KALAMAZOO, MI — Reading has always been a source of comfort for Stephanie Emelander.

Now, she’s creating a physical safe space for readers who feel the same way.

Emelander celebrated the grand opening of her store Booked Up, 4518 W. Main St., on Friday, Jan. 2. She’s been working on the space — which was previously a salon — since October.

Booked Up is a combination of Emelander’s professional background in social work and her passion for reading, she said.

“My background has always been advocating for others, enjoying meeting new people, being able to … provide spaces for those who maybe don’t have as much for themselves,” she said.

Her hope is that the shop becomes a place for people to meet and connect over their shared love of reading, Emelander said.

Owner Stephanie Emelander, of Plainwell, works on a laptop inside the reading area of her new bookstore, Booked Up, in Kalamazoo, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The area is highlighted by a Patrick Hershberger mural, which speaks to both the whimsical and fantastical nature books can bring. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

Beneath a mural by Kalamazoo-based artist Patrick Hershberger, comfy couches form a sunlit reading nook where customers can chat and thumb through pages.

A calendar of book signings and special events is already coming together, she said.

Booked Up isn’t limiting its selection to a certain genre, Emelander said. Tall black shelves lining the walls feature everything from romance and fantasy to horror, classics and nonfiction.

Different genres of books are sorted at Booked Up, a new bookstore in Kalamazoo, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The bookstore is located at 4518 W Main Street, inside of Westwood Plaza. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

T-shirts, candles, bookmarks, mugs and other cozy essentials fill out the small showroom floor.

Booked Up, a new bookstore in Kalamazoo, is open to the public on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The bookstore is located at 4518 W Main Street, inside of Westwood Plaza. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

New copies will be stocked on a regular basis, she said, but a majority of the store’s offerings will be used books.

Customers can bring in used books for store credit at 15% of what the store prices the book at, Emelander said.

Owner Stephanie Emelander, of Plainwell, smiles in the reading area of her new bookstore, Booked Up, in Kalamazoo, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

This is the first time Emelander has ventured into owning her own business, she said. But it’s not too far-fetched.

“I have always wanted to own my own private practice and work for myself in that way,” Emelander said.

She plans to run the store while maintaining her full-time job as a social worker.

In addition to learning the ropes of business ownership herself, Emelander hired three part-time employees, all local college students.

Booked Up will welcome readers 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

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