Gingerbread Bookshop

We interviewed Brianne Colombo, owner of the newly opened Gingerbread Bookshop. Read what she has to say about her love for the local community and her passion for making people feel at home in her shop.

What inspired you to open a bookstore?
I am, by and large, a dreamer. I’ve spent my career working in public libraries. I am drawn to work that stands for sustainability, access, and equity; work that involves in-person conversation, human connection, and ultimately creates resilience: community-building work. And, curating book collections has always been at the heart of what I do. If I’m paying close enough attention, the books will speak to the interests, aid the needs, and pique the curiosity of the people accessing it. In a time when intellectual freedom is increasingly threatened, I felt continually called to open this bookshop. 

What do you love most about the local community? 
Well, the most rewarding part of opening a bookshop has been the genuine, welcoming support and generosity I have witnessed and received. I think that speaks volumes about the residents, organizations, institutions, and small businesses that make up Boonton, and it says so much about the many book-reading folks stopping by from neighboring towns. There is a connecting pulse resonating throughout this community.

What makes your bookstore different from others in the area?
I think every bookstore is different, in the same way every bookseller is different. Bookstore owners create collections. What I choose to put out on the shelves is weighed very carefully. What will this book offer a reader? What types of books do I want to share? What titles will benefit my community? These questions, and hundreds more, are all part of the process that allows me to develop an inherently original space. 

What do you hope people feel when they walk into your bookstore?
It is my genuine hope that Gingerbread shares the same warmth that my grandma’s living room always offered me: a familiar, welcome room, well-lit and cozy, regardless of the season or time of day. May it feel like a place where time slows down, and you can fall away from the quick pace of your week, share a meaningful conversation, or wander in the quiet and let your thoughts roam. Each time you stop in, I’m wishing you a sense of belonging and joy.