The Bookish Bison Mobile Bookshop made its debut last month in Sioux Falls, S.Dak., the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported.
Built out of a 7'×16' trailer, the Bookish Bison carries primarily romance titles along with thrillers and science fiction, with a big emphasis on local, independent authors. In addition to books, owner Jess Leigeber and her husband, Chris, carry bookmarks, stickers, tote bags, and other book-related items.
The mobile bookstore held a grand opening on Saturday, October 24, at Big Lost Meadery and Brewery in Sioux Falls. The store's next appearance, at the bistro Zest Social House, is scheduled for November 7. Later this month she'll also visit a holiday market and vendor fair in Tea, and a brewery in Yankton.
Leigeber told the Argus Leader she decided to open a bookstore in order to fill a gap in the community, and she decided on a mobile bookshop so that she and her husband "could venture out of Sioux Falls and hit surrounding cities as well." They chose the name Bookish Bison to evoke the great plains and the store's itinerant nature.
Originally from Alabama, Leigeber and her family began traveling through the Midwest in an RV in 2024. They found themselves returning to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area repeatedly, and eventually they decided to relocate there.
Going forward, Legeiber plans to take the Bookish Bison to markets, coffee shops, breweries, and other locations within about an hour's drive of Sioux Falls. She hopes to have local independent authors join her at these stops, and she is considering a monthly book club.