”The reason,” he says, “is that it was always a struggle for me to read, being dyslexic. It took me a lot longer to read books and all the way through high school and college it was a difficulty. It still takes me a lot longer to finish a book.”
But he struggled and persevered and finally came on a book about dyslexia that helped him understand his condition and how to deal with it. At that point, he began to read not just for information, but for pleasure.
That book will be on the shelf when his new bookstore in downtown Garberville opens on Friday, June 1.
It was during the ‘80s that scientists began studying dyslexia, its causes and strategies for overcoming it. Evan says that the research shows that there are levels of impairment. His is mild and he is able to manage it now.
Books about dyslexia are just a tiny section of the more than 20,000 books that constitute his inventory. He has been building his inventory for a number of years, selling books online and at flea markets and pouring the money he made back into buying more books at estate sales and library sales, all with the idea of having a “brick and mortar” bookstore in Garberville. When the space on Redwood Drive between the Garberville Thrift Store and the Ray’s Food Place parking lot (formerly Li’l Sproutz Boutique) became available, he made his move and with his parents helping out, he’s been working on building shelves and stocking them.
Evan says his store will have all categories of books available. He will be carrying a lot of fiction, he says, novels in all genres, including romance, science fiction, adventure, mystery and western.
His King Range Books will also have a full non-fiction section, with histories, biographies, health, natural history, Christian literature and other subjects. Evan’s particular specialty in books is history. Some of that history is local. He will be selling the books of local authors and that section with also feature books about the history, geography and natural features of the North Coast.
For those who like to be read to, the store will offer a large selection of recorded books, and if you’re just not in a reading mood, he will have DVDs to offer, including about 200 DVDs for children.
Evan hopes to create a relaxed atmosphere in the store, one that encourages patrons to browse and take their time getting to know a book before they buy it.
”There will be areas where you can sit and read and enjoy your time in picking out your book,” he says.
King Range Books will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays. He’ll be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
From opening day through September, Evan is running a raffle. The first prize is a 1922 silver dollar. Second prize is $25 gift certificate for the store and third prize is a $10 gift certificate. The winning tickets will be drawn on Sept. 1.
For more information about King Range Books, call Evan at (707) 499-5471.
photo caption:
REDWOOD TIMES PHOTO BY MARY ANDERSON
Evan King is the owner of King Range Books, set to open on Friday, June 1. The bookstore is located at 901 Redwood Drive next door to the Garberville Thrift Store. King has an inventory of around 20,000 books he’s collected over the last few years.
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