Susan Gro

ST. GEORGE —As the door to the historic Judd Bungalow house jingles open, the rich and nostalgic smell of books fill the air. You glance around and instantly know – this isn’t your ordinary bookstore. 

Welcome to The Book Bungalow. 

Tanya Parker Mills, a two-time published author currently working on a young adult fantasy series, opened this independent bookstore in the historic Green Gate Village just shy of four years ago.

When she and her family moved from Washington State to St. George in 2014, she quickly realized the only bookstores in the area were Barnes & Noble and Deseret Book. 

“I read an article about St. George being the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country, and I thought, ‘Gee, why don’t they have an independent bookstore?’” Mills said.

Mills’ published books include “The Reckoning,” which is based in part on her unique childhood in Bagdad, and “A Night on Moon Hill,” a book about a writer who keeps people at a distance but transforms when a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome comes into her life. This book is based on real-life experiences with her own son, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was in first grade. 

Upon their arrival to St. George, Mills said her son attempted to get a job at Barnes & Noble, but they wouldn’t interview him due to his lack of experience. A few years later, she learned that they would be laying off many full-time employees and encouraged him to re-apply. He did,\ and interviewed but was still not offered a position.

“And when he came home, I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m going to open my own independent bookstore here and give him the job that he needs to help him learn and grow,’” Mills said.

Once she made that decision, everything fell into place. Mills said she joined the Mountain and Plains Independent Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Association and signed up for a bookstore boot camp.

“I showed a lot of faith in all of this. I did a lot of groundwork before I even had my store,” she said.

When she took a course on starting and growing her business, the facilitator turned out to be the Project Manager at Greengate Village. After hearing her plans to open a bookstore, he felt it was exactly what the area needed and encouraged her to look at some of the available properties, Mills said. 

“When I walked in and saw this space and saw the built-ins, this is like early prairie school style, and I could just see this making for a bookstore,” Mills said about the Judd Bungalow at Greengate Village.

With multiple themed rooms and even gift shops, The Book Bungalow opened its doors on Sept. 26, 2018, with a grand opening Oct. 19, 2018. Her son Jason, who is now 29, still works at the bookstore. Over time, Mills said he’s become the face of the store, working at the cash counter, answering phones and assisting with inventory.

“He’s just really grown through the process. He went from being afraid of answering the phones to being a big part of the business,” Mills said.

When the pandemic hit, the Book Bungalow saw a dramatic increase in customers, and Mills said that included new people moving to the area who were excited to discover the store. The store did close for six weeks, but during this time they offered curbside pickup and online ordering.

“We actually did better during the pandemic,” Mills said. “They were stuck at home so people turned back to books. It’s only been going up since.”

As a writer with a love for books, Mills said she hit the ground running when it came to the bookstore. While she’s made some mistakes, she said the store is turning over inventory better and she’s learned a lot along the way.

The Book Bungalow is focused not only on books but on the creation of a community. There are myriad events, which include both in-person meetups as well as virtual events. Events such as author signings and larger events that include Harry Potter themes can all be seen at the store.

In addition, the store offers three different book clubs: Influential Women, Mystery Thrillers and International Literature. For a full list of upcoming events, click here.

“The reason an independent bookstore is so important is that it keeps the money in the community, unlike Amazon or even Barnes & Noble, which is a franchise,” Mills said. “Not only do we have a curated selection of books, (but) we also have the three C’s – Convene, Community and Curate.”

Along with various events and book clubs, Mills also supports local authors, with one night a month dedicated to up to four authors who get a chance to talk about their books. They also have the ability to have two copies of their book on the local author shelf free for three months.

“It’s a home for people, that’s why I put my sign at the front – ‘the soul of our literary community.’ I believe that libraries are the heart and we are the soul. That’s what I’m gearing toward every day,” Mills said.

Mills encouraged the community to check out The Book Bungalow’s list of events, join a book or writing club, and come together with like-minded individuals in a place that’s fun for all ages.

The Book Bungalow is located at 94 W. Tabernacle Street. For more information on the book bungalow, visit their website.

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