Viewpoint Books in Columbus is one of nine independent bookstores located throughout south-central Indiana taking part in the Back Roads Book Crawl Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.
Mike Wolanin | The (Columbus) Republic
By Ryan Trares
Franklin Daily Journal
For The Republic
Clue by clue, the picture will come together.
In her signature series, Nancy Drew has an eye for detail and a sense for sleuthing.
Throughout southern Indiana, intrepid readers will harness the same skills in independent bookshops off the beaten path for what’s being called the Back Roads Book Crawl.
And while Nancy Drew is the theme of the scavenger hunt, there’s no mystery about the goal of the event — emphasizing the important role independent bookstores play in our communities.
“We’re a community hub,” said Beth Stroh, owner of Viewpoint Books in Columbus and creator of the Back Roads Book Crawl. “What independent bookstores do exceptionally well is find those things that people need at a certain time, those books, those authors, so that we can navigate what is sometimes a pretty tough world.”
The Back Roads Book Crawl will unfold at nine shops throughout southern Indiana from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, from Franklin to Greensburg, Columbus to Bloomington, Nashville to Shelbyville. Literacy lovers are invited to stop into these cozy stores for a Nancy Drew-inspired jaunt.
Participants can search for a hidden image related to a Nancy Drew mystery in each shop. Find them to be entered to win prizes from the participating shops.
More importantly, the weekend is a perfect time to stock up on reading material for the upcoming winter while supporting indie booksellers along the way.
“Mostly, we just want to encourage people to visit bookshops that are off the beaten path,” said Tiffany Phillips, owner of Wild Geese Bookstore in Franklin, which is taking part in the event.
The idea to create the Back Roads Book Crawl stemmed from similar events in the past. Stroh has taken part in a variety of other book crawls, most prominently the Indy Indie event organized by Tomorrow Books and held in the spring.
Viewpoint Books happens to be one of the furthest shops on the route, but it served as a great way to gain exposure for the store.
“We have so many people who find out about us that way. It’s such a joy to welcome them into the store, because otherwise they wouldn’t have any way of knowing about us,” Stroh said.
The Back Roads Book Crawl could do something similar, only for businesses in the southern part of the state.
“I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to showcase some of the independent bookstores that are in southern Indiana, that you can reach without even getting on the interstate,” Stroh said. “And what better time than October to take a drive along (State Roads) 46 or 144?”
Organizers put together a collection of independent book stores throughout the south-central part of the state. Viewpoint Books and its counterpart, Viewpoint Books: Chapter Two are based in Columbus, while Morganstern Books is located in Bloomington. Fables and Fairy Tales in Martinsville, Three Sisters Books and Gifts in Shelbyville and Dog-Eared Pages in Greensburg all signed on to take part.
“We have four days, and we wanted to make sure the shops were close enough where you could get to all of them, because there will be prizes for everybody who gets to each one,” Stroh said. “You probably can’t do it on one day, but you have four days to try to get to them all.”
In Nashville, Naughty Dog Books and Fallen Leaf Books are participating. The event serves as an opportunity to showcase what they have to new and old customers alike.
“We have been in the business since 1983 and are a well- established bookstore,” said Carey Spain, owner of Fallen Leaf Books. “We have changed over the years and have become a ‘destination’ bookstore. We feature used, new, old and rare books, which includes a large collection of Indiana interests.”
The book crawl was an easy decision to take part in for Phillips and Wild Geese Bookshop. Being part of the tight-knit indie bookstore community, Phillips and Stroh know each other well, and both have been part of the Indy Indie event.
“Years ago, Beth and I came together to make an indie bookstore tote with the Indiana indies listed on a map, but the number of bookstores has really grown since then,” Phillips said.
With the book crawl planned around Halloween weekend, it made sense to have a theme. Nancy Drew stood out as an ideal thematic choice.
Each store has been given a book to focus on: “The Clue in the Diary” at Fallen Leaf Books, “The Secret of the Old Clock” at Viewpoint, “The Secret at Shadow Ranch” at Wild Geese and so on.
“Visitors will need to find a clue — an element from a Nancy Drew mystery. We’ve taken the first nine Nancy Drew mysteries and chosen an element from them, something from the title and the story,” Stroh said. “They’ll have to get to the store to find that.”
For every clue found, participants will get a bookmark punched in order to win prizes if they collect them all. Bookbags, stickers and other merchandise with the Back Roads Book Crawl logo will be available at the shops for people to buy.
The different shops also have planned special events and activities to correspond with the event.
Wild Geese is partnering with Franklin College to host Dr. Alex Kor and Graham Honaker on Oct. 30. The pair will be discussing their new book, “A Blessing, Not a Burden,” a biography of Kor’s life.
That same night, a variety of booksellers will be popping up with thriller books for Trick or Tat, an open house at Post Mortem Tattoo Parlor in downtown Franklin.
“The bookshop will welcome all of the book trail participants, too!” Phillips said.
Obviously, the Back Roads Book Crawl is a chance to sell some books and market the participating shops while doing something fun.
But at the heart of the event is celebrating all that these shops mean to their communities.
“We provide book fairs to our elementary schools. We have a book bus that we take around. I work with doctors in our community to make sure children get books at the well-checks, so that they’re building home libraries. Those are the kinds of things — independent bookstores focus on readers,” Stroh said. “People who love books, pairing them, letting them meet the authors of the books. You don’t get that from online bookstores. You don’t get that from big-box stores.”
If you go
What: Back Roads Book Crawl, a four-day event encouraging people to visit nine participating bookshops across south-central Indiana. A Nancy Drew-themed scavenger hunt will reward those who spot the clues at each store.
When: Oct. 30-Nov. 2
Where:
- Wild Geese Bookshop, 40 E. Madison St., Franklin
- Viewpoint Books, 548 Washington St., Columbus
- Viewpoint Books: Chapter Two, 425 Washington St., Columbus
- Fallen Leaf Books, 45 S. Jefferson St., Nashville
- Naughty Dog Books, 76 1/2 E. Main St., Nashville
- Fables and Fairy Tales, 38 N. Main St., Martinsville
- Three Sisters Books and Gifts, 7 Public Square, Shelbyville
- Dog-Eared Pages, 114 S. Franklin St. Suite 1, Greensburg
- Morganstern Books, 849 S. Auto Mall Road, Bloomington
