Tanya Sedneva was a shy child who at all times had her nose in a book.
The Los Gatos resident's long-standing love of books sparked her childhood dream of opening her own bookstore, a dream that Sedneva eventually forgot as she became caught up within the every day grind of adult life.
When she was laid off from her job as a project manager at a technology company last yr, she returned to her childhood goals. She recently opened Beyond Text, an independent bookstore at 218 North Santa Cruz Ave. in downtown Los Gatos. Sedneva said the shop will offer books from various genres along with gifts, board games and residential decor.
Sedneva said she placed special emphasis on offering novel and illustrated versions of popular books to focus on the physical experience of reading a book.
“How can anyone read something boring when there are such great editions?” Sedneva wrote in a caption for an Instagram post of a novelty edition of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit.
The store's name, Sedneva said, is a nod to the need to read a physical book reasonably than use an e-reader, to transcend the mere words on a page and the texture of a book, the form of the text, the Appreciate the photographs and the duvet.
“My idea is that you can gain additional experience by having a physical copy in your hand,” Sedneva said.
She also paid particular attention to the design of the bookstore, hoping to create an environment where customers would feel welcome and comfy.
“I wanted to inspire visitors to linger and immerse themselves in the world of books,” she said.
In addition to selling books and other items, Sedneva also desires to host community events comparable to book clubs, discussion groups and writer talks, she said. The store already had a Mafia game night scheduled for May 16 and writer talks on June 1 and eight.
Although Sedneva doesn't have an official store website yet, she said people can learn more in regards to the store on her Instagram account @_beyondtext_.
Beyond Text is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to six p.m
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