A new Astoria book shop is bringing fresh, family-friendly titles to North Coast readers this summer.

Look Around Books, owned by Ann Branson, carries an assortment of fiction and nonfiction books for everyone, including graphic novels, historical fiction and foraging guides.

“If you’re a reluctant reader you can find something, but if you can read a book in a day you’ll be able to find something too,” she said.

Look Around isn’t a traditional brick-and-mortar shop — yet. Instead, Branson has hosted recent pop-up events in Astoria, bringing a mobile format to book selling.

With dozens of books in tow, Look Around held pop-ups at Sleeper Coffee on May 10 and at Riverdog on May 17.

Just a few of the books she brought to the the May 10 event included “Never Whistle at Night,” an Indigenous dark fiction anthology, New York Times bestseller “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “There’s Always This Year,” a reflection on basketball and ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib.

Some of the historical horror fiction titles she carries include “Lone Women” by Victor LaVelle, a tale of a woman who forges a path for herself as a homesteader in Montana in the early 1900s.

“The Reformatory,” a 2023 novel by Tananarive Due, is set in Jim Crow Florida and follows a man’s journey in a segregated school as he watches horrors unfold.

Branson said she’s been playing around with genres like horror fiction and romance to see what catches people’s eyes.

Her inventory includes authors from all demographics and walks of life, including Black and Indigenous storytellers and people in the queer community.

Look Around has lots of options for younger crowds, too. Branson sees books as social and emotional learning tool for kids. Her children’s books include stories about helping others, read-alouds and books that are more silly and lighthearted for storytime.

“When I started writing out ideas, one of the big things was making sure there is a good selection of books for younger readers to help kids connect with books,” she said.

Branson is a lifelong book enthusiast. It’s something that’s reflected in her keen eye to pick authors and titles that are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Her Instagram page is full of recommendations and insights into why she loves the books she chooses.

Before starting Look Around, she worked at Beach Books in Seaside for four years.

“I loved being a book seller and connecting people with books,” Branson said. “So I knew I wanted to do that in Astoria.”

There was an extra motivation for Branson to open Look Around in light of recent books bans appearing around the nation, she said.

The Guardian newspaper recently reported the U.S. is seeing a surge of book bans targeting works that talk about race, diversity and LGBTQ+ issues.

“There was more reason than ever after election day to create a place where you can come to challenge your world view,” Branson said, nodding to the 2024 November election.

Branson hopes the pop-ups give her an even better understanding of what people want to read.

“I’m excited to hear from and talk to Astorians,” she said, noting she can also do special orders if someone wants a book she doesn’t stock.

When the summer winds down, Branson wants to find a permanent location where people can browse and spend time with their families. She might even host book clubs one day.

“It’s about strengthening the community,” Branson said.

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Look Around accepts cash and cards at pop-up events. Ann Branson suggests bringing your own bag or tote to carry home books in. Follow Look Around Books on Instagram for event dates @lookaroundbookstore or www.lookaroundbooks.net.