Touchy-feely: Stone Soup Books offers something the virtual e-tailers can’t

Posted in New Dominion Tourist Magazine | 1 comment

You can read a book – any book, practically – on an e-reader or smart phone.

At some point, though, you’re going to want to talk about it with somebody.

“Whether you can somehow remove yourself away from the technology to actually share a meal with somebody, listen to music, touch somebody else, that’s another question,” said Mary Katherine Froelich, the owner of Stone Soup Books and Cafe, an independent bookstore that is marking its fifth year in business this year.

It’s an interesting time to be in the book business. Amazon has led the charge toward e-books that at first glance would seem to spell doom for locally-owned independent bookstores.

Stone Soup has found its niche in the personal touch.

“Our competitors are virtual, but you can’t go there and connect with other people, touch the book physically, discuss it with other people who might show you another way to look at the book. That’s what being a locally-owned independent bookstore is about,” said Froelich, whose bookstore has a busy schedule of group discussions on books in genres ranging from history to classic literature to poetry.

The calendar at Stone Soup also includes a popular Friday-night music series that moves outside to the patio behind the bookstore in the spring and summer.

The cafe part of Stone Soup Books and Cafe is worth writing about in its own right, featuring the efforts of chef Laura Bon Cash.

The combination of books, discussions, music and good food have made Stone Soup a must-see stop for visitors to the River City.

“When people come to a place like Waynesboro, they want to be a part of something that is uniquely local,” Froelich said. “We’re fortunate to have been able to find our niche here.”
 

On the web

StoneSoupBooks.net

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