Indie Bookstore Tour: Escaping Reality with OtherWorlds Books & More

Photo by Grace Johnson

Grace Johnson is visiting local booksellers, chronicling her experiences and sharing a little about each store. This concludes the series in print, but visit doorcountypulse.com/literature to read about the six other featured stores.

Year Opened: 2018
Location: 41 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay
Owners: David and Margaret Magle

If you don’t know it’s there, you may accidentally pass by the entrance to OtherWorlds Books & More. Tucked into the Park Place Mall on 3rd Avenue, OtherWorld stretches across three rooms filled with new and used titles, among other things. Yes, three rooms. It’s probably the most expansive bookstore on this tour.

OtherWorlds takes advantage of all available spaces, so there are bookcases everywhere, creating something of a maze to explore. My first stop was in the extensive science fiction and fantasy section, for which, David informed me, they had a shipment of 500-plus books that still needed to be sorted. 

The first room is primarily for books, but there’s also a selection of vinyl in one corner. Continuing through, the second room features a plethora of games, puzzles and trading cards. The final room houses quite the collection of comic books and some collectible figurines. If you aren’t sure where to start, just ask to be pointed in the right direction!

The Beginning

OtherWorlds started simply, with David and Margaret’s love and passion for the written word, plus their desire to share something that was an important part of their lives. Although they were always planning to open a bookstore, the closure of Book World pushed their plans ahead by several months.

Store Specialties

The Magles see one of their specialities as the “other” in their store’s name. Aside from books, they sell puzzles, games and more. Their shared interest of sci-fi/fantasy also shines through with an excellent selection of new and old titles.

One area I find exceptional is their collection of comic books. You will not find a selection like this anywhere else in Door County. (Steve Grutzmacher, the Peninsula Pulse’s comic-book guru, can attest to the impressive collection.) According to OtherWorlds’ website, the store stocks more than 150 new titles, along with 17,000-plus back-issue comics going back 50 years.

Bookstores and the Community

“As our name symbolizes, when you read a book – be it fantasy, sci-fi, a political thriller or steamy romance set in Victorian England – you remove yourself from this world and reside somewhere else, if only for a short time,” Margaret said. “Bookstores provide education and current events, entertainment and escapism. Bookstores are life. Vincent Van Gogh said, ‘Bookstores always remind me that there are good things in this world.’”

Show Some Love

You can support OtherWorlds through in-store purchases and by using the mail-order form at otherworldssturgeonbay.com. The Magles also offer the option to ship directly from their distributors to your home. Posting favorably on social media and recommending the store to others are great ways to support OtherWorlds Books & More as well.

What I Bought

My selection was The Missing of Clairdelune (The Mirror Visitor, Book 2) by Christelle Dabos, translated by Hildegarde Serle.