A New Kickstarter Campaign Has Rallied The Community To Bring Back Book Revue In Huntington Village

Huntington, New York. The Book Revue in Huntington, New York, has been a treasured book shop in the heart of the village for forty-four years.

So the community was heartbroken to see that on September 30, Book Revue had to close its doors. It was the largest independent bookstore on Long Island to date.

Now, Mallory Braun– a former manager of the bookstore for five years– has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the “next chapter” of the beloved book store.

“With the counsel of Richard Klein, I intend to start another bookshop in this town. To do so, our goal is to raise $250,000 in forty-five days. If we do not reach this goal in forty-five days, all of the donations go back to the donors,” Mallory said.

She especially loved the shop and its influence, so it was gut-wrenching for her to watch it close.

“When we locked our doors, Book Revue’s staff watched former customers pull on the handles and peer through the windows. We let some families in. A few kids will remember running through a bookstore without a single book in sight,” Mallory explained.

“There are other kids, grown now, who were raised in this store. I cannot tell you how many people told us that in the waning days.”

Mallory’s wish is for children to have a safe place to escape into worlds that only books can provide and for adults to have profound and animated conversations over shared interests.

Facebook; pictured above is Brook Revue

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She wants people “to be able to sit in a quiet corner of a bookshop, pull a book off a shelf, and learn something absolutely new.”

The new shop will initially have used and remaindered books if the funding pulls through. It will sell rare books, ephemera, art, zines, paper matter up-cycled from damaged books, vinyl, locally-made and handmade sidelines, and a selection of new books.

“Over time, my plan is to increase the number of new books. And I will order you any book we do not have,” Mallory continued. She also plans to host workshops, classes, and local author readings/performances. The store’s goal is to “reincarnate the spirit of Book Revue.”

So far, the Kickstarter has raised just over $220,000 of its $250,000 goal. There are only nine days left to contribute to this important staple in the community.

Mallory and Richard are also offering tiers of rewards for donation levels. But, she added, “In my opinion, though, the best reward will be for there to be a bookstore in Huntington Village.”

If you would like to donate to the campaign, you can visit the link here. And, if you would like to stay updated on the Book Revue’s journey to a hopeful second chapter, you can visit their Facebook page here.

“I hope you agree that we need independent bookstores on Long Island,” Mallory wrote, “If you do and are able and willing to support this goal, please consider contributing.”

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