'Wit's End' offers used books, art for sale, plus events

MARYSVILLE — Sierra Cartwright has dreamed of owning her own bookstore ever since she worked at a bookstore 13 years ago, and on Oct. 2, that dream became a reality when she opened "Wit's End" used books.

Cartwright was a stay-at-home mom to six kids, five of them foster children, whose stint as a bookstore employee only lasted six months, but she never forgot how much she enjoyed interacting with the customers.

"It's interesting to build relationships with people who read," Cartwright said. "They understand the power of stories."

Cartwright put her plans into action when her family finances could afford it. Her husband built the store's shelves, and her brother is currently designing its Web site. The bulk of her roughly 10,000 books came from eBay, and her mother has provided her with both art to sell and an ongoing in-store event, in the form of "Psychic Friday Nights."

"We stock stuff ranging from jewelry and 'sock monsters' to lotions and potions, from people I've gotten to know over the years," Cartwright said. "We'll be offering classes in crocheting and dream-building, book club meetings and open mike nights, for poetry, guitar-playing and even one kid who'll be playing a saxophone. It's whatever they want to do."

Cartwright also hopes to sell furniture, coffee and pastry before too long. In the meantime, her store stocks a wide variety of genres of books, with healthy selections of romance novels, suspense thrillers, true crime stories and "religious, New Age and alternative non-fiction." It even features a children's play area, with a mural painted by Cartwright's mother.

"I want to create a fun, comfortable atmosphere here," Cartwright said. "I want this to be a welcoming gathering place."

Wit's End is located in Suite H at 1206 State Ave. For more information, call 360-386-8997.

Contact Marysville Globe Reporter Kirk Boxleitner at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5052.

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