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Blue Willow Bookshop opened in 1996 and is named after the china pattern, a popular design from the late 1700s that includes white and blue color waves.
Read all about it
Located in West Houston, Blue Willow Bookshop will celebrate 30 years of business in 2026.
Owner Valerie Koehler wrote on the website that she wanted the bookstore to make customers feel comfortable, such as the feeling of “gathering around the table as grandmother served your favorites on the family dishes.”
“I can’t believe it’s been 29 years since Blue Willow first opened its doors,” Koehler wrote. “Our first storytime friends are coming home from college, and our American Girl Club girls have children of their own.”
She said the anniversary reminds her of a quote written among more than 700 author signatures on the bookstore’s wall that states, “And so it goes.”
What they offer
The charming bookshop sells a variety of genres, including travel, true crime and thriller. The store also hosts seven different book clubs, such as the Tough Broads Out at Night Book Club and Blue Herring, a new mystery book club.
A full list of book clubs with meeting times is posted on the bookstore’s website.
