A bookshop stocking only titles written by women opened Saturday, Aug. 29, in Old Town Katy.
The Lost Story Bookshop, at 1001 Avenue B, is the creation of Afton Seeser, an indie author and 11-year Katy resident. She converted an old Katy home into a shop where each room is decorated to match its genre. The romance section has its own romantically styled room. CultureMap Houston also previewed the opening.
"It just didn't make sense why Old Town Katy didn't have a bookshop," Seeser told Katy Magazine. "Something just told me to do this, and I listened to those whispers."
Seeser said she drew inspiration from small independent bookshops she visited in Georgetown and other Texas towns. As a working indie author, those visits helped her develop the concept for her own store.
The shop carries all genres. Every title on the shelves is by a woman author. Seeser, who is married with two children, said she wants the space to bring women together to share stories and inspire one another.
Grand opening hours ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The first 50 guests received book-themed mimosas, the first 25 in line got a goodie bag, and the first 20 evening arrivals received cocktail or mocktail vouchers.
Beyond the grand opening, the bookshop plans to host book clubs, author events, yoga sessions and holiday parties for Halloween and Christmas. Seeser said she is especially excited about a Katy Midnight Release Party for ACOTAR 6, the sixth book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26.
