#Bookends nj full#

This is a community that believes in supporting its small businesses. Dana and Walter have also made this much easier for us. Our staff came with the store and their work has been integral to the smooth transition. 'There isn't the bureaucracy, operating your own business. Pat and Walter Boyer are working harder as booksellers than they did at their corporate jobs, but they are enjoying it much more. So many of our clientele regularly visit the site.' It's a great way to publicize the signings. Boyer told BTW, 'When you log on to our site ( you can click on any of our autographed books by author's name. The heavy schedule of special events and signings, along with the hundreds of autographed books available in the store, have made the store's Web site a terrific tool. When asked by BTW in 1997 to name favorite bookstores, Mary Higgins Clark also included Bookends. ' was named 'Bill Geist Day' in Bergen County, so that was an obvious highlight. Humorist Bill Geist, also a Ridgewood resident, mentioned Bookends in a 1997 interview in BTW. Prominent authors often name Bookends as one of their favorite stops on tours. December brought appearances by Garrison Keillor, Elmore Leonard, William Wegman, and Santa Claus. The list of authors scheduled for January 2003 includes astronaut Scott Carpenter, Pete Hamill, Anne Taylor Fleming, wrestler Jerry Lawler, and Gong Show host and self-styled former CIA covert assassin Chuck Barris. 'We have more signings here than anyone else in the area,' Walter Boyer told BTW. The frequent book signings, which are one of the store's renowned features, are thriving under the new owners. In addition, co-owner Pat Boyer is increasing the inventory mix with high-quality, educational children's toys and games. Boyer sees this as a tremendous opportunity to bring people into the store. However, even the nearby chain bookstores close. Bookstores and other educational businesses are permitted business hours on Sunday. We have done some expansion, particularly of the children's section.'īookends is one of the few area businesses legally open on Sundays due to state blue laws. The Gilligans wanted the store to go to people who were going to carry forward all the work they have done. The store has a very loyal group of supporters, and we don't want to change any of the integrity of the store. 'We have worked closely with Dana and (the other) Walter to assure a smooth transition. The Boyers, who have settled in Ridgewood after years of working in corporate jobs in Manhattan, are approaching changes enthusiastically and cautiously. Up one level, another 3,000-square-foot space is the selling floor for the general bookstore.

#Bookends nj full#

A full 3,000-square-foot space, with a seating capacity of 100, is dedicated to book events and signings. Ownership of Bookends includes a burnished reputation as a top venue for book signings of nationally and internationally known writers and celebrities.

On that day, Dana and Walter Gilligan, store owners for nearly 19 years, handed the keys over to Pat and Walter Boyer, who were beginning their first days as booksellers. As of December 2, new owners took possession of Bookends, in Ridgewood, New Jersey.