Emilee Prado
There are over 300 bookstores in Texas, all of which carry their own stories filled with colorful characters, new worlds and amazing adventures that capture our minds and hearts. While most of them are owned by major chains like Barnes & Noble and even Amazon, one local shop is bringing the community together by building a curated reading experience for families all around the area.
Talking Animals Books is Grapevine’s first and only independent bookstore that curates a specific collection of books for children, adults and families alike. While founders Katy Lemieux and Valerie Walizadeh have a deep-rooted passion for literature, neither of them imagined running a bookstore together a year ago. But thanks to a supportive community of enthusiastic readers and authors, they brought their vision to life and made a reading destination as unique and special as the many books they carry.
Reading And Writing
Katy’s family has always had a way with words. While they ran a trucking company started by her grandparents in 1966, her parents’ true passions lay in fine arts. Her father Doug was a writer and artist who worked with wood, leather and stone, while her mother Nancy was an avid reader who had books scattered throughout their house.
“Books were everywhere all the time,” Katy reminisces. “So many of the books that I brought here to start the store were originally hers. Literally just hundreds of them. She’s one of those people who got a Kindle because she ran out of room to store her books.”
Drawn to the writings of W.H. Auden, John Steinbeck and Eugene O’Neill, Katy says her mom made sure to foster her love of reading.
“We would always go to the mall after school, and she would let me pick any book I wanted,” Katy recalls. “Back then, I was all about ‘The Baby-Sitters Club.’ I was just hooked. I knew that every time she took me, I could get that next book. I always had that to look forward to.”
While she helped her parents manage operations with the family business, Katy was drawn into writing herself after her second child was born in 2014.
“I realized I needed something for myself besides being a mom,” Katy says. “I was craving intellectual stimulation. That was when I really started to think that writing and words could be a part of my life.”
Katy began covering the local theater and arts scene as a freelancer, first for the online magazine “TheaterJones,” then for “The Dallas Observer” and “D Magazine.” More opportunities opened up for her to write for "Texas Monthly" and "The New York Times," and in 2018, she earned the Hugh Aynesworth Award for Texas Journalism by the Press Club of Dallas.
Shortly after her mom sold their company and went into retirement in 2021, Katy was faced with the question of what she was going to do next. Her answer came from the same place all others have in her life — in books.
“I saw an empty space right by this coffee shop near my house, and I thought of how wonderful it would be to have a bookstore right next to it,” she recalls. “I had no idea how I was going to start this. I had never done anything like this before.”
She began talking to people about funding, financing and how she would go about opening her own store.
“Eventually, I came to a crossroads and decided I couldn’t put it off anymore,” Katy says. “I had to do what I was going to do.”
By summer 2022, she began a Kickstarter campaign and advocated for a reading destination where people could share their literary experiences together. While her initial fundraising goal was $50,000, she successfully raised $54,100 in less than a month, which went toward buying books and the store itself. Thanks to 345 generous backers, Katy was one step closer to owning her own bookstore.
Reading Partners
While she doesn’t come from a writing background like Katy does, Valerie Walizadeh knows what it means to be part of the community. As a mother with two kids in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Valerie regularly worked as a substitute teacher for the district and was familiar with the Lemieux family. After seeing the success of Katy’s campaign online, she reached out wondering if she might be able to help her enterprising acquaintance.
"My daughter is 16 and driving now, and my son is 13, so I knew it was time to have a job again,” Valerie explains. "I knew I was sort of at a crossroads myself. I loved books and I loved bookstores, so this just kind of called to me."
With a retail background in managing stores like Blockbuster and Starbucks, Valerie had relevant firsthand knowledge of how to lead a successful business. Her acumen was exactly what Katy needed to get her business off of the ground.
“I didn’t know I needed a partner, but then I talked to Will Evans, who owns Deep Vellum Publishing Co., and the first thing he said was ‘Get a partner. You cannot do this by yourself. There will be times when it’s 3:30 in the morning, the pipes burst and you’re the only one who can go,’” Katy says. “I didn’t realize it, but Valerie was exactly what I was missing — someone to push it forward and bring a little momentum to it.”
After their initial location didn’t pan out, the duo started searching for a new home for their bookstore. With the help of Darlene Freed, a commercial realtor who also serves on the city council, they were situated into a 122-year-old bank building behind Bermuda Gold and Silver in Historic Downtown Grapevine.
"Grapevine’s never really had a bookstore on Main Street,” Darlene says. “In just about every historical town you go into, they all have bookstores. It ended up being a perfect fit all around."
Turning The Page
Emilee Prado
Since opening in February earlier this year, Katy and Valerie made the bookstore feel like their own. Stepping inside feels like stepping into a cozy library, with every wall filled with both classic and contemporary novels. An antique typewriter sits in the middle to remind visitors of how writing has evolved over the years, and historical photos line one of the walls to provide a peek into Grapevine’s past. Even the building itself is historically significant having been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde’s gang in 1932. An old bank teller window has also been repurposed into a discrete reading nook for small children.
"We are moms above all else, and every kid that comes in here is our kid,” Katy expresses. “If a kid can come in here, go into the reading nook, just look at the lights for 20 minutes and feel calm, that’s all I care about."
Past the reading nook is a large community room where visitors can gather to read and socialize with a coffee in hand. Board games like chess and checkers are available in case readers want to take a break to play a quick friendly game, and tables can be moved aside for live readings and author signings.
“When I did a book signing at Talking Animals, it was clear that the store is the center of intellectual hipness in the area,” writer and naturalist Amy Martin says. “It’s a great place to start up stimulating conversations, and [Katy and Valerie] take great effort to make everyone feel welcome.”
But it isn’t just the reading area that makes families feel welcome — the children’s playroom on the second floor makes little ones feel just as relaxed with cushions, train sets and coloring books to fill out. Children’s author Keka Novales brought her own children to the store prior to one of her book signings, and she could see the positive impact it had on them.
“I experienced it both as a parent and author, and my children loved it,” Keka says. “It’s truly unique, nice and cozy, and it all ties together wonderfully. I think it’s the perfect bookstore for children.”
Constantly on the lookout for new finds, Katy and Valerie are always eager to highlight up-and-coming authors in their store. L.M. Berthiaume is a former Southlake resident and new author who can attest to their hospitality personally.
“I had the privilege of working with them when I was looking to host a book signing for my debut novel,” L.M. says. “They invited me without hesitation, actively promoted my event and treated me with utmost respect every step of the way. Their dedication to embracing and supporting authors and providing a platform for emerging literary voices is a testament to their commitment to fostering creativity and innovation within their community.”
Entering A New Chapter
From the layout and decor to its authors and book selections, Katy and Valerie are intentional about every aspect of the store. Even something as simple as book placement is a priority for them, positioning children’s books on lower shelves while moving teen and young adult novels higher up out of children’s reach. Small details like that help maintain the community aspect and ensure that everyone stays connected with what others are reading.
“We’re trying to give families a unique and authentic literary experience,” Katy says. “We have people coming in here looking for war books. Some people want cookbooks. Some people want faith-based literature. We have a little something for everyone. That’s ultimately how we see our role — providing access.”
That mission is actually reflected in Talking Animals’ namesake. Inspired by C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles Of Narnia” series, Katy says the talking animals are significant because they are communicators — they pass along information, they protect the Pevensie children and help guide them through a strange and uncertain world. That’s the role she sees books serving too, and it’s also why she named her daughter “Lucy” after the youngest sibling.
“I love reading, and I love language,” Katy says. “It’s all part of this larger umbrella of a need to connect with each other.”
Their twist on a personalized reading experience is also why she values their status as an independent bookstore.
“To me, ‘independent’ means authentically building a human connection,” Katy says. “We cannot offer the speed or variety that Barnes & Noble and Amazon can, but we can provide a very curated experience for the people who live here and identify with what their values are.”
If the past few months have been any indication, it’s that people are hungry for the unique hands-on literary treatment that only Talking Animals can provide. Valerie’s favorite moments are seeing how kids interact with the store, whether they’re reading in the nook, playing upstairs with their friends or listening in during storytime.
“Everyone who comes in here has always been happy, excited and super supportive,” Valerie says. “We haven’t had a single person come in and be unhappy that we’re here. We always hear from others that they want us to last, and they want us to be here forever. That’s super meaningful to us. We’re living the dream.”
And even though Katy’s ambitions have always been lofty, they don’t stop at checkout. She and Valerie hope to expand by adding a coffee shop and additional reading spaces for those who wander in. Until then, they remain committed to promoting literacy and connecting the community one page at a time.
“We don’t have an end,” Katy says. “We can go wherever we want with this. We want to be as big as people will allow us to be. We’re the pioneers of our own story.”
Hear from Katy and Valerie in person at our 2023 Women’s Luncheon on Oct. 20, presented by Great Plains Bank. Reserve your tickets today at 817Tix.com.