Cozy bookstore to open in West Des Moines' Valley Junction

How it started: After graduating from Drake, Murray moved to New York City with her husband. But living there was a "true nightmare" when the pandemic first hit.

• Nobody was on the streets. Subways were closed off. And the local bookstores that she loved and relied on were shuttered.

She found her sense of fulfillment again when she decided to make a "bookstagram" — an Instagram dedicated to everything books.

• Months later, after many of her favorite bookstores had reopened, Murray said she had a gut feeling she should open a store of her own. And she wanted to return to Des Moines to do it.
• So she and her husband left their 600-square-foot apartment and moved into a West Des Moines townhouse in November.

As for the name? It came about because Murray wants to encourage people to read in public — a sight seen more often in NYC than Des Moines.

What's next: Expect doors to open in June or July at 315 5th St., Suite 100, West Des Moines.