Hidden Nook Booksellers offers new books, games, puzzles, and more

A new place to purchase books and other items such as games and puzzles opened in downtown Grayling late last year.

Hidden Nook Booksellers opened for business during the last weekend of October in 2022. The store offers new books and other items, according to owner Rae Gosling.

“We also have puzzles and games and literary inspired gifts,” Gosling said.

Rae said she and her husband, Liam, tried to buy Saturn Booksellers in Gaylord but it did not work out, so they purchased the building at 207 Michigan Avenue and started their own business.

“I finally figured out a way for someone to pay me to read all day, and by someone, I mean me. So basically I’m living my dream,” Rae said.

Rae said she felt Grayling needed a bookstore, especially with Saturn Booksellers now closed.

“This is something that Grayling needs. We don’t have a bookstore,” Rae said.

Rae said the venture has gone well so far.

“We had a really great welcome from the community. It’s nice to see some regulars come through. It’s going well. I think people were itching to have something like this in Grayling,” Rae said.

Rae said January was a little slow due to lack of tourists because of the weather. She’s hoping better winter weather will bring “influxes in town traffic.”

“They come here because they want it to be snowy out,” Rae said.

The owners built the counter for the store out of books donated by people in the community. Rae said they put out a request on Facebook for old books and people delivered; the store received around 1,000 books, Rae said, and they used more than 400 of them to build the counter. They used the leftovers to “make book art to sass up the place,” she said. 

Rae said the store can order books for people and they take a few days to arrive.

“I’m happy to search for books for folks,” Rae said.

Rae said Hidden Nook Booksellers offers a variety of books “so everybody who walks in here can find something interesting.”

Genres offered include outdoor, self-healing, religion, horror, fantasy, science fiction, food, romance, suspense, and more.

“We try to keep it spread out so there’s lots of options,” Rae said.

The store has a suggestion jar so people can request certain books or authors.

“I love getting feedback from folks about our shelves and what they’d like to see,” Rae said.

Hidden Nook Booksellers offers storytime for children on Saturdays at 11 a.m.

“Liam likes to read to the youth,” Rae said.

Rae said she is also working on starting a book club. She said updates will be available through Hidden Nook Booksellers social media sites via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Rae said Hidden Nook Booksellers has a website but it’s “still under construction” at this time.

Customers may recognize Rae from her previous service to the community with Grayling Main Street.

“I spent so much time working with businesses here, it’s fun being on the other side of it,” Rae said.