About Curbside Books
Curbside Books started with a simple idea: everyone deserves a bookstore, even if that bookstore arrives on a large red trolley. We created a mobile bookshop so people could find a good book, chat with strangers about what they’re reading, and leave with something they didn’t know they needed, without leaving their own neighborhood. Our mission is simple: make bookstores feel more accessible, more welcoming, and more rooted in the places people call home.
Today, we pop up at coffee shops, wineries, markets, residential streets, and community spaces across the Treasure Valley. We bring curated used books, select new titles, and literary moments to the places people already gather.
If you love stories, slow moments, or bookstores that create connection, we’re so glad you’re here.
What We Do
Most visits look like this: a cozy, browse-at-your-own-pace bookstore experience inside a literal trolley. People step inside, slow down, talk about what they’re reading, and sometimes leave with an unexpected favorite.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Curated used books
- Select new titles
- Seasonal & neighborhood-inspired picks
- Bookish gifts
- A cozy space that encourages lingering & conversations
We collaborate with venues and organizations to create simple neighborhood moments.
Behind the Scenes
Meet Dani & Snoots
Hi! I’m Dani—reader, trolley renovator, occasional overthinker, and the human behind Curbside Books. And that fluff-ball beside me is Snoots, my mini Aussie and self-appointed Quality Control Manager. His primary responsibility is sniffing every single box of books before they’re shelved. He takes this job extremely seriously.
Where It All Began
The heart of Curbside Books comes from my best friend and lifelong reading buddy, Grandma Marie. I wasn’t the kid devouring novels under the covers. I was the kid chasing Pizza Hut reading points and quietly hoping books might unlock Matilda powers.
Reading didn’t become a true love until later, when Grandma and I started trading books constantly. Our own two-person book club. That’s when stories became a way of staying close.
As she got older, getting out and about became harder, and even a quick bookstore trip started to feel like a stretch. Around that same time, I was reading The Bookshop on the Corner and stumbled across the phrase “mobile bookstore.”
It stopped me in my tracks.
What if the books could come to the reader?
What if a bookstore didn’t need four walls?
What if it could show up in the places people already were?
That spark became the idea behind Curbside Books.
Bringing Trolley Parton to Life
Finding our trolley was its own adventure. My dad and I flew to Atchison, Kansas, where we met a 30-foot vintage trolley that needed a lot of TLC. Her name is Trolley Parton. It was love at first sight, questionable wiring and all.
What followed were months of gutting, sketching, rewiring, rethinking, and learning far more about old vehicles than I ever expected. There was also the small matter of learning how to drive a 30-foot trolley through Boise traffic while questioning my life choices in real time.
With enough tune-ups, paint, flooring, shelving, and stubborn determination, Trolley Parton rolled into Boise as a traveling bookstore, and she’s been popping up around the Treasure Valley ever since.
What We're Building
Curbside Books is more than a trolley full of books. It’s a community-centered space built around curiosity, creativity, and connection. We are working toward:
- Weekend pop-ups across the Treasure Valley
- Multiple book clubs & neighborhood meetups
- Reader-focused events & creative gatherings
- Monthly rotating gallery space featuring local artists
- Readers’ retreats in partnership with local venues & creators
Our long-term goal is simple: help neighborhoods build their own third places through books, art, and shared experiences.
Who We Serve
Curbside Books exists for:
- Readers & book lovers
- Neighborhoods without easy bookstore access
- Coffee shops, wineries, breweries & markets seeking unique experiences
- Local artists & culture organizers
- Community members craving curiosity, connection, or a reason to slow down
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
How to Support the Trolley Bookstore
Visit a Pop-Up
Spread the word
Host the Trolley
Thanks for Being Here
Curbside Books is built on the belief that stories matter, and that bringing bookstores into neighborhoods builds real community. Whether you’re here for book recommendations, events, or just because you love a good trolley moment, we’re glad you found us.
Where we stop, the stories begin.
