By Susan Shinn
sshinn@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad there’s a book store in China Grove?
Corner Books & More opened in December at 101 S. Main St. The business sells new and used books ó and more.
(We’ll get to that part in a minute.)
Its owners are Joy and Ed Roy.
The Roys decided to start a business after Ed returned from Iraq with the Army Reserves.
“I was left at home to fend for myself for the first time ever,” Joy says. They’ve been married 28 years and have four children, four grandchildren and one on the way. They’re also foster parents.
The Roys approached building owner David Morton about the idea and the business opened in early December.
Besides carrying new hardback, trade and paperback best sellers, the book store is also doing a brisk business in used books. Used books are typically divided into three categories ó they’re either placed on the shelves with other titles, put in the bargain bins or, if they’re special titles, placed on a high shelf all their own.
Joy started taking books on consignment before they even opened.
“My living room was at one point filled with consignment books,” she says.
Joy reports that the store thus far has nearly 70 consignors.
For the other books, they’re placed in categories typical for most book stores.
Now for the “more” part ó Corner Books & More stocks nearly 200 magazine titles, along with comic books and graphic novels. If you can’t find the one you want, just ask.
There are also home school materials and supplies available ó Joy homeschooled her children ó as well as soy candles, scented bears, stationery and scrapbook supplies, even embroidery floss.
Joy, who’s a scrapbooker, wants to have scrapbook nights.
She was surprised to find there were 700 homeschoolers in Rowan County.
“We knew it was a large group,” she says.
The store carries maps, manipulates, flashcards and other homeschool supplies.
“Right now,” Joy says, “what we’re looking for is high school stuff.
“At the end of school, we’re gonna get bombarded with homeschool stuff.”
The book store foray marks the first time that Joy, 52, has worked outside the home in a “real job.”
“My scariest thing was the cash register,” she admits. “Now I’m so comfortable here, I don’t even want to be gone. I’m surprised I’m enjoying it as much as I am.”
Ed, 50, handles the business side.
“He’s the behind-the-scenes guy,” Joy says.
He’s also responsible for switching out the seven top-10 lists every week for bestsellers under hardbacks, paperbacks and the like.
The Roys have two part-time employees, Blaine Summers and Melanie Nelson.
“This is my dream job,” Blaine says. “I’m a voracious reader.”
“Between the four of us, we read some of everything,” Joy says.
Joy says that support from the community has been “really good.”
The couple are highlighting local authors and artists ó on this particular morning, Michael Hisky’s CD is playing.
“We really want to help local people,” Joy says.
Wednesday is senior citizens day with a 15 percent discount and Tuesday is buy one, get one free day for used books.
Now about that knock-knock joke ó you’ll notice bright orange accenting the walls and even orange pencils at the counter.
Orange is Joy’s favorite color. Even her car is orange.
With Ed’s service time and different management jobs he’s had, the couple has lived all over the country. Ed is from Vermont, while Joy grew up in California. They met in Vermont, and Joy fell in love with North Carolina while doing genealogy research.
They moved to the Tar Heel State a decade ago and to China Grove two years later after Roy became a manager at Waldenbooks in Charlotte. He now works at Rite Aid in China Grove.
Joy admits to having wanderlust, but says China Grove is where she wants to stay.
“I just love China Grove so much, I don’t think I can leave,” she says. “I always knew I was a Southern girl.”
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Hours for Corner Books & More are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 704-855-7887 or visit www.cornerbooksandmore.com.