Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Leslie.
Hi Julia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been an avid reader and lover of literature. Since I was a young girl I remember thinking that owning a bookshop would be the absolute dream career so much so my parents always thought I would become a librarian. To their shock I became a NICU nurse and have a deep passion for connecting with people and caring for them. I started my nursing career in 2020 during the height of COVID and I truly didn’t anticipate how terrible the burn out would be. I stopped doing the things I loved and reading fell to the wayside. In March of 2025 I remember thinking how it would be amazing to find a part time gig that was low stress, very flexible, and allowed me to pursue my hobbies and read again. The local book store in Linglestown at that time was Heart and Soul Bookstore owned by Ashley Cecelia Myers, a local author. She had posted on their social media about wanting super part time coverage to fill the holes in their schedules. I started working with them over the summer completing inventory, performing the sales, and running book club events. I watched her run her book store with the utmost love, care, and attention to detail. I began to ask questions to learn the ropes in hopes of hopefully one day opening my own store. In November of 2025, Ashley had approached me about moving into the space with my own business due to wonderful life changes and her desire to pursue her artistic endeavors, and I immediately said yes! This was exactly what I had been hoping for. November 14th, 2025 Between the Covers Bookshop was created! In January 2026 we officially opened Between the Covers Bookshop inside the Shops of Mud Queen in Linglestown PA. The outpouring support from the community, the support from friends and family, and the patience and grace everyone has showed us as we learn the ropes has been amazing. I work full time still as a NICU nurse and my husband, Logan, who is the other owner of the business works full time as an electrical engineer, but owning the bookstore gives me the space to curate what I love and support my community in other ways. Getting to meet everyone, make recommendations, and be a welcoming and warm space for people to come is honestly the best thing I could have asked for! I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many uplifting individuals and other women owned businesses. I have a lot to learn still, but I look forward to the challenge.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Becoming a business owner has definitely come with its challenges! There is so much to learn when you are brand new it can at times be overwhelming. There is a lot of different moving pieces and trying to learn them all while nailing down protocols and a plethora of other things is a lot. For instance when we started we received a lot of the stock from Heart and Soul Bookstore. We then had to add everything into our point of sale system, which took forever. Then it became creating and launching a website. Remodeling the space, organizing the shelves into genre, separating new vs. used books, legal filing, taxes, AND making sure we are hearing what our customers recommend and have to say! We have gotten a lot of great feedback and are working hard between our full time jobs, life, and finding some balance with the business to get it all down. Somedays I look at the store and wonder who’s idea it was to start the business, but I also remember it is truly a blessing to be stressed by something I love so deeply. I am so proud of the work that I do at the store and I can’t wait to continue to learn and problem solve.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are a independent micro-bookshop located in the Shops at Mud Queen at 5933 Linglestown Rd. Harrisburg, PA 17112. We specialize in selling new and used books, with a majority of those books currently being used. We are working on building up our selection and gearing up to remodel the space with a fresh coat of paint and some new shelving and decor! We sell book marks, stickers, and our best selling item is our Blind Dates with a Book! The book is wrapped with a small description and the genre without giving the title away and is stuffed with exciting goodies including book marks, page tabs, sticky notes, pens, highlighters, and other items! We also will place weekly orders for customers as well if they are looking for something specific and we don’t have it in stock.
I am most proud of the hard work that we put into the store and the experience our customers have. While we are small and our selection isn’t as vast as Barnes & Nobles or some other bigger independent bookstores, we truly pride ourselves on the warm environment and welcoming atmosphere. We want everyone to feel welcome, supported, and seen when they step into our doors. We love holding community based events and having fun with our customers!
Linglestown is the cutest walkable town with the best small businesses on the strip. You have a selection of eateries, the cutest coffee shop, and so many stores along the way. So make an afternoon of it! Grab some coffee and wander down to Between the Covers Bookshop for your next story to fall for.
What are your plans for the future?
Our dream is to continue to grow our bookshop! A micro-bookshop was the least intimidating idea while still working in our fields full time. We are gearing up to remodel the space this summer! Fresh paint, new bookshelves, and updated decor to match our book stores vibe! We will then be announcing a grand re-opening to welcome in the new look of the book store! We have updated our business hours to share with the other shop owners located in the Shops at Mud Queen.
We are always announcing events that we hold in our space AND we also do pop-ups locally as well. We are hoping to continue to do pop ups, plan events, and continue working on our website to allow online orders!
Our community has continued to show up every step of the way and we can’t wait to continue to show up for them and provide a safe place with fun activities for them to participate in.
Follow our social media and website and stay tuned for all of the excitement.
Pricing:
- Pricing depends on new vs. used
- Used books have a pricing system based on condition
Contact Info:
- Website: https://betweenthecoversbookshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_betweenthecoversbookshop_?utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16p6zNxWzB/?mibextid=wwXlfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@betweenthecoversbookshop?si=69HY3t31Go1WHjVV
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/IQXuUqnBCP
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@betweenthecoversbookshop?_r=1&_t=ZT-96qiqqWoiYn
