A small shop selling new English volumes aimed at youthful Guadalajara readers has found a niche in more ways than one.
BookUpMx, established 18 months ago on Avenida La Paz, two blocks west of Avenida Chapultepec, not only occupies a cozy spot discreetly tucked behind a driveway alongside two other retail stores, but has also found a unique marketplace niche, focusing on teens and children.
“In Guadalajara, young people are the ones most interested in reading in English,” said Karen Bonilla, a staffer at BookUpMx. “We have some titles that adults are interested in too – classics, mysteries, thrillers, horror and fantasy,” including some by popular authors such as Dan Brown and Stephen King. The store also stocks self help, business, biographies and autobiographies by well known figures such as Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, physicist Stephen Hawking, visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk and Nobel Peace Prize winner and women’s rights activist Malala.
All books at BookUpMx are new, Bonilla pointed out. This surprises some who are accustomed to the plethora of used English book shops in the metro area. All the titles come from a Chicago supplier, with whom the store’s owner, a Canadian, has a relationship. Many are neatly encased in plastic covers, a boon for those sensitive to dust, while others are on display for browsing.
“Some of our customers are libraries at bilingual schools, such as the American School,” Bonilla said. “We also go to book fairs” where schools shop for books.
BookUpMx offers a website, bookup.com.mx, where people outside of Guadalajara can order titles for delivery in three to six days, with shipping by FedEx for 150 pesos.
Besides its young adult and adult offerings, the shop offers books clearly for young children, including coloring books and graphic novels.
BookUpMx, Avenida La Paz 2183, (33) 1639-2417, bookup.com.mx. Open Monday to Friday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon–7 p.m.