Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kansas, is celebrating a major milestone: 50 years in business.
Annie Krieg, the general manager of Rainy Day Books, said that hard work, innovation and trust helped their small store not only survive but thrive for five decades — through the rise of mega book chains, online shopping and e-readers.
Krieg said that store founder Vivien Jennings set the industry standard for book talks.
“She was one of the first booksellers to actually sit in conversation with authors,” Krieg said. “She realized that authors were so much more comfortable in conversation, and the actual content of that, both about their craft and the subject of their book, was so much richer for the audience.”
The small Kansas bookstore is now nationally recognized – attracting former presidents and best-selling authors like Stephen King and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Jennings and her business partner, Roger Doeren, sold the store in 2022 to a new ownership group that includes the team behind Made in KC.
To kick off the store’s month-long 50th birthday celebration, Jennings will be interviewed by local author and former Washington Post columnist David Von Drehle about the store’s evolution and highlights.
50 Years of Rainy Day Books: A Celebration with Vivien Jennings, 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 at Unity Temple on the Plaza Sanctuary, 707 W 47th St., Kansas City, Missouri 64112.
- Annie Krieg, general manager, Rainy Day Books
