Today we’d like to introduce you to Keri Matranga.
Hi Keri, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My love for books started at a young age, from being read bedtime stories as a little girl to spending countless hours tucked away in my room with a good book. I was even the kid who got in trouble in high school for reading during class instead of paying attention! Books have always been my escape, my comfort, and something I’ve loved sharing with others.
Eventually, I decided to take a leap of faith and turn that lifelong passion into something more. That’s how Tide Turners Books & More was born! I wanted to create a cozy, welcoming space where readers could discover their next favorite book, connect with others, and experience the magic of an independent bookstore.
Rather than opening a traditional brick-and-mortar shop, my husband and I took a different route and created The Title Wave, our mobile bookstore. What started as a dream of sharing my love for reading has grown into a small business that travels throughout Hampton Roads, hosts community book events, supports local authors and makers, and ships books to readers across the country.
Over the past two and a half years, we’ve built so much more than a bookstore. We’ve found an incredible community of readers, made lasting friendships, and created opportunities to bring people together through books. Balancing a small business with full-time jobs and family life hasn’t always been easy, but seeing the connections we’ve made and the support we’ve received makes every bit of it worthwhile.
I’m incredibly proud of how far our little bookshop has come, and I’m excited to see where it takes us next!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road! Owning a small business comes with challenges, and I don’t think I fully understood just how much work goes on behind the scenes until I was in the thick of it.
One of our biggest challenges has been finding a balance between running Tide Turners, working full-time jobs, and raising our daughter. My husband and I work opposite shifts, so finding time for family, managing inventory, packing orders, updating our website, planning events, and traveling with the bookstore can be overwhelming at times. When you’re a small business, you’re also the marketing team, customer service department, accountant, and everything in between!
Operating a mobile bookstore also comes with its own unique challenges. We’re constantly at the mercy of the weather, and a rainy or windy weekend can mean losing an event we’ve spent weeks preparing for. There’s also the challenge of building a consistent customer base when you don’t have a permanent storefront for people to visit whenever they’d like.
Another struggle has been learning not to measure our success against larger businesses or even other independent bookstores. It’s easy to get caught up in sales numbers, social media engagement, and the pressure to constantly grow. I’ve had to remind myself that success isn’t always measured in dollars or “likes”. Sometimes it’s a customer telling us they fell back in love with reading, a child excitedly picking out a new book, or someone showing up to an event because they finally found a community where they feel they belong.
Despite the challenges, I wouldn’t trade the experience. Every setback has taught us something, and every difficult season has reminded me why we started. We’re still learning, still growing, and still figuring things out as we go, but I’m proud of what we’ve built with the resources and time we have.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tide Turners Books & More?
Tide Turners Books & More is a woman-owned, family-operated independent bookstore based out of Poquoson, Virginia. We’re a little different from your traditional bookstore because our shop is on wheels! Our mobile bookstore, affectionately named The Title Wave, travels throughout Hampton Roads, bringing books and bookish goodies directly to our community. We also have an online bookstore, allowing us to share our love of reading with customers across the country.
We carry a carefully curated selection of new and gently used books across a variety of genres, along with bookish merchandise, gifts, and accessories. One thing that’s always been important to me is making owning books accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget. Books can be expensive, and I never want someone to feel like they can’t enjoy reading because of the price. Offering gently used books alongside new releases helps us provide options for readers at different price points.
While we love selling books, what truly sets Tide Turners apart is our commitment to building community. When we started, I noticed that so many wonderful book-centered events were happening on the Southside of Hampton Roads, but there weren’t nearly as many opportunities for readers on the Peninsula. I wanted to help change that. We’ve made it a priority to organize free, family-friendly literary events that bring together local authors, artists, small businesses, and readers. From our themed book fairs to our monthly book club, we want to create opportunities for people to connect over their shared love of stories.
We’re also passionate about supporting other small businesses. Many of the items you’ll find in our shop are created by independent artists and makers, and we love using our platform to introduce customers to talented people they may not have discovered otherwise. I firmly believe that supporting small businesses shouldn’t be a competition. There’s room for all of us to succeed, and we can accomplish so much more when we work together.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the welcoming and inclusive community we’ve created. Our coastal-inspired branding reflects where we’re from, but it also represents the laid-back, comfortable atmosphere I want people to associate with Tide Turners. I never wanted our bookstore to feel intimidating or exclusive. Whether you’re someone who reads a hundred books a year, someone who hasn’t picked up a book in a decade, or someone just discovering what they enjoy reading, there’s a place for you here.
What I want people to know most is that Tide Turners is so much more than a place to buy books. We’re a small family business with a genuine love for reading, a passion for supporting our community, and a desire to make a positive impact, even if it’s just one book at a time.
Every purchase, every event attended, every social media share, and every recommendation means something to us. When you support Tide Turners, you’re not just supporting a bookstore. You’re helping us continue bringing literary experiences to our community, supporting local creatives, and proving that even the smallest businesses can make some pretty big waves.
How do you define success?
I think my definition of success has changed a lot since starting Tide Turners. In the beginning, it was easy to focus on sales goals, the number of orders we received, or how much our business was growing. While those things are important to keeping a small business running, I’ve learned that success means so much more than numbers.
To me, success is creating something that makes a positive impact on someone else’s life. It’s seeing a child light up when they find a book they’re excited about, hearing a customer say that one of our recommendations helped them fall back in love with reading, or watching complete strangers become friends at one of our events. It’s knowing that we’ve helped create a space where people feel welcome, included, and connected.
Success also means being able to look back and feel proud of what we’ve accomplished, even when things haven’t gone according to plan. My husband and I are raising a family, working full-time jobs, and building this little dream together. Some days, simply finding the balance between all of those things feels like a success in itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tideturnersbooks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tideturnersbooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellarstyleboutique/
