My Best Friends Bookshelf Opens Store at CLACC

By Muriel Nelson

The Clear Lake Area Community Center (CLACC) welcomes My Best Friends Bookshelf as the newest tenant to the center. Danielle Carlson is the innovative proprietor of her updated and cozy bookstore located in Suite 312 at the community center.  The store held a busy Grand Opening on Saturday, August 9, the same day as National Book Lover’s Day!

Danielle enjoys being around books and people, the perfect combination to owning a bookstore. She said her interest in books and their importance became even more meaningful when her children were little. She took them to the local library to acquaint them with books and to develop their desire to pick one up and read it upon occasion. To sum up her viewpoint, ‘If you can get a kid to read, that’s great!’ She did just that with her children. Today she supports this philosophy by having a display of books in her store appropriate for young school-aged children (second grade and up). 

However, most of her inventory is fiction and non-fiction books that would interest us grown-ups. When visiting My Best Friends Bookshelf, plan on taking time to browse the many book titles on the shelves; there is a wide assortment of interesting books, perhaps ones that you intended to read but never got to it…until now.  Eventually she plans on developing an inventory of Western-focused books since there is a following of that genre.

Note that Danielle accepts donations of books, preferably gently read and of any category. She welcomes book contributions to increase the variety of books in the store’s inventory. 

Danielle also sells hand-crafted items that cater to a book-lover’s fancy.  She has T-shirts and sweatshirts with catchy logos for book lovers, handmade covers for books and Kindle Readers, and a large variety of bookmarks.  Since wine is sometimes a preferred pairing to a good book, Danielle also sells themed wine glasses and bottle stoppers. There are also some beautifully scented hand-made candles housed in teacups, mugs and crystal dishware. Not to be forgotten is the cutest family of hand-made gnomes all set to share a bouquet of flowers or ready to sit down with a favorite novel…the perfect gift for an adult or child who relishes a good book!

She opens her bookstore as she winds down her participation in craft fairs and fundraisers. Her times as a vendor at 45th Parallel, Amery Ale Works and similar fairs will be only occasionally while she focuses her efforts at her “homebase” store at the community center. 

Starting September 3^rd, My Best Friends Bookshelf is open on Wednesday & Thursday evenings from 4-7 pm and on Saturday from 9-1. Keep up with the bookstore news by checking its social media accounts:  Facebook- My Best Friends Bookshelf; and Instagram - @mybestfriendsbookshelf24

Danielle Carlson, proprietor of My Best Friends Bookshelf, a  “Woman-owned, teeny tiny bookstore selling new and preloved books, bookshelf decor, bookish gifts and apparel, and Kindle accessories”.