About Us

The Shop Around the Corner
By Katrin Wanberg from Palisades 90292

On July 4th, 1997, amidst fireworks and parades, Katie O’Laughlin opened the doors of Village Books to Pacific Palisades.

Located at the end of a shop-lined street in the heart of town, Village Books is a small store that offers a wide selection of books, weekly events with authors, and an inviting refuge for readers.

With books stacked floor to ceiling and hand painted signs denoting sections of literature, the shop is a favorite among locals. Customers are often greeted by name upon entering the cozy space, and any dogs tagging along are offered biscuits. Every Thursday the store hosts book signings with authors, while poetry readings, book clubs, and children’s events also draw in many members of the community.

Perusing the friendly shop takes time as one reads handwritten book reviews which are stuffed into books and peak out of shelves around the store. An entire wall is devoted to book club selections, offering a look into what locals are reading. If a particular book is not available, staff will gladly order it. “We are small. We try to have as much as we can, but if we don’t, we can get books really fast,” Katie says.

The concrete floor of the store is peppered with quotes from enduring heavyweights like Einstein and Thoreau, to quips by Mae West and James Thurber. A trompe l'oeil mural on the floor remembers Irish writers, including James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, who are painted in deep discussion around a table with Maya Angelou and Katie’s late father.

Children’s books are tucked in a nook decorated with tiny chairs and a fairy mural on the floor. If kids have read a book that they like, they are invited to write one of their own reviews to slip into its pages. Puppet shows and story times are often held, and present an opportunity for children to discover the world of reading.

Katie has always been an avid reader. She earned a Master’s degree in Library Science, and continued her education with law school. After practicing law for several years, while also raising her daughter, Katie decided to make a change. When the only book store in town closed its doors, she was struck with the idea to start her own book shop. “I am not a real risk taker typically, but it just felt so right,” she says of opening the store.

Instead of fighting the Santa Monica freeway to her law office everyday, Katie now walks to work each morning from her nearby home. “Bookstores, independent book stores in particular, are a day to day struggle,” she says, “But I love what I do”.