Browsing the Books: Duluth Bookstores Remain Strong

For some people, reading a book is like taking a journey.

And for those looking to take a short break from their regular lives, there are plenty of places in Duluth where you can get your ticket to take off.

At Second Look Books in Lincoln Park, you'll likely find Pennie Turncott sorting her collection of fiction books or maintaining jigsaw puzzles on the ceiling.

She's been at it for 18 years.

“I love the people that come into a bookstore,” Turncott said. “Everybody's got ideas and information and I learn something every single day."

And inside what still looks very much like a church is actually a store called Chester Creek Books and Antiques, a place Mark Kilen began uniquely creating five years ago.

"I just love the open space,” Kilen said. “I can arrange things in the manner I like without having the straight rows that you often see in bookstores."

Here you'll find a wide selection of books from academics to children's reads.

And just a few blocks east at Amazing Alonzo, you may be surprised by how many books there are to choose from.

Barb Plumb has been running this shop since 1982; long enough to see different fads come in and out.

“There was romantic suspense then there's the vampire then there's the courtroom drama and so things do change."

And speaking of things changing, what about new ways of reading, like e–books, tablets and computers?

Could that hurt these small, local shops?

“Bookstores are not going away,” Plumb said. “People are still excited and they should be."

In fact, all three owners aren't fretting over the new digital craze.

"It's a comfort level having books and it’s also a comfort level having a bookshelf full of books,” Kilen said.

“You can take your paperback and hand it on to anybody,” Turncott said.

“Theres the uniqueness and the character of going in and handling the books, going to areas you probably wouldn't have if you were going online,” Plumb said.

Because for some, getting a physical book is the same feeling as reading itself..

It's something special; a journey through a store and a memory you can keep passing on.