Nearby fire shuts down beloved Cobb County bookstore

Bookmiser closed by hopping center fire

Bookmiser, a long-time Cobb County bookstore, is closed after it got covered in smoke and soot during a fire at a neighboring business last Sunday. Fire investigators say the fire may have started from a lithium battery. The bookstore is one of a handful of businesses in the same shopping plaza that remain closed due to the fire.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A longtime Cobb County bookstore is temporarily closed after smoke and soot from a neighboring business fire caused extensive damage.

Cobb County shopping center fire

What we know:

Bookmiser, a local favorite along Roswell Road, was covered in smoke and soot after a fire broke out at an electronics repair shop in the same shopping plaza on the morning of September 28.

Fire investigators say the blaze may have started from a lithium battery, though the cause remains under investigation. While the flames were contained to the repair store, the smoke spread through the entire building, leaving several neighboring businesses unable to reopen.

Bookmiser closed by smoke, soot

What they're saying:

"We share an attic—we don’t have firewalls—so smoke came from the Owl Shop and made its way all the way down the shopping center," said Annell Gerson, owner of Bookmiser.

"The flooring, all of our contents inside, the ceiling tiles, the electrical, the whole attic area has to be washed and repainted," she explained.

Gerson said there are roughly 30,000 books inside the store, which first opened in 1998.

"We are here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s because our community has kept us here," Gerson said. "We have customers that we’ve had for twenty-seven years."

Bookmiser recovering from fire

What they're saying:

While repairs are underway, Bookmiser is still keeping its community connected. The store’s book clubs are meeting at a nearby business, and the owners are continuing to fulfill special orders online.

"We’ve pivoted so many times," Gerson said. "We started off as a used bookstore, and then when Borders closed, we became new and used—and we survived COVID. We’ll see what happens with this one."

The owners say they plan to share updates on recovery efforts every Friday. Customers can find information and place orders through the store’s website.