Houston – 19th Street in The Heights finally got a family-owned bookstore with the opening of Good on Paper. Officially opening its doors on November 1, 2024, some of the proceeds from the opening weekend were donated to the Heights Public Library. They say they would like to host community engagement like that monthly.
To further their mission, Good on Paper just launched a new book club, The Past Tense, which meets every fourth Tuesday of the month. January sign-ups are full but they urge book worms to stay up to date on social media for new spots opening up.
Good on Paper is the second business by a local family who also owns Land Sea and Sky, an optics store in Montrose that specializes in telescopes and binoculars. Two years of planning went into making the bookstore a reality and reflects their passion for reading and giving back to the community.
Two worlds collide
This weekend, the bookstore will celebrate National Bird Day in collaboration with Houston Audubon. On January 5, the store will host an Urban Bird Walk at noon, where participants can join in a one-hour walk around the neighborhood, guided by experts and equipped with optics from Land Sea and Sky. In addition, 10% of all store sales on the day will be donated to Houston Audubon to support local bird conservation efforts.
On Houston Life, Chris Hysinger, co-owner of Good on Paper, talked about three books the store is excited about for 2025 plus a birding book now available in time for National Bird Day.
- The Love Haters by Katherine Center – A rom-com about love and unexpected connections.
- Sunrise on the Reaping by Susan Collins – A dystopian science fiction tale.
- The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – A gothic horror novel infused with contemporary and historical fantasy elements.
- The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan – Creative nonfiction that explores the world of urban birdwatching.