ABOUT US

OUR STORY

New Book Joy is a Chicago Booktique (yup, a Bookstore, Boutique, and MORE!) with a thoughtfully curated collection of books, reading pairings, themed gift boxes / bundles, book clubs and bookish events for ALL AGES!

We're proud to be a women-owned *multi-generational* small business, run by a group of current and former Chicagoland teachers who are enthusiastic about sharing a common JOY of reading and "building great conversations, one book at a time."

Recently opening our flagship Edgebrook storefront in 2023 and our 2nd brick and mortar location in Brookfield in 2026, we know we're the new kids on the block of AMAZING Midwest bookshops... BUT our unique, one-of-a-kind bookstores are filled to the brim with thoughtfully curated collections of books that inspire conversations and themed reading pairings that are made by a bunch of our favorite small businesses, so you're supporting a whole community of entrepreneurs when you shop at New Book Joy! Our special in-store assortments coupled with our immersive bookish experiences make every trip to these destinations worth it (PLUS we've got a retro upstairs Vinyl + Vibes Reading Parlor at our Edgebrook Booktique that you won't want to miss).

Book lovers and beyond: You're invited to shop our bookshelves, read in our lounges, join an event (or several!), or book our space for your own gatherings - whatever adventure you choose, we look forward to seeing you soon!

VISIT OUR BOOKTIQUES:

EDGEBROOK (5512 W DEVON) / OPEN THURSDAYS - SUNDAYS / 10-4 PM

BROOKFIELD (3741 PRAIRIE) / OPEN WEDNESDAYS-FRIDAYS 12-6 PM / SATURDAYS 10-4 PM / SUNDAYS 11-4 PM

HOW IT STARTED...

Over a glass of wine! You may have noticed a lot of our book pairings and events for adults are inspired by drink tastings... Here's the boozy backstory:

Cousins Connie Obrochta and Mandy Genge were swapping sips and stories of their eventful experiences in education (there are many, seeing as they have 40 years of shared teaching experience) and dreamed up a way to put their educational expertise to use outside of the classroom, while combining it with their love of great literature, dedication to meaningful conversations, excitement of hosting group gatherings and building strong relationships, passion for supporting small businesses, and devotion for giving back to the community...

With a group of their closest friends, they started piloting Book Club Tasting Experiences for grown-ups that included themed Book Boxes (filled with the featured titles and small business goodies curated to compliment the flavors of the story), thoughtful book discussions (with curated discussion questions that inspired the groups actually talk about the book), and paired reading adventures at local small businesses (starting with drink and food tastings including wine, whiskey, and cheese, then branching out to cooking classes, art classes, and more) all inspired by the books they were reading! Gatherings took place in-person or virtually on Zoom for those out-of-state (or while distancing during the pandemic), so when friends and family caught wind of the idea, the group grew pretty quickly, and New Book Joy started doing even more pop-ups around Chicago and beyond...

These grown-up Book Clubs started to inspire family-friendly Book Clubs too, which motivated the team to create a whole new slew of Book Boxes filled with books, educational conversation tools and activities for families of all ages and interests. Eventually this led to Bookish Gift Boxes for all-ages too...

Between the Book Club supplies and Book Boxes for adults and little ones, Connie's garage was filling up fast with inventory, so New Book Joy began participating in pop-ups around Chicago to share goodies beyond the Book Club groups (hi, Printers Row Lit Fest!), starting building an online site and social media presence (thanks to our Graphic and Web Designer / E-commerce Specialist and Social Media Marketing Maven, Jane Arvis/West), and... When word of an adorable space opening up in Edgebrook in 2022 reached Connie and Mandy's ears, they took the leap on their first brick-and-mortar store!

After celebrating a soft opening at a Christmas pop-up in December, the doors were officially opened to the public four days a week in January 2023, and the team has been going full-speed-ahead since (while juggling full and part-time teaching jobs too - PHEW!)...

HOW IT'S GOING...

New Book Joy has spread our wings!

Therese Tanski joined the New Book Joy team at the start of 2024 and *officially* became a third owner in the fall of 2025, partnering with Jane Arvis-West to expand the online Booktique so book lovers from all across the country are able to shop the curated collection (AND she's helping us host events in even more neighborhoods in the Chicagoland area - let us know where you'd like to see us pop-up next)!

We began growing our small business...

In June 2026 we started our expansion to the western suburbs after the Village of Brookfield, Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, Brookfield Shops Committee and a few other fantastic folks selected our bookstore to join their amazing small business incubator opportunity, and we became one of six new Brookfield Shops to open in Progress Park!

Following a successful year at our new pop-up location, we graduated from the program and started looking for a storefront in Brookfield.

CELEBRATE our next chapter...

In May 2026 we officially opened our 2nd brick and mortar location: our BrOOKfield Booktique! Mandy Genge will be running our *NEW* suburban bookstore while Connie and Therese continue growing our Edgebrook Booktique in the city.

VISIT OUR BOOKTIQUES

EDGEBROOK (5512 W DEVON) / OPEN THURSDAYS - SUNDAYS / 10-4 PM

BROOKFIELD (3741 PRAIRIE) / OPEN WEDNESDAYS-FRIDAYS 12-6 PM / SATURDAYS 10-4 PM / SUNDAYS 11-4 PM

MEET THE TEAM

CONNIE OBROCHTA

READING RECOVERY TEACHER + SPECIALIST, COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR FOR LITERACY COURSES, LITERACY COACH & ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM TEACHER

"I’ve LOVED hearing the amazing insights my students and my own children shared when we were discussing a juicy book together."

FAVORITE BOOK: I'm a slightly-obsessed fan of children’s picture books.

BEYOND THE BOOKTIQUE: Besides great books, I find my joy through gardening, hanging out with my now-grown kids (I'm a widowed mother of three), and snuggling my dog Cami.

MANDY GENGE

HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER (25+ YEARS) WITH AN MA IN TEACHING + FOCUS IN LITERACY, TEACHING EVERYTHING FROM ADVANCED PLACEMENT TO CLASSES THAT HAD RELUCTANT, STRUGGLING READERS

"I still remember completing my first book, The Boxcar Children, in 1st grade and have been an avid reader ever since!"

FAVORITE BOOK: I would love to share my favorite book, but that is impossible! I usually read or listen to 4 or 5 books at a time and enjoy each one for different reasons. I am addicted to reading and adore playing the book matchmaking game with people who are looking for their next entertaining read!

BEYOND THE BOOKTIQUE: Besides teaching and learning from my students (and reading, of course), I truly enjoy embarking on Chicagoland adventures. There is so much to do and try and there is never enough time! I also love listening to music, watching a movie, traveling, or enjoying a new adventure with family and friends.

THERESE TANSKI

RETIRED HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER (30 YEARS AT THE SAME LOCATION AS MANDY) WITH AN MA IN EDUCATION + FOCUS IN CURRICULUM / INSTRUCTION, TEACHING EVERYTHING FROM ADVANCED PLACEMENT TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

FAVORITE BOOK: I would say I have favorite authors and genres. I love anything by Jane Austin or Charles Dickens as well as Historical Fiction, British Period Dramas, Romantasy, or Romance. My current favorite authors are Kristin Hannah, Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Kate Quinn, Matt Haig, and Anne Lamott.

BEYOND THE BOOKTIQUE: In addition to lots of reading, I enjoy writing, traveling with my husband (we've been married for 35 years!), gardening, being at my Port Austin, Michigan lake house, and spending time with my friends and family (we have two adult children too).

JANE ARVIS-WEST

GRAPHIC DESIGNER + CONTENT CREATOR, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SPECIALIST & E-COMMERCE + WEBSITE MANAGER, WITH AN BA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN + APPAREL DESIGN FROM DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY

FAVORITE BOOK: My all-time favorite story is Alice in Wonderland, but I love any whimsical stories that inspire different perspectives and outside-the-box thinking, along with books about nature, history, art and culture. My favorite authors include Margaret Renkl, Matt Haig, T.J. Klune, and Shelby Van Pelt.

BEYOND THE BOOKTIQUE: When I'm not in New Book Joy Land or reading, I am listening to music / attending concerts, walking in a forest preserve, cooking up vegan feel-good foods, gardening & playing with two fur babies - all with my husband (we just got married in 2023)!