it is a new establishment opened just last week, Edminster said the bookstore has been attracting a lot of attention from previous customers and passersby.
“We had a surprisingly good day the first day we opened our doors,” Edminster said.
In no small part to the jazz music and butter-colored walls, Space Cat Books is already developing a vibe of its own.
“It’s interesting to me because we have a lot of energy in Starlandia,” Edminster said. “It’s a very energetic store, so you need to have an equal amount of energy to go in there. What I’m trying to do here is much calmer. So, I feel people are more inclined to just walk in.”
There isn’t a specific type of book that you cannot find in Space Cat Books. Edminster said he planned to defy genre with the store, accepting only “clever books for all ages.”
“I believe that there are really clever cookbooks, and there’s really clever comics, and there are really clever fiction books, and there are really clever art books,” Edminster said. “In that way, the books inside the store can be just as diverse as the people who walk in, and discovering a new book or genre is part of the experience.”
Space Cat Books was only a concept in the works for about two months before it was fully realized. Edminster had secured the next door location when the property was vacated by its previous owners and rented it out for various events.
“I really felt like it needed ‘A Thing That It Was,'” Edminster said. “We’ve got the stage still, but we needed to know what it was first and foremost: a bookstore.”
Starlandia used to accept books as well, but since most people came into the store looking for art supplies, the books got neglected.
“We had been selling a lot of books, but we were doing a terrible job of selling books because it is an art store,” Edminster said. “So that was the thing. I’ve got an interest in books. I’ve got a place to sell books, and we have books. All of a sudden it just seemed very obvious to do it.”
Just like Starlandia, Space Cat books functions on a trade-in and store credit system. Book prices vary but always offer some discount off new prices. Space Cat Books is also equipped to sell local gifts and handicrafts, which Edminster sources through word of mouth, and features a small “simple” cafe, to encourage visitors to sit, read and socialize as well as shop.
A grand opening for Space Cat Books is tentatively planned for Nov. 3. “We want to wait until we have a little bit more of the gift side down,” Edminster explained.
Check out spacecatbooks.com and follow the store on Facebook and Instagram to find more information about their upcoming events schedule.
