Tucson books collective moving to bigger space

Lillie Watson and her friends Megan Downey, Zach Gotschalk and Manny Gales opened the shop in January of 2025, looking for a way to reconnect with Tucson’s book community after previously working together at Bookmans.

“When we stopped working there we missed book selling, we missed being around books, and we were interested in creating our own workspace,” Watson said. “We were interested in building community space, and so Megan just texted one day and was like, ‘would you guys be interested in trying to start our own thing?’”

Taking on the project and making their dream bookshop together, as a group, made it feel possible, and Downey said her favorite thing about Homeward Books is her team.

“One-hundred percent it's the team. ... I'm so happy that I have everyone,” she said.

Over the last year, the friends have seen their community grow, and Watson attributes the success to the feeling they create for their customers.

“When people walk in, they feel like they've discovered something, and we've gotten the comments so many times of like, ‘I've never seen these books anywhere else before, you guys have such a really cool curated selection,’ and that's what I love about us — how intentional we are with what we choose to have, and in the store.”

Now, they’re taking the next step. “We feel like we've outgrown this space. We’ve gained a lot of traction here, we've hosted some pretty big events and pretty good markets and stuff,” Watson said. “And I think we're just ready for something bigger.”

The new space, at 2921 E. Fort Lowell, is almost three times the size and includes a space that will be used as a community room for book clubs, events and game nights.

One of the things Gale loves most about Homeward Books is the community interactions and hosting of events for Tucson’s book lovers.

“The people that come in here, we're conversing with them, we're making it seem like we've known them forever, and I like that feeling,” he said. “But my favorite thing has to be the events because it's always nice to see unique people come around that you didn't know were in town, or someone new popping up, and you see their talent or see their art, their craft, if it's a market.”

One of the team's focuses is to expand their events and organize more monthly meetups.

“We'll definitely have open mics, and we'll have markets every so often,” Watson said. “I would really like for us to have an established schedule of events that people look forward to.”

The new location also means more room for new inventory and the opportunity to expand their book selection.

“We do trade as well, so people can bring in books to trade, and that's something else I'm excited for with our new space, is to be able to take in more,” Watson said. “We can buy more books for the store, but we can also take in more books from people who come to trade in.”

They are aiming to reopen in the new store on Aug. 15, after the current shop closes on July 19. 

“A lot of our regulars who've been coming since day one have been so excited that we’re gonna have more stuff, more space," Watson said. “We've had a few people say ‘I don't want to lose the cozy vibe,’ and we definitely don't want to either, because that's a huge thing for us. We love how it feels walking in, we've had lots of people comment that it feels like they're not in Tucson when they walk in, and so we want to maintain that, and we don't want to lose what makes us us, which is that cozy, scrappy thing.”

Loyal customers can rest assured they’re not leaving behind the welcoming DIY and thrifted feel. “We're still going to be that handmade or found type of people. We're thrifting everything,” Watson said.

The hope is that the new location will be a permanent home.

“One of the big goals of moving is to really put our roots down somewhere, so that we can think about longer-term goals,” Downey said. “Making the business stable, so that maybe we can onboard new people for the long-term longevity of Homeward.”

“If some of us are able to at least work full time there, that would be cool,” Watson said.

“It's all excited, happy vibes, but it is a big change."