Chapter Twenty Mobile Bookstore Debuts in Baton Rouge, La.; Robert Gray on Bookstore Dreams

Chapter Twenty, a mobile bookstore operating out of a converted race car trailer, has launched in Denham Springs, La., and surrounding areas. The business was founded by longtime friends Courtney DeGraw and Nikki Rowland, inspired by a mobile bookstore seen on TikTok. They found the trailer on Facebook Marketplace and renovated it to house shelves and a children’s section. Chapter Twenty stocks historical fiction, romance, fantasy, and mystery novels. Rowland said the name reflects their friendship of almost 20 years. The bookstore partners with local businesses and is available for private events. Marigold’s Bookstore in Bartlesville, Okla., is moving to a larger location.

  • Chapter Twenty is a mobile bookstore built inside an 8-by-20 race car trailer.
  • The business was launched by Courtney DeGraw and Nikki Rowland, longtime friends for whom the idea was born “after DeGraw saw someone in another part of the country launch their own mobile bookstore on TikTok.”
  • “We’re almost at 20 years of friendship, so this is our next chapter.”
📚 BookAddict’s Take: If you dream of bookselling but lack the capital for a brick-and-mortar store, the Chapter Twenty model proves that creative solutions can bring books to readers anywhere.

Source: Shelf Awareness (newsletter)  | 
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