Cate Akaveka from Books by the Sea, formerly Mary Ryan’s, has given the shop a new look at their new location on the Esplanade in Hervey Bay
The book shop stocks a range of eclectic books that you wouldn’t be able to find in big department stores as an alternative option for local customers. They also provide a service that they will find and order you any book you are looking for as long as the book is available in print form.
It is important for an area like the Fraser Coast to support local shops to keep them in business. The development of big shopping centres brings large retail stores that local stores can’t compete with.
“Every town needs a book store and if it’s not supported it won’t be here anymore,” Cate said.
Many towns across Australia are being left without independent book stores that put time and passion into books and ensuring that locals have an opportunity to read. Books by the Sea is making sure that they are also helping support locals in every way possible as they have recently changed their coffee to a local company. Having a coffee shop attached creates an ambiance that allows people to come and have tea or coffee around books. Rainy days and weekends are the best days for reading a book with a hot drink. The atmosphere is calm and pleasant and great for people to come in alone and not feel alone.
Books by the Sea provides many events for locals as well. You can attend book clubs, ‘Brilliant Women’ talks, children’s events, Coffee Tea philosophy group and kids’ workshops that run through school holidays. Books by the Sea does a lot of work with the local libraries like being heavily involved with the Lines in the Sand Festival each year. Recently they had Meg Keneally attend a Lines in the Sand talk and are now stocking the latest of the Keneally books as well as being able to get copies of the previous books in the series if you have not read them already.
Cate said that the biggest support of printed books is children and teenagers. They enjoy the time of not being on screens when the rest of their lives are. Half an hour of reading before bed has been said to drastically improve sleep and ensure you wake up well rested. Books by the Sea hopes that all ages will find or re-find their love for reading by coming in and having a local coffee and a good read.
Have you picked up a copy of our magazine?
Available at Hervey Bay Stockland’s, Night Owl, Food n Groove, Maryborough Art Gallery, and various other newsagents throughout the Fraser Coast..
There’s more!
Recent Posts / View All Posts
