Even on winter’s coldest days, Leesburg’s Birch Tree Books offers a warm space blending novels and nature. Beginning as a pop-up at farmer’s markets, the bookstore is now the perfect winter retreat on Market Street, surrounded by thriving greenery, thanks to shared space with Foliage Plants, owned by Ami Mason.
“It creates a wonderful ambiance of the store with beautiful plants that are also for sale,” Birch Tree owner Leah Fallon said.
In addition to 17 book clubs, they host workshops on how to care for houseplants and the importance of bringing the outside in. They partner with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Loudoun County Public Library to host a book club for plant lovers and offer discussions about native plants and how to create space for nature in backyards. In January, they also launched their first writing club.
“Coming out of the pandemic, I was trying to create the community I wanted to be in,” Fallon said. “We’ve created a space that is bringing more families and people downtown. Leesburg was going through a transition before the pandemic where we were a destination for antiques, high-end shops and people willing to spend money.”
Now, she said, more options are bringing middle-class shoppers downtown to businesses like the bookstore, CRAFT (an art supply store), Muzz and Rose (offering second-hand clothing), and King Street Collective (a group of women-owned businesses).
Fallon said Leesburg has been extremely supportive of the store. “The book clubs were all brought to me as a need, someone wanting to start a club for historical fiction or horror, and that person will lead it, and they are full most of the time,” she said. “We also have bookstore memberships, with about 200 members who pay an annual fee to support us and get a birthday book [and other bonuses].
“It’s important to shop local—everything stays in the community and fuels it, and that’s what we try to teach everyone and be part of,” Fallon said.
Look for a big event during the Flower & Garden show, which also falls on Independent Bookstore Day in April, with lots of activities at Birch Tree and Foliage.
When the weather is too cold for gardening, however, check out books to get in the spirit of the season. Fallon offers five suggestions for great wintry reads across a few genres that are fantastic for those snowed-in days!
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Myth meets mystery meets history in this folklore-inspired historical fiction novel. The Fox Wife follows the story of a detective investigating a string of murders and the story of a woman bent on revenge for the death of her child. The storylines twine together very cleverly with fox spirit twists and tricks! It’s also a great mix of folklore-esque magic, historical fiction and mystery that reads with a literary fiction feel. The story takes place through winter, with themes including grief, revenge, lost and renewed love and friendship.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Loosely based on real-life events, The Frozen River follows the story of a midwife who ends up investigating a suspicious death in her town. While the death of a man discovered frozen in the river is ruled an accident, the midwife knows it is not; she is forced to investigate on her own and hunt down the truth through the whispers and rumors around her community. If you’re looking for a historical fiction mystery featuring a woman who refuses to accept being seen and not heard, this is the book for you!
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
Looking for a cozy, curl-up-in-an-armchair winter novel? A Quiet Life follows the stories of three different people whose lives unexpectedly intersect. Though their grief presents in different ways, each character is grappling with the challenge of moving on from the loss of a loved one. Told with a hopeful sensitivity and a beautiful, poetic voice, A Quiet Life reads with the feel of a bedtime story for adults, touching on themes of love, loss and the comfort of community in the face of loss.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
What’s a stressed-out single mom to do when a phone call with her agent discussing the plot of her latest mystery novel gets her mistaken as a contract killer? Well, Finlay Donovan’s answer is to accidentally accept the dispose-of-no-good-husband proposal and then do her best to wing it as she becomes entangled in a murder investigation. A lighthearted read full of humor and suspense, this book is a great read for the midst of the often chaotic holiday season. Finlay will have readers laughing through the trials and tribulations of both single parenthood and murder investigations.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
Gilmore Girls meets grumpy/sunshine romance tropes in this festive and fun read! City girl Jeanie moves to the small town of Dream Harbor after her aunt gifts her the beloved local cafe. She embraces her new life with enthusiasm and positivity, but soon she suspects that not everyone in town is happy with her swooping in and carving out a place for herself—least of all gorgeous and grumpy local farmer Logan, whose business-as-usual routine is disrupted by Jeanie’s arrival. Despite the circumstances, Logan and Jeanie find themselves drawn to each other, and readers find themselves equally drawn to the cozy and quaint town of Dream Harbor for a lighthearted, sweet (and slightly spicy!) read.