J’aime Les Livres
Do you remember the 1991 Disney film “Beauty and the Beast”? The scene in which the Beast surprises Belle with the library is a cinematic masterpiece. Even though it was just an animated film, the idea of a place packed to the brim with books was so pleasant and comforting. Imagine a location in the Rio Grande Valley that invokes similar feelings.
J’aime Les Livres, which translates to “I love books” in French, is a small independent bookstore in McAllen, Texas, situated at 1219 N. Main St. It is a modest bookstore loaded with history and, most importantly, books! Martha “Marty” Medina, the owner of the house-turned-bookstore, welcomes visitors as they enter and takes them to the genre of books that interests them.
Several book sections compromise the entire house. The shelves overflow with books in every room, creating a sense of warmth and coziness. J’aime Les Livres is a bookstore that completely reverses traditional bookstores’ trendy and contemporary look. The store’s ordered chaos is charmingly rustic and eccentric, from the building to the secondhand books. This modest independent bookstore is the dream of any book enthusiast.
The store has existed for more than 11 years, but the building is almost 100 years old and has its history. Before Medina, her aunt used to rent the building. Medina saw the possibilities for the bookstore and took over the lease from the aunt. They have been renting the property for over 30 years, and Medina hopes to buy it one day.
“I saw this little house, and I saw the possibilities of a nice, quaint, and comfortable bookstore where people can come and feel at home. And I wanted a place for my kids,” Medina said. “I wanted them to have a place to work on projects with their friends and hang out. And they did. They had birthday parties here. They had projects they worked on here.”
She also said establishing the library was a “work of love.”
“It was more of a family-type of decision. I wanted to do this for them, but I wanted to do this for the community because I really felt like everyone deserved that,” she said. “You know, they deserved a place where they could go and look at books and be surrounded by them, and that it wasn’t commercialized in any way. You know, more like an away from home.”
A home away from home is a recurring theme for Medina as she strives to increase community access to literature. She has grown her business to include a physical location in McAllen’s Mercado District. Book Club Magic is the store name where Medina concentrates on selling freshly published books at the publisher’s price rather than secondhand books.
However, if an in-person experience is not for you, Medina has also launched a monthly book subscription program called Book Club Magic. The subscription service is $14 a month and includes two books, a bookmark, and some surprise items.
She also said she creates gifts like get-well-soon and one-time gift boxes. Each box is $35 and includes a book, a bookmark, and other paraphernalia sourced from other local businesses.
Medina stated that she understands that not everyone has the time or can read due to visual impairment difficulties. Therefore, she applied to Libro.FM. It is an audiobook subscription service that you may join through J’aime Les Livres for $14.99.
The business reflects Medina’s enthusiasm for reading and sharing that passion with others. Despite her passion and success, J’aime Les Livres had many difficulties over its 11-year existence. Due to COVID-19 and the recent price increase, many small companies, such as Medina’s, have failed. Yet, Medina said she would continue adapting to the ever-changing times.
“I think the word that comes to mind is: ‘evolve’. So during the pandemic, I was more in tune with the idea that I wasn’t going to let it, you know, just diminish me… It’s just it’s a matter of kind of changing with the time and figuring out how to navigate through it.”
She intends to continue sharing her enthusiasm for books and making them more accessible to the local community for many years. Call 956-789-4518 to speak with Medina about J’aime Les Livres. You can also order books at www.bookclubmagic.com.
