Reading Horizontally

Get horizontal in your backyard hammock with a book from Horizontal Books. Horizontal Books is newly opened on West 25th Street. Formerly operating as online-only booksellers, owners David Kallevig and Scott Greer have opened in the space previously occupied by The Bookstore on W. 25th. Manager James Rosenburg says they love the location and think it's “a great neighborhood.”

The Cleveland entrepreneurs have been working hard to transform the space into an attractive, well-lit, uncluttered space filled with hand-built pine shelving. Horizontal Books received a warm welcome into the neighborhood because The Bookstore on W 25th was sorely missed when it closed after 30 years in the book business. Horizontal Books opened in April.

Unlike the “You've Got Mail” store in the movie, this local shop can compete with Borders and Barnes & Noble. Their prices beat the big retailers. Believe it or not, you save 50% off when you buy your first book, 60% off on your second book, and 70% off the third one. It's easy to get excited by books that are not on the best seller list or prominently displayed at Borders. When I go back, I may buy Executricks or How to Retire While You're Still Working by Stanley Bing or Care Packages for the Workplace by Barbara Glaz. I admit that I ignored the science fiction and biography sections but the pictures in Patagonia by Axel Bos and Danil Rivademar caught my attention.

I might suggest you read literature and fiction while horizontal in the hammock, but you'll probably want to be in the kitchen with a cookbook, next to the computer when flipping through a computing guide, or standing in your yard planning your flower beds when you open up a gardening book. The store is also stocked with all types of fiction, including graphic novels, non-fiction ranging from the arts to reference, audio books, and children's literature. The book sections are designated in chalk on small vertical chalkboards attached to the open shelving.

Horizontal Books was named for the way the books are displayed. All the books in the store are displayed front cover facing out for our browsing pleasure. David, Scott, and James built the rows of shelves, brightened the walls with paint, installed tile, and repaired or replaced lighting. The shelving took extra thought to get them to face out with room behind for horizontal copies. I've been told that David, Scott, and James wanted to make the books as easy to shop for as possible, but the chosen way of showcasing the books does more than that--it makes each book, and its author, special.

The on-line business (college textbooks are no longer part of the business) is run in conjunction with the retail store, which allows a large inventory that grows by 150-300 titles daily. The on-line business was developed over the last four years. “We sell between 600-700 books daily to people all around the world,” explains David Kallevig. “Customers can get a better deal in the store than if they buy the book from us on the Internet because they don't have to pay shipping charges on each book individually.” Although browsing the store can be fun, the internet will continue to be the backbone of the enterprise that is Horizontal Books.

The store is located at 1921 W. 25th Street. Parking is available on the street or behind the store. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 10AM until 6PM. For more information, visit http://www.HorizontalBooks.com. Stop by for some heady browsing the next time you're at the West Side Market or the Great Lakes Brewing Company.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Claudia Taller, whose passion for words has led to creation of the Lakeside Word Lover’s Retreats, an outgrowth of her work with Skyline Writers. Her favorite foods are red wine, salmon, ice cream, and chocolate. She loves to read, write, tour wineries, ride her bike, ease into yoga, and cook gourmet meals for friends. Find her at http://www.claudiatallermusings.blogspot.com.

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