My Ode to this Hidden Gem of a Bookstore

Nestled in a cozy downstairs abode at Second and St. Paul in Denver’s Cherry Creek North district is a bookstore known as The Hermitage Bookshop. It goes without saying that I harbor a deep love and affection for this place.  

My history with the store dates back to 2013 with the launch of my short-lived radio show Bookmark Radio. Featuring weekly broadcasts with my co-host Wendy at a studio in Castle Rock, Colorado, the show within a year had garnered nearly 100,000 global listeners per month.

This leads me to one of my fondest memories involving Hermitage. It was during that year that I approached the owner Bob Topp about whether he would be open to hosting a live broadcast at the store. He excitedly agreed to this. So with broadcasting equipment provided by the radio station, we, without a hitch, deliver our first offsite radio broadcast to thousands of global listeners. 

Topp, who I had the honor of featuring a number of times in articles and pieces that I wrote in subsequent years, retired last year after 49 ½ years running the bookstore. Now under the helm of store owners Ian and Renee Colle along with store manager Sam Martin, The Hermitage is poised to reach new heights in its quest to delight readers.

On May 25th of this year the store celebrated the Colle’s 1-year anniversary as new owner’s of the store’s along with its 50th anniversary.

How cool is that!

The store also has the distinction of being one of the locales I’ve included in my global quest to visit at least 2020 bookstores and libraries by the year 2030. Just this past week I had the chance to visit there before my move back to Las Vegas. And I must say that the place never fails to delight. 

An Invitation From Diamond-Michael Scott:

“Great Books, Great Minds” is my full-time work and life passion, a labor of love fueled by the endless hours of work I put into researching and writing these feature pieces. So if you enjoy this digital newsletter, find it valuable, and savor world-class book experiences featuring epic authors and book evangelists, then please consider becoming a paid supporting member at $6.00 a month or $60.00/year.