September visits readers in celebration of Literacy Month. It’s a time to kick back with a new book or an old favorite and enjoy the changing of the seasons.

What better way to celebrate this month of reading than to visit a local independent bookstore that has stood the test of time? Another Look Books is located on 22263 Goddard Rd. in Taylor, Michigan. Owned and operated by Darlene Krogol, who took a chance on her dream in 1995. Another Look Books is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The store feels equally locked in time while progressing beautifully with the ages. A much-needed nostalgia courses through the air, reminding customers that it’s okay to feel present in 2025.

“I have a wonderful, wonderful staff here who love working with the customers,” Krogol told me. “They’re personable. You come in and you become almost like a family member.” This sentiment was spot on.

Another Look Book’s personable and enthusiastic manager, Jessie Vaananan, and Dawn Crowley, a sweet and helpful employee, immediately engaged in comfortable conversation with me, treating me as if they had known me for ages. Their demeanor matched the welcoming environment.
“That’s what I knew I wanted from the very beginning,” Krogol stated, “that when you walked in, you knew you were at home. You were at a place where people understood you, supported you, and wanted to make your reading experience as pleasurable and most fulfilling as possible.” Krogol added that she thinks this atmosphere and customer priority have set them apart from other used book stores all these years. Within the first five minutes of my arrival, a local author came into the shop. She was delighted to have her books on their shelves and dropped off t-shirts she had made to accompany her book.

Vaananan could not stop bragging about this local author and her delightful t-shirts for the remainder of my stay. She took immense pride in being able to house so much local creativity.

“It’s exciting.” Vaananan beamed. “She was so excited that we were holding her books, that we gave her this opportunity.” “We hold about six to eight authors at a time,” Vaananan continued, “but we do revolve it. We give them a three-month consignment. When the consignment is up, if their books are selling, we will ask them if they want to do another three-month consignment. If for some reason, they either want to pull their books or they’re not selling, it opens up space for another.”

Another Look Books offers a fresh and engaging system for prospective authors. The local author shelf is strategically placed near the checkout counter to show off the local author’s hard work.

“We do author signings, too.” Vaananan offered. “There is one coming up on October 11th with Tec Weston. It will be our third author signing. He’s a horror author, and it’s in October, so that’ll be perfect.”

Another Look Books stands out compared to other bookstores and small businesses in the area. They prioritize customer comfort and local authors in a way that is unheard of in the downriver area—and do it enthusiastically, too.

However, it hasn’t always been a walk in the park for this local business. When asked how the world of books has changed since the shop opened in 1995, Krogol was candid. “First of all, it was Amazon,” Krogol pondered, “and that was really scary for us, who were into selling used books. And then eBooks.”

Krogol continued, “And at first, eBooks were more self-published and of very poor quality. They were really hard to read, so you didn’t have a lot to worry about. But then they expanded, grew, and became polished, so that was a scary era.” Krogol observes that now “people often want both.” She says, “It surprises me how many people still like the written book in their hand.” Krogol especially likes to see many young adults want physical books.

Vaananan chimed in, “Especially for their bookshelves, for Instagram. BookTok has been a big help, too.”

Krogol agreed. “So, there were some scary years then, wondering what it was going to mean to the Main Street bookseller, and a lot of bookstores did close, but we’ve hung in there.” Krogol beamed with pride. “We’ve been here for 30 years and still going strong.”

Looking around the shop, it was no surprise why they have stood the test of time. The organization and flow of the shop are comforting and easy to understand. I asked about their curating process and what inspires their shop’s setup.

“We know the genres our customers like, and the most popular is romance in all its different formats,” Krogol stated, “So, we have very definitive subject categories that we shelve them.”

Krogol added, “We really don’t take in hardcover fiction unless it’s in the last year or two because, surprisingly, people prefer paperbacks! They’re easier to hold, easier to fit into their bookcases.”

The banned book section is one of the most popular in the shop.During Banned Books Week, which is from September 21st through the 27th, the book shop sees an increase in visitors.

“It’s one of my favorite weeks, it really is,” Vaananan said enthusiastically. “We actually get stickers, bookmarks, and posters for it.” Each year, the list of banned books is compiled by the staff. Vaananan said, “Last time it was 28 pages.”

Vaananan continued, “We put it on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, to let people know what books are being banned.” If a customer wants a banned book on their Want List that is not in the store, the staff will find and order the book for them. “Most people that come in here go right to the banned books section,” Vaananan reflected, “It just draws people in, and a lot of people who didn’t know that books were banned will literally want to read every single book off of it.”

Vaananan continued, “We actually had a couple customers ask us to put every book that was banned on their Want List. One of our customers, I think, was giving them away as a school project.”

Vaananan added, “Banned books are always going to be the most popular books. They’re the books that you read in school, and a lot of people don’t know that certain books are banned. If they have any questions, we look them up.” Vaananan observes a lot of customers, when they see the banned book section, “are surprised to know that their favorite books are banned, you know, and we do like to educate them too on why they’re banned.”

Vaananan and Krogol agreed that they felt a responsibility as a used book store to educate the public during Banned Book Week. I inquired if they had ever received customer complaints, and Vaananan answered promptly.

“Never.” She said decisively. “I have been here for eight years, not one person has ever complained. It’s always that they’re very excited about it.” Another Look Books is the gold standard for used book stores, offering stunning deals and interpersonal care with amenities such as their customer Want List, Reader’s Record, and free birthday month book.

Krogol and Vaananan were more than willing to gush about the money-friendly deals and customer support they offer.

“Our used books are 50 percent off the original publisher price.” Vaananan shared. “If you sign up for Reader’s Record, which is completely free, you get benefits, and one of those is, if you bring us a grocery bag of used books, it lowers up to 75 percent off when you purchase from us.” Vaananan added cheerfully, “The best thing we do is a Want List. If there’s any books that you’re looking for that we don’t have here, we can put you on the Want List for any book you want. So, if you want a hard copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses, a special edition, we can put you on the Want List.”

Krogol proudly added, “Since we’ve been open, we have found and provided over 150,000 Want-List books in our 30 years.”

Another Look Books is a small business with a real emphasis on comfort, community, familiarity, and affordability. They are a passionate and knowledgeable group of book lovers who are always eager to welcome a new visitor. If you’re trying to collect books for your bookshelf or if you’re using Instagram or BookTok and don’t want to pay full, outrageous prices, you can come to Another Look Books, where they will find the book for you while you receive a discount, to boot.

“Being a small business, especially in the Downriver area, there’s less and less small businesses,” Vaananan stated solemnly. “So, we rely on customers to come in and support us. And I mean, you get to talk to me.”

Krogol and Vaananan shared a warm laugh.

“That’s the best.” Krogol laughed sincerely. “That’s the best.”

Highlighting the importance of reading and engaging in the local community, this small business has stood the test of time. Even with eBooks, Amazon, and books being banned left and right, book lovers stand tall and proud in their support of this wonderful shop tucked into the heart of Taylor, Michigan.

I was so warmed and comforted by the store’s atmosphere and, most importantly, by the friendly staff who made me feel like family that I know I will be returning again and again.

Another Look Books definitely lives up to its slogan, “A Special Place For Readers!”