Looking for your next favorite book? A trip to Claysville might have you covered for your next go-to story.

On Saturday, April 10, the Little House of Books opened its doors for business on Main Street in Claysville. The store, which is family-owned and operated, is roughly a 30-minute drive from the campus of Waynesburg University.

Shelly Nadler, one of the bookstore owners, said that the inspiration to open the shop in Claysville came from her travels with her husband.

“We like to drive around the little towns that we can go to within a few days, like over the weekend, and we always look for a bookstore,” Nadler said. “We were in Virginia at a little town, I think it was called Lexington, and they had a bookstore and I thought ‘Oh my gosh, Claysville would be a wonderful place for a bookstore.’”

 The Little House of Books offers a handpicked selection of books for purchase, as well as hand-crafted gifts such as stuffed animals, pencil toppers and more.

Nadler said she hopes to inspire locals and everyone who comes through the doors of the shop to pick up and enjoy a good book.

“I hope to inspire people to read. I’ve got a lot of responses as in ‘I haven’t read a book since grade school,’ or ‘I don’t really read,’” Nadler said. “It’s so nice to hold a book in your hand and that seems like something that’s in the past.”

While Nadler hopes Waynesburg residents visit the shop in Claysville, she also hopes to inspire someone to open a bookstore of their own in Greene County.

“I personally love Waynesburg, and I think that would be a perfect place for a bookstore,” Nadler said. “If [students] had a place to go like this, then maybe kids would like to read more.”

Some Waynesburg students are willing to make the drive to Clayville to visit the Little House of Books. Sophomore Tim Durkin is one of them.

“A 30-minute drive, an hour drive is worth it for a book good in my opinion,” Durkin said.

Along with books and other knickknacks, the shop also has a kitchenette area where specialty coffees will be served.

“I do like a good bookstore that also has the vibe of a coffee shop,” Durkin said. “Coffee shops are kind of associated with writing and reading and just literature in general.”

While the 30-minute drive from Greene County to the bookstore may seem daunting to students, some shoppers in the store came from further for opening day.

Melissa Treglia, from Pittsburgh, was visiting the shop to support the small community of Claysville. 

“It brings back so much history,” Treglia said. “The community gets together, you get out, get to meet everybody again, especially during what we just went through with COVID. It’s nice to get out and interact with everybody.”

When asked if she would be back to visit the shop, Treglia responded, “Absolutely, you know I will. Yes.”