WAUPUN — Downtown Waupun is getting another business this week with the opening of Charming Reads, a used book store opening in the former Masonic Block.
Charming Reads is owned by Meaghan DeJager, who announced their opening last November.
“I’ve been a book lover for years,” she wrote in a Facebook post in December. “I got my master’s degree in library science at the University of Iowa. I’m currently a librarian but I’ve had the itch to start a bookstore for a while because I can combine everything I love about books and preserving them.”
The selection includes a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, and genre works, as well as an area for kids books in the downstairs room. There are two chairs in the middle of the shop that will soon have a coffee table.
Two rolling ladders are also attached to the main bookshelves. Along with the shelves and front desk, they were built by Meaghan’s husband who is a woodworker.
“I’m super pumped about my ladders because that’s every person’s dream as a kid when you want a library to have the ladders like in Beauty and the Beast,” Meaghan said. “And everything in here, besides a few items, had been donated or I bought from the community, so that’s amazing.”
There is also a selection of journals and small gift items, including crafts which her family have been working on. Prices for books generally range from $6 to $15, depending on the quality and popularity of the book. They currently have a total of about 1,200 volumes in stock.
The shop will be open 9AM to 2PM Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and 9AM to 6PM Thursday and Friday. It can be found at 20 S. Madison Street, the south-most shop on the Masonic Block building.
Two other businesses are also opening next week, including the Madeline Clothing Company and Kartechner and Girls Flower Co.
Madeline Clothing Company was established in Brownsville but is making the move to Waupun to expand and meet more customers in the area. It can be found next door to Stone + Suede and will open Thursday, March 21.
Kartechner and Girls Flower Co. is also opening next door to Charming Reads at 18 S. Madison Street, and will offer a variety of plants and plant-themed decorations. Its grand opening will also be held on March 21.
