NEDERLAND — Nederland residents are known to be masters of their trades with strong opinions regarding their fields of expertise, whether professions or hobbies. And as the townspeople’s history of physical pursuits—from mining to artful expression through craft—has evolved to more business-oriented and wellness-based vocations, one shared truth has always remained: Nederland loves reading. 

Nederland residents of all discernable tastes were finding something of interest on the enticing and decorative shelves.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

So does Annah Jones, the owner of the town’s newest business, Bristlecone Bookshop, which celebrated its grand opening over the weekend of May 16 and 17, 2026. 

Jones’ love of reading and time growing up in a literary family spawned a lifelong dream of one day owning her own book store. It was a daydream she would sneak in during her highly impactful work as a psychiatric nurse and practitioner. 

“My grandmother was a librarian, our mother was an English teacher and is a writer, our brother’s a librarian,” Jones explained. “I just love talking books with people and putting the right book in people’s hands; it’s just so joyful for me it doesn’t feel like work.”

Jones got closer to her “retirement gig” last summer when she opened a mobile book business in Boulder. But then in February of this year, Bristlecone Bookstore began to post on their social media about the page of an exciting new chapter for the business about to turn. 

After receiving an exciting opportunity from a beloved Boulder and Nederland family, the Perrys, Jones’ labor of love now has a stationary home on East 2nd Street, where her enticing inventory and ambition to hold space for literary events can now grow. 

“I mostly was stocking things that I had read myself, that I could talk about and sell,” Jones said about her mobile store inventory, before explaining how she’s tackling what books to order now that her available space has expanded. “Then I started adding things I wanted to read and things that were recommended to me.”

As Jones spoke with The Mountain-Ear, she would pause to meet with her customers and talk to them about the books in their hands and about their recommendations for authors to carry in the store. She also talked to people about books they’ve recently read, haven’t read yet, or can’t wait to experience either again or for the first time.

Some clear signs that the store owner has librarians in the family, the real rebels of the literary world.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

Residents of the mountains remain well-read, from a thirst for knowledge, a deep study into a new curiosity, a need to be informed, or an openness to other worlds of perspective in both this reality and others. Tackling the broad varieties of Nederland’s literary tastes is a prospect that Jones is excited to explore, not just for new books for Bristlecone’s shelves, but to broaden her own horizons. 

The store already offers a wide selection for a range of tastes, from popular children’s books and New York Times bestsellers, to classic authors and wildly successful series. Bristlecone also proudly displays and sells framed artwork and postcards by local artists such as Kathy Bremers and Meg Fox. 

One can even find the family memoir Just Like Glass, written by Jones’ mother, Amy Wight Chapman, about her own mother’s life, the building of the family camp, and what the family endured after the loss of their patriarch. 

Though her mother is touring her book in Maine, as well as working on her next project, Jones’ family was close for Bristlecone’s grand opening, with her sister, Cait Kennett, visiting Nederland to circuit around that weekend’s Farmers Market wearing a sign that read “ask me about my sister’s bookstore.” 

With the opening of the new storefront, Jones was pleased to announce some of the ideas she has for events and programs to be hosted at Bristlecone.  

“We’re going to do a rotating guest reader story hour, a Sunday morning book club—because so many are on week nights and I have a hard time getting out of my house after work, poetry open mics, and some local author signings,” Jones said excitedly, while also expressing her intention to continue highlighting local creators. 

“Local authors, if you’re interested in having your books carried here, and local artists, artisans—I’d be happy to look at your stuff and be thrilled to carry more local art and books.” 

Bristlecone Bookshop is located at 114 East 2nd Street in Nederland and is currently open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. 

For more information call 207-210-0093, or visit: bristleconebookshop.com, Bristlecone Bookshop on Facebook, and @bristleconebookshop on Instagram.