APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — It was the shop that Apache Junction never got to enjoy.
Mary Ann’s Mostly Books announced the used bookstore would close for good on Saturday. In the two years at that location, the shop never had the chance to open for business.
Mary Ann Steele is an avid reader - so much so, she and her husband opened their first bookstore in Benson 20 years ago. The store was a success, which is no wonder when her son describes the home he grew up in.
“My mom, she would come home with a stack of a thousand books and just drop them on the ground and read,” said Paul Steele.
“She’d read two of three books a day, it’s unbelievable. She’s a monster. So, consequently, me and my siblings were real big into books; we like them too.”
When Mary Ann’s husband died, Paul and his siblings urged her to move closer to family in Apache Junction. They found a spot for the new Mary Ann’s Mostly Books and relocated from Benson to Apache Junction.
“There’s a lot of people really interested in a good bookstore in this town," said Paul Steele.
Before she could open the new shop, Mary Ann started experiencing health issues, including open-heart surgery, according to Paul.
Those issues kept her from opening in early 2019 as she had planned. Then came COVID-19 the following year, further delaying the store’s opening.
“She’s been paying rent on this place for two years without even being able to come in here.”
That’s when Mary Ann decided to retire. Her store filled with rare, vintage books on topics ranging from cooking to history, travel to religion, all unseen by the community of Apache Junction.
The family decided to open the store for one week, offering up every title for free.
“Now that people are here and they’re seeing the situation, they’re being really incredibly generous with their donations, it’s really heartwarming,” said Paul.
Donations are accepted for the titles, but as Paul puts it, it’s not about the money.
“We want them to go. We want them to go to good homes.”
Mary Ann’s Mostly Books will stay open until Saturday, when they must have everything - including the shelves - cleared out.
“You know, it’s heartbreaking but at the same time it’s really -- to see these books go to people who really want them and are going to read them and enjoy them, that makes you feel so good,” said Paul.
“I think of books that I read in my youth and growing up and even recently that affect my life, and I wonder about these books and how many other people they’ve affected,”
Because, as Paul Steele says, a good book will stick with you for a lifetime.