“There’s something different about handing someone a book and saying, ‘Hey, I love this book, and it made me think of you,'” she said.

Next Chapter celebrated its first anniversary Dec. 21, marking a year filled with promoting local authors, curating shelf finds and sparking book conversations.

Owners Dani and Barry Fry said they “want to bring the community together,” offering a space where shoppers can “find what you’re looking for.”

Hometown heart

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Next Chapter Bookshop sits along 404 Allegheny St., Hollidaysburg.

Growing up in Duncansville, Dani Fry described herself as a “big reader” who once hid a book under her shirt after her mother instructed her to play outside.

In 2020, however, she began to grow introspective about her plans, questioning what it would personally mean to open a bookstore.

“I lived in this area my whole life,” she said, “And I don’t remember us having an independent bookstore that sold new books.”

So, she kept her book dreams on hold, deeming them a “financial risk” that she would wait until retirement to fulfill.

Sure enough, an individual opened a bookstore along 404 Allegheny St. in 2024, but Fry heard that the owner quickly closed the doors.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / A lit-up “one more chapter” sign is surrounded by torn-out book pages inside the Next Chapter Bookshop.

“And I pounced,” Fry said, as she met the individual through mutual friends.

After exploring the space on Dec. 4, Fry was given a “turn-key-ready bookshop” on Dec. 19 and started selling books by Dec. 21.

Because the Frys took over the inventory from the previous owner, they didn’t want to miss the holiday rush, because it’s the “busiest time of the year,” she said.

Since then, it’s been a “family affair” at Next Chapter Bookshop, where Fry and her husband Barry receive upkeep help from their two children.

Barry wanted to help Dani chase her dreams, he said, adding that their family loves to read.

Mirror photo by Colette Costlow / Rachel Snively grabs a tea tin off a wooden table after gathering some other finds at Next Chapter Bookshop in Hollidaysburg.

Evangeline, 9, and Walker, 8, already know how to run the register, clean the shop and hand-select kids’ books for the shelves.

“We’re a family of readers,” Dani Fry said.

Small and independent

As a “traditional, independent, small-town bookstore,” Fry said they have “a little bit for everyone.”

Dark wooden tables filled with books and items like candles, socks and stickers sit throughout the small store. In the back, there’s a wall filled with blue bookshelves with gold accents, where books are separated according to genres such as mystery, fantasy and classic literature.

Penn State Altoona student Bianca Dvorsky-Cino, 23, was browsing the bowl full of matchbooks with popular book covers on the front.

Because it was cold outside, Dvorsky-Cino said the store “looked so cozy” on the inside with a “cute display of books.”

“There’s good energy and cozy vibes” inside the store, she said.

She said she’s a fan of memoir-style books, preferring to annotate within the margins of paperback books instead of scrolling through digital book pages on a Kindle.

Using a Kindle to read is “not the same for me,” she said. “I like to physically have a book to write in.”

On the other side of the store, Rachel Snively, 22, said she also favors collecting paperback and hardcover books with hopes to build an at-home library one day.

Physical books are “just more real to me,” she said.

She was holding an herbal mint grow kit and a “Bookshop Cafe” scent candle in her hand — holiday presents for her friend.

Next Chapter offers shoppers a sense of “personalization,” she said, while providing a “homey, cozy” feeling to the store.

Human connections

Former librarian Meagan Harrison has worked at Next Chapter since August, where she enjoys connecting readers with their new favorite book.

Being surrounded by books, she said it’s been a “joy” to share stories with community members.

While tech leaders continue to develop ground-breaking innovations, Harrison said people still support their local bookshops.

“I frequently hear from customers about how excited they are to add books from the shop to their home libraries,” she said. “People enjoy collecting books, being surrounded by them and reading them over and over.”

According to Fry, books can bridge gaps between humans.

“We don’t want big-box stores controlling books, and that’s what’s happening,” she said, mentioning chain brand department stores or online reading subscriptions that let data decide what books are put on display.

Because books are art, she said humanity will “lose something” if book suggestions turn formulaic.

“What a beautiful way to build connections with someone by saying, ‘This book helped me through a hard time, and I know you’re struggling now,'” she said.

Frequent shopper Keith Frederick of Altoona said local bookshops are a place where book conversations are encouraged.

“A place like this is really valuable,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.