Dream of owning a bookstore takes to the road

Jessica Golisch always dreamed of owning a bookstore. “It’s kind of been my dream forever to have a bookstore,” Jessica said, explaining how she and her husband Luke turned that dream into reality this spring with the creation of a mobile bookstore business.
The idea came to them this past March when economic concerns made a traditional storefront seem out of reach. “We didn’t think that with the economy and everything right now that we could do an actual physical storefront,” Jessica said. “You know, everything’s so expensive.”
That’s when Luke suggested using a trailer he already owned. “He was like, well, what if we just put it in here and went around everywhere,” Jessica said. “And so we just went for it.”
The couple converted the trailer into a rolling bookstore, complete with shelves secured by tension rods to keep books in place during transport.
The Golisch’s first event was this past Saturday at Graff Mercantile in Rothschild, where the Mobile Bookstore’s trailer joined a monthly outdoor market near the Rothschild Pavilion. The debut proved successful, especially with their “blind date with a book” packages.

“It’s like a surprise book wrapped up,” Jessica said of the popular item. Each package includes “a book wrapped up with just a little blurb about it and then stickers and a bookmark and some book tabs and a highlighter.” The concept was such a hit that “we sold out of all but one.”
The mobile bookstore stocks both hardcover and paperback books in various genres, plus a dedicated children’s section and young adult titles. Some books came from donations, while others are purchased from readers. “A lot were donated and then a lot have been bought from other readers,” Jessica said.
Pricing is reasonable, with most paperbacks between $6 and $8, while hardcovers run around $10. Most children’s books are priced under $5. “[We’re] trying to keep everything really affordable,” Jessica said.
The business also sells stickers (50 cents each), bookmarks, and corner bookmarks made by Erin Wickman, Jessica’s mother. A few items are ordered wholesale.
Jessica and Luke plan to operate primarily during summer and fall months, and at events at craft fairs in Merrill and Cedar Creek scheduled for October and November. “We’ll kind of see how those go and see if we want to do some more throughout the winter or just wait ‘til spring,” Jessica said.
The learning process continues as they figure out logistics. “We just had our first event on Saturday, so it was kind of a learning curve,” she said. But the family business includes their three daughters—Ruby, 4; Isla, who turns 6 this week; and Nora, 8—who all helped at their first event.
“My kids like to help,” Jessica said. “They were here on Saturday.”
This coming Saturday, the Mobile Book Store will be at the Food Truck-a-Palooza event at the Merrill Fair Grounds.
For now, the Golisches remain open to possibilities as the Mobile Bookstore finds its footing. “It’s all very new and we don’t quite know what to expect, so we’re kind of just gonna see how it goes,” Jessica said. “We’re kind of up in the air, very open to—to kind of anything at this point.”