Businesses in Mobile make our world go round. Welcome to our monthly Partner of the Month feature, "In the Spotlight," where local businesses' excellence is celebrated within our community. We are thrilled to showcase March's Partner of the Month, The Haunted Book Shop. Join us for a Q&A session with The Haunted Book Shop's owner, Angela Trigg.
Angela Trigg, Owner of The Haunted Book Shop Mr. Bingley, Shop Cat at the Haunted Book Shop
Q: When did the business open?
A: October 2018
Q: What services or products does your business offer?
A: We're an independent bookstore in downtown Mobile specializing in genre fiction. Our stock is mostly new, and in addition to well-stocked genre fiction, we also have a large children's and young adult section. We also host a monthly book club, and regularly host book events, including authors on book tours.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job? (Or owning a business in Mobile?)
A: Being a part of our wonderful community! Getting to see kids coming in, excited to see a new book out in their favorite series, hearing them choosing us over ice cream, or showing around a friend to their favorite parts of the store.
Q: What is your business most known for?
A: Our friendly and knowledgeable staff
Q: Do you have any specific hashtags or catchphrases for your business?
A: We stock books that might be haunting you! You know, how there's a book you've been meaning to read and it won't let you alone until you finally do? That's ultimately the meaning behind our name
Q: How do you enjoy spending your free time?
A: Um, what free time? When I do have free time, I'm reading, or visiting my family in New Orleans
Q: Share a fond memory of your time as a business owner in Mobile.
A: The time a young boy was so insistent about wanting to buy a book and his mother said he didn't know how to read (he was of an age where he'd be starting to) – she said she'd tried everything, and I finally opened up a BOB Books box and had him start there. I'm in my office, and I heard him tentatively read out loud! I had tears in my eyes as that little boy walked out of the store reading that book as he went!
Q: What do you think makes your business unique?
A: We're a retail store, but it's not like other retail. We're a Third Place and I really enjoy the community that we've built up since we opened.
Q: What do you think makes Mobile unique?
A: The architecture, the funkiness, and it feeling like a small town even though it's a mid-sized city
Q: What has been your most meaningful accomplishment so far?
A: Opening this store and still being in business 5 years later and having such a great staff – in an age where everyone's first place to go buy a book is Amazon, it's truly humbling that we've made it so far!
Q: Fun fact that people might not know about your business!
A: It's named after the bookstore that was here for 50 years and co-founded by my grandmother, Adelaide Marston, and her friend Cameron Plummer.
Q: If you had to recommend one thing for a guest to experience while visiting the area, what would it be?
A: I love to recommend The Carnival Museum as it really highlights how different our city is from others.
All photos are courtesy of The Haunted Book Shop.
