Hideaway Hollow Bookshop is tucked away in an off-the-beaten spot in Veneta.
Owner Amy Kocyan, who parks her cart in a corner of the Grocery Outlet parking lot on Jeans Road, says she wanted to bring back reading to the community. She has put a lot of effort into creating a place for local residents who enjoy fantasy to find their newest adventure.
“I just looked around and realized that anyone in Veneta who wanted a book would have to go into Eugene, so I decided that this would be the perfect place,” Kocyan said. “I couldn’t afford a brick-and-mortar place, so I got a book cart instead.”
Hideaway Hollow began in June 2024, but Kocyan said it has been a dream of hers since she was a child. Her love of fantasy has allowed her to sustain herself off of books for many years.
“I’ve always read fantasy ever since I was a kid. I love fantasy. My head has always been filled with stories,” Kocyan said.
Hideaway Hollow offers a variety of fantasy and adventure books for all ages, from picture books to novels, with prices ranging from $1 to $20.
There’s also some range in quality since some books are donated, but all are suitable and available for purchase off the shelf.
Kocyan said she loves to receive donations but requests that donors notify her ahead of time if they plan to drop off a large quantity of books.
“The only donations I might turn down is if it’s nonfiction. Quality-wise, I’m going to be bringing out more used books and some value books, which are going to be used books that are a lot more worn,” Kocyan said.
Although she sells primarily fantasy, she said she is open to working with local authors who stop by.
“I love working with local authors, but I’d like for them to come in and meet me,” Kocyan said.
Elmira High School senior Fernanda Valle-Arvizu said she loves Hideaway Hollow and enjoys the fact that there even is a place to buy books in town.
“I enjoy the aesthetic of the place. There were a lot of fun classic books as well as fun bookish accessories,” Valle-Arvizu said.
She said she loves to get classic books and browse the selection of fantasy novels.
“I like buying the classic editions they have of books. I especially like the edition of ‘Little Women’ that I got from them,” Valle-Arvizu said.
Hideaway Hollow’s hours fluctuate with the season. Like a real rabbit, Kocyan hides away from the winter, coming out only on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She said the colder weather is tough on the cart and the books.
Now, however, its days of operation have expanded to Wednesday through Saturday, also from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Click here for more information about Hideaway Hollow.
