Many teachers spend their summers golfing, taking vacations, gardening—doing anything but thinking about books.
Mandy Genge is the exception.
The English teacher at Morton East High School in Cicero has spent her summer getting New Book Joy Booktique up and running at 3741 Prairie Ave. in Brookfield.
Genge, 51, of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, had partnered with a cousin and a friend to open a bookstore in Chicago’s Edgebrook neighborhood in 2022. Wanting to expand, she opened a small pop-up shop last year in The Brookfield Shops at Progress Park, the village’s business incubator program.
The pop-up performed so well that she decided to open a permanent location.
“We were going to do two years (at the incubator), but the village knew I was looking for a brick-and-mortar,” Genge said.
Libby Popovic, director of economic and community development for Brookfield, helped make it happen.
“When we found out that space was going to be available, we connected her with the landlord to let him know there’s a good viable business,” Popovic said. “After the first year, they built up a nice base of clients and other businesses they did workshops with. It worked out great.”
Genge opened New Book Joy Booktique in late April in a small storefront just north of the railroad tracks. She stocks a wide range of books for adults and children, along with book-themed items. If a customer can’t find what they want, Genge can order it—she orders five to 15 books each week.
The store also hosts events: silent book clubs, book swaps, and story time for children.
“I do silent book club where you come in and read your book silently for an hour, then we talk about the book,” Genge said.
She’s launching a new partnership with Gosia’s Coffee Shop, 8836 Brookfield Ave., for a “Stories + Sips” event from 11 a.m. to noon July 17.
“We’ll have snacks at the coffee shop and talk about books we are reading. Ten people have already signed up,” she said.
Author Layne Fargo, who wrote “The Favorites,” will appear at the store from 4 to 5:30 p.m. July 19. A summer book swap is planned for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7.
The store is open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. When classes resume at Morton East in August, employees will staff the store while Genge is teaching. She plans to retire after the 2029-30 school year.
Business has been steady. Customers have come from Brookfield, La Grange, Riverside, Hinsdale, Lyons, Oak Park, and Berwyn.
“I’ve been getting love,” Genge said. “A lot of bookish love.”
She takes pride in her “book matchmaking” service. “If they don’t know what they want, they tell me what they’re looking for and I match books with them,” she said.
Popovic sees the bookstore as a success story for the incubator program.
“Isn’t it great? I love it. Great location,” she said. “It’s a perfect example of how this incubator program is working.”
The Brookfield Shops at Progress Park, 9202 Broadway Avenue at Eight Corners, offers a variety of small businesses and mom-and-pop shops.
Popovic also praised the bookstore’s promotions tied to local events: 10 percent discounts on Saturdays when the farmers market meets at village hall, on Fridays during summer concerts in Kiwanis Park, and on the last Saturday of each month during Music on Grand.
For more information, visit www.newbookjoy.com.