New bookstore in Herndon aims to tell ‘A Thousand Stories’ and more

While on vacation over the summer, Michelle Ratto became aware of the lack of independent bookstores in Herndon and realized she wanted to fill that void.

Ratto and her business partner Beth Luke — who describe themselves as avid leaders — made that dream come true last month by opening A Thousand Stories, a bookstore with more than 1,000 titles.

The store’s name is inspired by the mission of the business.

“One of the things we love most about bookstores is the magical feeling of being surrounded by so many stories. We decided to name our store…as a way of describing that sense of possibility,” Ratto said.

The bookstore is located in a room at Arts Herndon (750 Center Street), a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance the arts in the town. The idea came from Jo Ormesher, the organization’s president.

While focused on kids and young adults, the store has books for readers of all ages and is happy to fulfill special orders.

The owners are just getting started with hosting community events. Preschool story time started yesterday (Wednesday), and more book clubs and author readings are also planned in January.

The bookstore is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to. 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. The store is closed on Sundays.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable here and to meet new friends and neighbors while finding the perfect book,” Ratto said.