The last day of July finds our little book cooperative fully in the midst of our busy summer season. Customers come and go, clutching the treasures they've found on our shelves, and orders are coming in daily on our new Indielite e-commerce site. This month we're highlighting our fantastic selection of local books and merchandise, reminding us all that this valley, our valley, is home to some fascinating people, places, and history. We are also busy preparing for our second anniversary celebration coming up in August. Two years! We've make it through these first two years as a cooperative, including what was undeniably a tough spring season, thanks to the support of all of you. Our customers, members, owners, volunteers...so many people have come together to make our bookstore a vibrant part of downtown. Thank you all!
Celebrate Local!
Our Valley is home to some wonderful local authors, and full of places that have inspired stories, legends, and...books! On the eve of our second year anniversary, we're honoring this mystical place we call home, and all of the history, people, cultures and lands that make up the San Luis Valley.
Click below to visit our online store Local section, where you can browse and shop the following categories:
Places Culture People Legends, Myth, Ghosts, Mysteries and More Trains Mining Indigenous/Native Other Local and Regional History
Did we mention we LOVE local authors?
Here's a sampling from our shelves:
Native Americans used the healing waters of the Wagon Wheel Gap hot springs for thousands of years prior to American settlement. An area rich in geologic features enticed pre-treaty explorers. But it was the 1873 Brunot Treaty that brought mining interests and a silver boom to the San Juans. Modernization to a first-class resort followed. More than three thousand acres and six miles of world-class fishing attracted illustrious guests such as Walt Disney, John Wayne and Dwight Eisenhower. Follow the history of this century-old ranch in Sandra Wagner's new book, 4UR Ranch at Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Resort, A History.
Dr. Joe I. Vigil—known simply as “Coach” to virtually everybody he has ever met—rose from poverty to become a towering figure in the running world. Coach has won 19 national championships and coached 425 All-Americans, 22 Olympians…and an army of “Vigilantes” who seek to emulate his unique blend of compassion, competitive spirit, and commitment to others.
In this long-overdue biography about America’s preeminent distance-running coach, author and Vigilante Pat Melgares shares Coach Vigil’s tale not just through the consummate storyteller’s own words but also through those of more than 50 family members, friends, former runners, and foes who have been shaped by his presence over a lifetime.
More than books!
Our love of all things local goes beyond books, and we are thrilled to carry a selection of locally made goods in the store. Here are just a few of the items we currently have in stock:
Can't find what you want at our bookstore?
Don't turn to Amazon yet!
Check our Bookshop affiliate page to order your book and support us in the process!
Looking for a fascinating plant lore read?
Our favorite herbalist author is back with amazing stories to tell about the untold history of native plants.
History, literature, and botany meet in this charming tour of how humans have relied on plants to nourish, shelter, heal, clothe, and even entertain us. Did you know that during World War II, the US Navy paid kids to collect milkweed’s fluffy white floss, which was then used as filling for life preservers? And Native Americans in the deserts of the Southwest traditionally crafted tattoo needles from prickly pear cactus spines. These are just two of the dozens of tidbits that Tammi Hartung highlights in the tales of 43 native North American flowers, herbs, and trees that have rescued and delighted us for centuries.
Not your cup of tea? Check out this week's Shelf Awareness newsletter. Don't miss releases by your favorite authors, what's going on with your preferred genre', or find an obscure gem. NGBC can order any title referenced, and we can ship it direct to your house.
Happy Book Hunting!
