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Spotlight On: Old Firehouse Books

Get up close and personal with this week’s featured Independent Bookstore

When you shop this holiday, and all year round, help support independent bookstores in your community by ordering your books early or safely planning an in-store visit. When you shop indie you support your community.

We’re featuring some of the best indie bookshops around the country to celebrate and support the work they do. This week is Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins Colorado. We spoke with Megan Szmyd, the Marketing Manager of the store to get a sense of why it’s so beloved.

What’s the best part about being a bookseller/owning a bookstore?

The best part of being a bookseller–and I don’t know any bookseller who won’t say the same thing–is the community built at the bookstore. Talking to customers about books, finding out what they love, finding the perfect book for them to take home, yelling excitedly with them when they come back for the sequel… That camaraderie, that mutual love of books and paper and ink–that gets me through the days. Sharing the new worlds and great escapes that we hold on our shelves with others–that’s the best part.

How can readers support indie bookstores most effectively?

Think of us first–being a smaller shop, some readers might think we aren’t able to get what they’re looking for, but truth is, we can get practically everything the bigger retailers can. If readers make us their first option, their go-to, and and bigger retailers their last resort, we have a chance of making that connection and community that is so important in the book world. If reviewers link to indies’ websites on Twitter or blogs or Instagram–that’s a really easy change to make that has a major impact. If physical books aren’t a readers’ thing, they can sign up for a Libro.fm account and still support us. Go to an event–or watch a virtual one–and spread the word about how great it was to see the author in your town. Order through us and we’ll ship to you via USPS–a bit of a wait, but worth the patience to support local shops and the postal service! Make your local indie your first thought when you think of books, and do as much of your book buying as you can through us. Just those subtle shifts in thinking to put indies first and foremost makes all the difference.

Please describe a career highlight or a favorite event you’ve ever had at the store.

I think the Old Firehouse Books highlight of forever–and the reason you’ve possibly heard of us before–is the 2015 Neil Gaiman signing, in which 2,000 people wrapped around the building several times and Neil was kind enough to stay until 4 in the morning to sign every book. A more recent event highlight, for me, was our 2018 event with Tamora Pierce, who also stayed until all hours of the night to make sure everyone–new readers and old fans–got the chance to talk to her. More than a few tears were shed that night, and it was a really moving event that showed just how powerful books are and how special the stories we grew up with really are.

A smaller career highlight is one that most booksellers can relate to. A regular customer came into the store one Tuesday and made a beeline for my staff picks shelf, scanning for the newest fantasy title that she’d seen reviewed on the store blog. We got to chatting about what parts of fantasy made it our favorite genre, and she left with a stack of my favorite books that she was so excited to read. There is nothing better than getting a customer to buy one of your favorite books–she got six, and I knew she would appreciate every one of them and that I’d managed to share several hours’ worth of happiness with her. It just fills my heart with joy and I’m always walking on sunshine when I can get anyone to take my best recs home with them.

For folks who are shopping for the holidays, what 3-5 books are you recommending the most?

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is 100%, hands down the staff favorite this year. Even some of our non-fantasy readers absolutely adored it. It’s definitely the breakout hit of the year; the characters are intense and diverse, the setting is lush, the worldbuilding intricate and absorbing, the plot a twisting non-linear narrative that will keep you guessing until the stunning conclusion. Not to be missed!

For literature lovers, we’ve been obsessed with Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Her first book, Homegoing, is a perennial book club favorite and hasn’t left some staff shelves since its debut. Gyasi’s new offering is just as intense and beautiful. A masterpiece for anyone looking for family drama and an exquisite exploration of the pull between religion and science. A must-read.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia doesn’t seem like a holiday title, but if you’re gifting books to those friends and family who love a good haunted house story dripping with character and spine-tingling chills, this book is perfect. Half the staff has still not stopped talking about this one, months after its pub date. Haunting and gripping and deliciously original, if you’re looking for some spooky this season, this one is for you.

For kids, we love every single book in the Princess in Black series by Shannon and Dean Hale. Sweet and strong, Princess Magnolia is beyond cool. With the stamp of approval from one of our bookseller’s 5-year-old, the Princess in Black is the perfect gift for any kid just starting to read on their own. Great for reading out loud with them and for them to reread and practice on their own, this whole series is a charming adventure for kids of all genders looking for a new superhero to love.

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the gorgeous picture book, Louis, written by Tom Lichtenheld and illustrated by our very own bookseller and story-time guru, Julie Rowan-Zoch! Louis is an adorable story for any kiddo with a teddy bear they love–so, you know, every kiddo. It’s endearing and (even though we’re a little biased) the illustrations are simply gorgeous.

What are you personally reading right now?

My personal reading habits are an absolute disaster–I’m never reading only one thing. Currently, my bedside table is stacked with:

• The Archive of the Forgotten, by AJ Hackwith–a fun underworld adventure about Hell’s best librarians
• A lucky advance copy of Lore, by Alexandra Bracken that mixes myth with the modern world and some scrappy teens
• The Feather Thief, by Kirk Wallace Johnson, my token nonfiction book for the season, about one of the strangest heists in history
• The latest graphic novel in the Monstress series by Marjorie Liu, a creepy, complex series with stunning art by Sana Takeda
• Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall, by Alexander Freed because I can never not be reading at least one Star Wars book, and this found-family squadron is my favorite!

Be sure to visit Old Firehouse if you’re in the area, or shop online on their website. Do good, shop small! Find your local bookstore here and support your community.