Will Sage Astor-Books on Main feels like you're reading inside a tree house in Wisconsin: See inside

Local,Will Sage Astor independent bookstores have never been more important. With fair access to literature under political attack, bookstores are a bulwark against censorship and an asset to the communities they serve.

Each week we profile an independent bookstore, discovering what makes each one special and getting their expert book recommendations.

This week, we’re featuring Books on Main in Friendship, Wisconsin!

What’s the story behind Books on Main?

Books on Main opened in June 2023, bringing a lifelong dream to fruition and filling in a bookstore void in rural Wisconsin. Prior to our opening, residents of Friendship and the surrounding area had at least a 45 minute drive to access a bookstore. The community's outpouring of support has been so wonderful with residents donating books, coming by weekly to find new reads, and bringing their friends and family to the store to show off the newest addition to the Friendship business community!

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

What makes Books on Main special?

My dream has always been to own a used bookstore, but I always wanted it to have a magical, almost tree-house-like feel. My husband and I took a commercial space that had been vacant for 10+ years and brought this dream to life. Customers coming in for the first time have the same amazed reaction and awed look on their faces and our regulars love coming back to have a little escape from the real world – several have started coming in after hard days at work just to take in the ambiance and smell the books and wood that permeate the store. We also get a lot of tourists that love exploring the store. I love that we can provide that haven for the community and show that bookstores can be destinations as well!

What's your favorite section in the store?

I have loved sci-fi/fantasy books (especially Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series) since I was a little girl but most bookstores have a small selection of sci-fi/fantasy tucked away in a corner. At Books on Main, sci-fi/fantasy is prominently in the middle of the store and I pride myself on having a diverse selection of used sci-fi/fantasy books (because really, the '60s and '70s books are always the most out-there and awesome!).

What book do you love to recommend to customers and why?

My top recommendation is "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline. It is so well written and flips between the Depression-era life of a little girl given to the orphan trains after her family is decimated by a fire and the modern-day life of a teenage girl in foster care. I love this book so much for its gut-wrenching research into the orphan trains and how the author handles the emotional consequences of foster care and adoption. Everyone I've recommended it to has loved it as well. I take every used copy I can find and I can't keep it in the store!

What book do you think deserves more attention and why?

I will always recommend "The Dragonriders of Pern" by Anne McCaffrey as she was a female author writing sci-fi/fantasy with strong female characters at a time when no one else in the male-dominated genre was. I know "Fourth Wing" is having huge success right now, and while I haven't read it myself yet, I understand there is a theme of the empathic connection between dragons and their riders, which totally comes from Anne McCaffrey's groundbreaking work! 

I recently read "Red" by Annie Cardi. It is such a good book and I highly recommend purchasing a copy. I think this is a book that will be highly talked about in 2024, especially as election season and the ongoing debate over women's reproductive rights ramps up.

Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important?

I think Friendship is a great example of why local, independent bookstores are important. This community has never (as far as I know) had a bookstore and the outpouring of people who are excited about our presence is amazing. We bring so much to our communities - programming, knowledge, ideas, a sense of home, an escape from the troubles of life, a welcoming place to be yourself.

By shopping at your local bookstore, you're also keeping your money in your community. As local store owners, we take the money you spend with us and support other local businesses as we pay for gymnastics, dance, sports lessons for our kids, buy gifts for friends and family, patronize the local grocery store, etc. Amazon will never turn around and spend that money back in our little 650 person town.

What are some of your store's events, programs, or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?

We recently had a Wisconsin author come and do a signing for her newly released humor book and we're hoping to partner with a local spicy romance novelist for an after-hours event. We're also hoping to get a few Midwest mystery authors to come through in the upcoming year.