Name: The Gazette
Address: 116 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52401, US
Telephone: (319) 398-8333
Price range: $$

Currently Booked: Eastern Iowa’s first mobile bookstore

Solon native looks to bring more books to people across Midwest

Claire Montgomery, Audrey Montgomery, Ashley Montgomery and Olivia Montgomery look at books inside Currently Booked during the Market at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty on July 10. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.

SOLON — Currently Booked is a Solon-based bookstore that doesn’t stay in one place for too long. The mobile bookstore is a trailer that’s been outfitted to serve as a bookstore with the mission to literally bring books to more people across Eastern Iowa and the Midwest.

“The main kind of tagline is helping to enrich people's lives with portable stories … it's given people access to books, and books are meant to be shared. They're in your purse. You give them to a friend, you share them,” said Breanna Ferry, owner of Currently Booked. “So I love just being one of those points of and another book's journey. I used to joke and I say that I foster books until they find their forever home.”

The bookstore, founded by Solon native Ferry, carries solely used books that come through donations. The trailer carries all genres and books for all ages.

Currently Booked owner Breanna Ferry looks out at the storm from inside Currently Booked’s trailer during the Market at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty on July 10. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

“Most small towns can't have bookstores so now people will shop Amazon or just do whatever they have to do to get their books. But I thought of the idea, and I didn't think much of it, just thought something like that might be fun. But then in the summer (of 2024), I started to think maybe that's something I could do for real,” said Ferry.

Since launching in October 2024, Currently Booked has sold around 400 books. The bookstore travels to farmers markets and other events, or spends an afternoon outside a business. Currently Booked posts a schedule on its Facebook page of where the bookstore will be throughout the month.

“The big thing with being a mobile business is the marketing and social media, which I really enjoy that aspect of the business,” Ferry said. “But I think it's especially important because I don't have a brick and mortar. People don't know where to meet me if they don't follow along … the social media aspect and making sure to do a good job with that, because that's how people can know where we will be if we're in their area, they want to come by.”

Audrey Montgomery and Claire Montgomery look at books inside Currently Booked during the Market at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty on July 10. The owner of Currently Booked Breanna Ferry started Currently Booked last fall after seeing a few other mobile bookstores online. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Ferry said the books range in price from $1 to $19. For every book $5 or more, a dollar of the proceeds is donated to a local charity. Ferry picks a new nonprofit agency each quarter. Currently, it’s the Cedar Valley Humane Society.

Last quarter it was Last Hope Animal rescue, where Ferry adopted her second dog from. Currently Booked was able to donate $270 to the rescue.

“That was important in building the business, I wanted it to be something that could give back to meaningful causes, and also feel good about whether you are donating your books or you're buying your books, just to feel good like you're supporting something,” said Ferry.

If anyone is looking to donate books, Ferry said people are welcome to bring books to an event the bookstore is at. Otherwise, they can message Currently Booked on social media and Ferry will schedule a time to pick up a donation.

Currently Booked’s next event is the Neighborhood Market in North Liberty at Colony Acres Farm from 4:30-6:30 p.m. July 24.

“Titles are always coming in and out, because there's pretty much like one copy of each. So I tell people, whenever you visit, there will be different things in there for you to look at … But of course, in the trailer, there's only so much space that so I try to do my best. But there is something in there for everybody,” said Ferry.