GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) — A new bookstore has opened across the street from Grandview Heights, bringing bonus offerings with it as well.

Signs in the window of Serenity Book Shop, which opened Aug. 19 at 1806 W. 5th Ave., advertise books as a staple, but also “crystals, coffee and tea, plants and more.” Owner Shanna Tiggs picked the location on the border of the Fifth by Northwest neighborhood and Grandview Heights to allow space for the variety of attractions.

“It had everything I was looking for when I planned out the details of the bookstore,” Tiggs said. “I knew I wanted a small kitchen and bar area because we would be selling coffee, tea, and wine. I knew I wanted a stage for our live music and other events, two bathrooms, and I wanted it to be located in a community and business area with a lot of foot traffic.”

Tiggs had been planning to open a bookstore for several years, and found the time needed during the pandemic to bring her first small business idea to life. While she personally prefers history or mystery books, she noted the shop has a wide offering of stories in multiple genres. A sign inside also reads “Can’t find the book you’re looking for? We can order it online.”

While ebook and audiobook sales have trended upward, data from Statista’s Advertising and Media Outlook shows that printed books far outsell them in the United States. Tiggs has a theory on why physical books continue to dominate.

“Many readers grew up with physical books and have an emotional attachment to them,” Tiggs said. “Many like to enjoy the tactile experience of holding a physical book, flipping through its pages, and even the smell of printed paper.”

That said, the store owner also has a plan to add tech-based options to its array.

“We’re also in the process of offering ebooks and audiobooks through Libro, that option will be available on our website within a week,” Tiggs said.

Tiggs welcomed the public to come visit Serenity Book Shop during its open hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Contact details and information on its inventory of books are available on the store’s website.