Have Books Will Travel

Right after Beach Haven West, NJ resident PJ Hogan left a career in concierge medicine she made the decision that the next chapter of her life would have to do with books.

It started back in May when she launched a mobile bookstore business, called the Sand Bar Story Shack, the first of its kind on Long Beach Island, NJ

“I read about a woman who had opened up a mobile bookstore, and I thought that sounds so interesting,” Hogan said.  “Reading is having a big moment right now. You go in stores and everyone has a book club and you see people talking about what they are reading.”

Reading isn’t the only thing having a big moment right now.

The mobile bookstore industry in 2026 is evolving rapidly and becoming part of the broader bookstore industry. Mobile bookstores aren’t just turnkey. Retail mobility lets mobile bookstore owners turn the key and go where the customers are.

Location, community presence and customized customer service are just some of the reasons why mobile bookstores like Sandbar Story Shack are poetry in motion.

Owners like Hogan begin by stocking their shelves with uniquely curated book collections that appeal to the tastes and values of each target market they travel to.

Hogan said a large part of her inventory will depend on where she will be.

“I did an event at Hollow Pines Restaurant,” she said. “People were sitting around fires, so some of the books I had with me had a camping theme.”

Mobile bookstores also offer their customers personalized service and literary options.

“Almost everything I have for sale is catered to the event itself,” Hogan said. “Two people have reached out to me for ladies’ nights so the books I have stocked will include some spicy romance beach reads.”

Blind Date with a Book is another one of Hogan’s literary options.

“I wrap a book up in butcher paper and twine, so you don’t know what the title is,” she said. “They are one of our biggest sellers. It’s an opportunity to read something you might not have considered. There is a description of the book on the back, and I include lots of little treats tucked in with it like stickers, pens, magnets, bookmarks and tea bags. It’s a gift with lots of other gifts attached to it.”

Mobile bookstores like Sand Bar Story Shack are subject to rules and regulations that prohibit them from driving around randomly selling books.

There is, however, a flip side to Hogan’s road trip restrictions.

The Sand Bar Story Shack can travel to specific events and areas traditional bookstores can’t reach such as farmers markets, book club gatherings, craft shows, and pop-ups.

“It’s been exciting, “Hogan said. “I have been contacted by four book clubs. One is on the island, the other three on the mainland.”

Sand Bar Story Shack is more than just a road rambling trailer with shelves. The interior has been fitted with ship lap paneling, surf theme wallpaper and wall sconces. The trailer has all the magic and allure of a traditional bookstore and is spacious and cozy enough for customers to browse for books while they chat with Hogan.

“I like that I can provide personalized book recommendations when people come in to browse,’ Hogan said. “They ask for special orders, and they like to chat about books like they would in a traditional bookstore. I also have a very robust kids’ section and carry a selection of Little Golden Books.”

In addition to being a mobile book seller Hogan said she is an independently owned and operated one as well.

“I do consider myself an independent bookseller,” she said. “Publishers do too. You don’t need to be bricks and mortar. I’m a traveling bricks and mortar. I’m not an online business either so I am treated the same as a regular bookstore.”

Online retailers are competition , but Hogan said her bookstore on wheels goes hand in hand with the idea of shop local and shop small.

“I don’t intend to compete with Amazon,” she said. “If you buy your books from them that’s fine. At least you’re reading. But what I can offer you is a hands-on experience with every book you purchase.”

Hogan said Sand Bar Story Shack has exceeded her expectations. “Business has been very good,” she said. “For me this is an entrepreneurial adventure that I have been able to combine with my love of creativity and my memories of books.”

And it’s those on the road again type memories that were instrumental in bringing Hogan’s idea for a mobile bookstore to life.

“I always had a love of reading ever since I was little girl,” she said. “I grew up in a blue-collar family. I didn’t have a dance class, but I always had the library and books, and I love the feel of them in my hands. One woman told to me this reminds her of when she was a child and the book mobiles would show up, and the good memories she has of that.”

Contact Information

Sand Bar Story Shack

PJ Hogan, Owner

sa***************@***il.com

609-276-4821