If you take a stroll down Magnolia's sweet and quiet streets, you might just stumble upon a friendly neighborhood stop, Magnolia's Bookstore. Sitting right next to a lovely little bakery, it's the perfect place to enjoy a morning coffee, a croissant, and a new novel.

"It's definitely very community oriented," said owner and manager Georgiana Blomberg, as we sat down at one of the shaded tables out front, which are hardly ever empty. "We're a small general bookstore, only new [books], and all the people who like to read and hang out at bookstores come here. That's the atmosphere."

This atmosphere of Magnolia's streets bleeds into the shop as well, as friends and neighbors stop by on their way to work, always happy to chat with Blomberg and pick up a new book. "I always get my books here," one passerby shared with me. "I used to shop here with my daughter, and then when my granddaughter was born, she would sit on the floor in there and look at the little kids' books.

"I still come here to pick out books to mail to her," she added, reflecting on the ways her granddaughter, now a recent college graduate, had grown up coming to the little store with her.

Another patron, enjoying coffee outside, told a story about a rough time. While struggling with a long-term illness, she would call and ask for book recommendations from Blomberg, who in return got her hooked on a mystery series. "I would call her and ask if they had books 3, 4, and 5, and ask her to send them with one of my friends, [who delivered them] to me at home," she said. "What kind of place does that?"

Magnolia's Bookstore is definitely a piece of the community, and Blomberg has worked hard to make sure the books on the shelves match the energy and environment she sees on the street outside. "When I first worked at the store, it was mostly older people, not very many young ones," Blomberg said. "And now there's so many young people! We didn't have that many kids' books, and now we have a huge [number]."

When it comes to housing LGBTQ titles, Magnolia's is no stranger. "As far as the LGBTQ community, there's a lot more books being published that appeal to that population, and over the last few years, it's just become much more predominant," Blomberg said. While the store does not have a specific LGBTQ section, Blomberg says that they have been adding more and more such titles to all sections, especially the book recommendations section.

"One that's on our recommended shelf is The House in the Cerulean Sea," Blomberg said, recommending the novel to the SGN's Instagram book club (which can be found @SGN_books).

Other popular titles in the store include The Magnolia History Book. "Our bestseller last year was the third volume," Blomberg added. Others are The Night Watchman, Utopia Avenue, and We Ride Upon Sticks.

Running the bookstore is Blomberg's passion, and her love of literature and community is very clear, from the relationships she has curated to the special shelf of recommendations. "I totally love it! The bookstore opened, and I started working here, and then [the previous owner] asked me if I wanted to buy it, and I said, 'Yes!'" she related.

"It's just the best — you get to talk to interesting people about interesting stuff all day. If you love reading and you love books, it cannot be better! You get to see all the new books coming out, and you get free books — it's just fascinating. You're exposed to the world of knowledge and imagination all day!"

As for retirement, Blomberg can't even imagine life without the store. "Everyone is like, 'When are you gonna retire?' and I can't imagine ever being retired," she said with a laugh.

Surely much to the joy of the Magnolia community, it seems that Blomberg and Magnolia's Bookstore are here for the long haul. A hidden gem to those outside of the neighborhood, it's been a part of the community for the last thirty years, providing good books to folks on the go or ready for an adventure at Discovery Park or a delicious pastry from next door. But thanks to the dedicated work of Blomberg herself, Magnolia's has become a place worth the drive out on its own account.

Magnolia's Bookstore is at 3206 W. McGraw St., and online at magnoliasbookstore.com.