Welcome to Helen’s Book Mark…
Started as a paperback book exchange in 1975 by Elaine Fitzgerald and still going strong today.
From 1986 until 2016 Helen was a customer of Elaine’s Book Mark. Helen loved coming into the store and finding just the right book. Helen enjoyed interacting with Elaine, Gail, Cheryl, and Carrie. In 2017 Elaine offered Helen the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to own a bookstore, what a dream come true.
What has changed and what has remained the same?
The look of the store has changed. For the past two years, with the help of friends and employees, we have painted, decorated and added seating in every aisle and in various places around the store making Helen’s Book Mark the store it is today.
We still are a 95% paperback fiction bookstore but based on customer’s request we are continuing to expand our hardback, non-fiction, and biographies sections. The exchange program for books, audios, and puzzles is the same model started by Elaine in 1975 with a few minor changes.
Our cast of characters has changed since 2017 but our love of books and interactions with customers has continued on. We invite you to come on in, grab a book, sit down, and enjoy.
Looking for a special book?
Fill out a BOLO (Book on Look Out) form. We have a great success rate filling your requests.
Characters:
Helen – Owner – Serving customers since 2017
- Fun Facts…
- Favorite Childhood Books: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Little Women, and Gone with the Wind
- Favorite Genres: Novels and Historical Novels
- Favorite Authors: Dorothea Benton Frank, Elin Hildebrand, Sarah Addison Allen, and BA Paris
- Favorite Book Mark Memories: Watching Bella interact with everyone and meeting new customers
Kristin – Paranormal – Serving our customers since 2017
- Fun Facts…
- Favorite Childhood Books: Little House on the Prairie, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and The Witches
- Favorite Genre: Paranormal and Mystery
- Favorite Authors: Kresley Cole and Jennifer McMahon
- Favorite Book Mark Memory: Helping a customer find a book in the store that she had been looking for over the last 12 years
Jan – Adventure and Suspense – Serving our customers since 2018
- Fun Facts…
- Favorite Childhood Book: To Kill a Mockingbird
- Favorite Genres: Adventure and Suspense
- Favorite Authors: David Baldacci and Harlan Coben
- Favorite Book Mark Memory: When Helen delivered books to a disabled customer in Los Angeles
Sabrina – Classics – Serving our customers since 2019
- Fun Facts…
- Favorite Childhood Books: Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Animal Facts, and Shel Silverstein
- Favorite Genres: Classics and Mysteries
- Favorite Authors: BA Paris, Ray Bradbury, and Malcolm Gladwell
- Favorite Book Mark Memory: Nearly having a heart attack the first time I met Bella
Sierra – Young Adult – Serving our customers since 2021
- Fun Facts…
- Favorite Childhood Books: Inkheart, The City of Ember, and Sylvie and the Songman
- Favorite Genres: Magical Realism, Fantasy and anything with a touch of romance
- Favorite Authors: Fyodor Dostoevsky Maggie Stiefvater, and Anne Perry
- Favorite Book Mark Memory: Organizing the romance room with Helen and every time a customer walks away with a book and a smile
