Pioneer Book/CHAPTERS

Pioneer Book (CHAPTERS)
858 S. State Street
Orem, UT 84097
Store Hours: 10am - 8pm
pioneerbook@msn.com

My mother says that one of the joys of motherhood is reading to your children. I think I can trace my love of language back to those early story sessions. I learned rhythm from “Drummer Hoff fired it off” and “to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street.” My brother and I used to howl with laughter every time my mother read the line, “you are not my mother! You are a SNORT!”

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. I even have a vague memory of playing library and “checking out” my books to my stuffed animals. So imagine my dismay when I saw that the historic Pioneer Book had closed their doors in downtown Provo. But fear not intrepid bibliophiles! They have re-opened on State street in Orem.

Pioneer Book experimented briefly with a name change. They are currently known as CHAPTERS, and that is the name you will see on the outside of their store…for now. The owner tells me that they will be reinstating the name Pioneer Book in the weeks ahead. Their reputation as the premier seller in Utah Valley of rare LDS titles is well established, and apparently many people like myself panicked when Pioneer Book appeared to have disappeared from the scene.

Pioneer buys, sells and trades books, which means they have a large inventory on a wide variety of subjects. Are you looking for the latest Barbara Kingsolver or Sophie Kinsella for book club? They’ve got it.

The Kite Runner? Check.
Twilight? Check.
Tom Swift and his Triphibian Atomicar? Check.

They’ve also got a wide array of college textbooks, the obligatory paperback section, and an impressive vintage collection.



Allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy a good romp through the stacks. I found old friends like Nancy Drew and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. I recognized classics I’d been forced to read in college, like Henry James. (Wings of the Dove was the only James I could stomach.) I saw topics I’d avoided in college, like Gregor Mendel and Heredity, and books I’ve been meaning to read, like Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. (At least I say I’ve been meaning to read it.) I even backed away nervously from Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams.

This week (Sept. 27-Oct. 3) all LDS and general religion books are 20% off. Did I mention that Pioneer Book specializes in rare and hard-to-find LDS titles?

While at Pioneer Book, if you see me hunched over a dusty and venerable tome or huddled in a corner with a stack of Anne Perry paperbacks, say hello. It’s always nice to meet a fellow fanatic.

You can follow Pioneer Book on Facebook and visit their blog at http://pioneerbook.blogspot.com/.