After 32 Years, Sonoma Bookends Nears the Final Chapter

Adding to a growing number of vacant storefronts in downtown Sonoma, , a family-owned bookshop which has operated in a West Napa storefront for over 30 years, will close its doors in mid October, joining the plethora of failing booksellers around the nation.

“Unfortunately this year’s been rough,” said owner Jeff Simmons. “A lot of people got Kindles for Christmas and that was just the nail in the coffin. We just couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel to stay in it.”

He estimates the store saw a 10 to 20 percent drop in sales during the last year. Still, Simmons continues to come to work every day, where he mans the register amidst the constant interruptions of regulars, who pop their heads in, shocked by the pen-scrawled ‘Going out of Business Sale’ sign.

“It’s been really tough,” says Simmons. “Somebody just brought in flowers and a card saying how much we’ll be missed. My wife, she’s been so depressed, she’s actually taken the week off and is visiting family.”

The bookstore opened in 1979 one of the first stores in the original West Napa development. With his wife Jennifer, Simmons bought the store when it went on the market in 1987.

“We loved the community and we are both big readers, so we thought it would be a really great business to get into,” he said.

But Jeff and Jennifer Simmons are newcomers compared to Pat Carpenter, 70, who’s worked at Sonoma Bookends since answering a classified ad in the for a salesclerk 32-years-ago.

“A lot of people coming in now are really sad,” said Carpenter. “They don’t know who’ll recommend their books to them.”

Among the lost: Maya Mikkelson, who strolled quietly along the bare isles on a recent Saturday – greeting staff and picking out a few books from the discounted wares.

“I’m coming in as many times as I can before it is no more,” said Maya Mikkelson, 20, who first frequented the store as a child with her mother and still makes regular visits (“I’ve just moved from one side of the store to the other,” she said.)

“It’s just unique by itself,” said Flor Suarez, a 16-year-old who describes herself as an “avid reader,” and arrived with three friends to look for deals.

“And you, like, live across the street,” said her friend, Kameron Sherpa, 18.

But, Suarez insists, the store is more than just convenient: she found one of her favorite books ‘Cirque du Frique,’ the first book in the young-adult vampire series The Saga of Darren Shan, after a staff member recommended it to her. (“Within 10 minutes of reading I was back here, like: ‘Give me more books,’” she said.)

“It’s really organized, it’s easy to find everything,” said Suarez, “I’m gonna miss it.”

Now, we’re just looking around to see what’s left,” said Tori Cooper, 18.

Simmons expects to close his doors on Oct. 15, give or take a few days depending on how quickly his stock, which is currently marked-down 30 percent, sells. After that, the future is uncertain, though Simmons plans to frequent for his literary needs.

“We’ve appreciated everyone’s business and we’re going to miss everyone who’s been coming in,” he said.

“So many people haven’t heard and they’re walking by and they see the sign – it’s just a real shock cause we’ve been here so long,” said Simmons. “We’ve had such an outpouring of community support – it’s been really, really touching.”