About Us
2nd Act Books is a one-of-a-kind shop, offering used books in great shape, that is truly a gathering place in the community.
We give book junkies a place to indulge their habits at affordable prices, and provide a place for book-lovers of all ages to spend time together enjoying the adventures of imagination.
Who We Are
From book-lover & volunteer to shopkeeper
Daphne Spain opened 2nd Act Books to preserve the space known for a quarter century as Read It Again Sam. While still teaching at UVA, she wielded a fierce feather duster while volunteering there. That was the extent of her training in the business prior to opening - though her grandmother did own a bookstore when she was growing up!
A 2nd Act for Daphne
and the store
After Daphne retired and found out the empty location on the downtown mall was available, she became a reluctant entrepreneur who had to get smart quick.
Luckily, several staff members stayed on to help, which they continue to do.
Customers loyal to Read It Again also stayed. They donated hundreds of books to kick-start our inventory and attract new customers.
2nd Act Books is truly a community effort, and is reflected in the diverse and caring clientele that grace our shop every day.
WHAT WE OFFER
Come discover your next great read
We are known for our friendly and knowledgeable staff members who can guide you to your favorite genre, typically at one-half retail price.
We specialize in kids’ books and see many grandparents, parents and families walk through our doors - many with their dogs!
The rest of the store is filled with mysteries, fiction, sci-fi, history, biographies, etc.
Booklovers come to our store to rediscover books they read as a kid, books someone has borrowed and not returned, to search for books on a list or discover new titles.
Books and More
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Book-Themed Puzzles
Inside the store, you’re always likely to see a jigsaw puzzle in progress on the table. If you look up, you’ll see a dozen framed ones that customers have completed!
We offer new, book-themed jigsaw puzzles from White Mountain Puzzles and New York Puzzle Company.
Most are 1,000 pcs, but we also sell 80-pc, 300-pc, and 500-pc puzzles for children - including popular Harry Potter puzzles, which come in several sizes.
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Kids' Club
2nd Act Books is well-known for our Kids Section. A large Mickey Mouse attracts children to the kids’ area with board books for the tiniest customers and Young Adult fiction for the tweens and teens.
With our Kids’ Club, when you buy 9 kids' books, you get one kids' book free!
We try to catch most parents when you come through the door, but make sure you grab a Club Card.
We’ll check off each purchase you make, with a complimentary check when you make the first purchase(s).
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Greeting Cards
We offer greeting cards for all occasions, and are thrilled to highlight so many local artists.
Our artists include:
Jesse Bellavance, who specializes in pen and ink drawings of local businesses, 2nd Act Books among them.
Jennifer Knight, who designs striking cards with catchy phrases and hidden puns.
and Marsha Spain Fuller, who is the creative genius behind the cartoon cards depicting the titles of books. She also gives humorous expression to silly sentiments with quirky characters and figures. Marsha is open to requests for personalized versions of her artwork.
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Events
We love to host our authors for readings and more in our comfortable, cozy shop.
Check out our Events page for all of our upcoming activities!
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Reading Corner
Our cozy, relaxed store is a place for browsing and finding your next great read.
Our customers and community love its comfy couch and chairs, plants, and artwork by local artists Peter Krebs and Nathan Kim.
You can even bring your dog to join you!
Book Credit Policy
We welcome many types of books for credit: we stock most kinds of books for all ages, especially for children and young adults.
We carry nonfiction, fiction, mysteries, sci-fi, history, science, and numerous other categories.
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Please call the store or download the current Book Credit pdf for current Book Credit Program hours. Our hours change seasonally.
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Please bring only two medium boxes or bags at one time (no large plastic tubs or bins).
If you have more books than that, please contact us to arrange a house call to review the books.
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We will ask you to fill out our intake form authorizing us to try to sell any of your books that we accept.
We ask that you return within one week and take back any books that we decline, or you can indicate that you would like them donated to a thrift store (if in good condition) or to Goodwill or the McIntire recycling center (if in poor condition).
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The credit amount you’ll receive depends on the condition of the book and whether we already have a copy.
We typically grant $2.00 credit for trade paperbacks and $4.00 for hardbacks.
We want books that are clean and in very good condition, without writing or marks except for owner name.
Hardcover books generally need dust jackets.