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Manhattan Beach, CA, February 2010 — At a time when book buying trends lean more towards e-books, Amazon, warehouse-type stores like B&N and deep discounters such as Walmart and Costco, three committed bibliophiles have decided to buck the trend and open pages: a bookstore in the laidback Los Angeles beachside community of Manhattan Beach.
Patty Gibson, Linda McLoughlin Figel and Margot Farris are so passionate about books that they have decided to team up and create Manhattan Beach’s first independent bookstore in many years. As longtime locals of one of Los Angeles’s oldest surf towns, bucking the tide seems only natural to the founders of pages: a bookstore. And given that the town’s 33,000 residents are as comfortable in Jimmy Choos as they are in flip-flops, the book-loving trio is confident that a locally owned and operated bookstore will appeal to the community’s eclectic demographic. Knowing their town well, these women believe locals will support a place where one can pick up a real book, feel and turn its pages while rubbing elbows with other booklovers.
Undaunted by the Big-Box booksellers located in the numerous malls nearby, pages founders are hoping that a local bookstore catering specifically to the South Bay will become “…a community gathering place where locals can find thought-provoking books that usually get lost in the Big-Box shops, as well as attend great events, book clubs and writer’s workshops,” says pages co-founder Patty Gibson.
“We love books,” says co-founder Margot Farris, “and we love talking to people about the books we love. Our hope is that by creating an environment where books can be celebrated, we’ll inspire others to share their passion for books with us and thereby help us build a bookstore filled not only with great books, but also with ideas and energy.”
In addition to providing residents with “The best in books,” pages will offer a unique selection of coffee table and gift books. “Books make great gifts,” says Linda McLoughlin Figel. “In fact, we believe books make the best gift! What else can you give someone that endures, inspires and informs? How better to show someone your affection or appreciation than with a book chosen especially for them?”
Scheduled to open in early March 2010, pages is located a block from the beach at 904 Manhattan Avenue. A “booklovers launch party” will be held March 12, and booklovers of all ages are invited to attend. Only time will tell if pages can buck the Big-Box trend, but given the passion of its founders and the dynamic nature of the South Bay community, it’s very likely this tale of perseverance against all odds will have a happy ending.
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pages: a bookstore, located at 904 Manhattan Avenue in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach, provides South Bay residents and visitors with a broad range of quality selections in fiction, non-fiction, children’s and gift books. This locally owned, independent bookstore is the first in Manhattan Beach, California, in over ten years. pages: a bookstore was founded with the intention of encouraging reading, broadening perspectives and nurturing local book clubs. Its founders are committed to creating a welcoming environment staffed by knowledgeable, passionate salespeople – a place where reading, writing and creative expression is encouraged, and a place where ideas, curiosity and community spirit are celebrated. More information is available at www.pagesabookstore.com.
Press Contact:
Margot Farris
margot@pagesabookstore.com
310-706-5965
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