Mission
Stories of Wonder is an indie bookstore curating a collection of fictional stories which tackles complex topics, pushes our current understanding of reality, or simply brings about peace. It was born out of the desire to make the world more enjoyable to live in --to help make life worth living.
Vision
We are actively seeking a brick & mortar location in either Herndon or Reston, Virginia. The dream of a coffee shop with community in-person events are distinctly tied to the initial vision of Stories of Wonder.
About the Founder
Mindy has been running Stories of Wonder a little over a year now. She comes from working as a FAANG engineer for about a decade. She decided to pivot to a more artistically tuned career after some deep introspection during a particularly rough season of life involving a prolonged medical leave and lay-off.
If you'd like to view something closer to a resume, email mindy[at]storiesofwonder[dot]com.
Patch Notes
Summer 2026: Marketing & Advertising
This is where I currently am! I'm actively trying to figure out launch campaigns and advertising in general while the site search continues for the brick & mortar and I get to meet amazing folks in-person at pop-up markets.
Spring 2026: Pop-up Event Schedule Kickoff
With the business plan complete, a lease search underway, and graphics solidified I was ready to start putting my name out there. I started to apply for pop-up events. Thank you so much to Grimoire Academy for accepting me into their Gothic Market events as a first-time vendor. It was so fun, has felt like an amazing match, and I'm looking forward to growing with you. The website now has an 'Events' tab where you can track where I'll be in-person!
Winter 2025: Business Plan Wrap-up
The business plan will ultimately be a living document. Thank you to Pedal Retail Advisors for dropping difficult truths and guiding me through the harsh realities of opening a brick & mortar in Fairfax, VA. It ended up being about 50 pages long. Also thanks to Jenna Figgers, my graphic designer who worked with me through all of these changes to come up with a beautiful branding package that I am in love with & I hope you all love, as well.
Fall 2025: Name Change
Stories of Wonder was previously called Basil & Books. I renamed the shop after realizing the food aspect of the cafe would be something to grow into one day instead of starting off with it. Simultaneously, I was working on finding a concise way to discuss the genres the bookstore side of the business would be carrying. I ended up referring to these genres as, 'Stories of Wonder' and realized that maybe it would make a good store name to replace the food-centric name.
Summer 2025: Genre-Focus Scope Expansion
I started off wanting to only sell science-fiction. The genre has so much more potential, but hasn't been making mainstream waves like it used to. I really wanted to dig into this as an artistic STEM girl myself.
After starting the market research and crunching a lot of numbers in my first iteration of the business plan, I realized I will need to be selling more than science-fiction in order to financially survive, so I expanded the scope. I love video games and nerd culture, so much so I had launched my own gaming convention in partnership with The End Games & some other amazing, passionate friends in Charlottesville, VA back in 2013. Expanding into the genres which frequently show up in these nerd spaces felt like a natural and fun expansion.
Spring 2025: The Journey Begins
Stories of Wonder is established (as Basil & Books at that time). Legal things are done. Bank accounts are open. Domains are secured. Businessy business things are researched & done.
v0.1 - August 2026