Kate and Jim Fox hope to reach more readers in their new space. Their bookstore, Fiction 101 Books & Library Antiques, recently relocated to downtown Coos Bay from North Bend.

Having a larger store will allow them to provide their customers with a greater selection, Kate Fox said. While there used to be as many as 35,000 books in storage at one time, now 60,000 literary works will be out on the shelves.

Their shop is located in the Koski Building on Broadway, where it is occupying two spaces. The first half opened Dec. 1 and the other side will be ready for customers today.

The new side holds a compilation of three collections of volumes — 25,000 books — in the military and politics genres.

“It’s quite unusual,” Kate Fox said. “We have a lot of people coming from Portland to see this. We think these are books that need to get in the hands of people who care about them.”

Jim Fox, her cousin, said he’s enjoying looking over the biographies, historical documents, maps, military unit records and atlases.

The new half of the store also features a reading area, with chairs and tables. A self-serve coffee maker and cappuccino machine are available to customers, as well as cookies from Lori’s Goodies to Go in North Bend.

“This is all about comfort while you’re reading the books,” Kate Fox said, adding that groups can reserve the spot at no charge, as long as any beverages are purchased on-site.

The Koski Building, located next to the Tioga Hotel, was built in 1920 by Finnish immigrant J.V. Koski to house his tailor shop. It is listed on the National Historic Registry. The romance novels are in an area that was a barbershop, according to Fox. And the main paperback-book section was Action Trophies for about two decades, before the business relocated to Bunker Hill. The new portion of Fiction 101 is where the Nugget Bar was located.

Even though they have added modern conveniences such as neon lighting and a computer for book searches, the owners said they are trying to keep the store as authentic as possible. The original maple bar from the Nugget will remain to be used in the reading room.

When the shop moved from downtown North Bend, where it was located for one and a half years, the Foxes asked their customers what they would like to see in the new location.

Customers requested seating and coffee, more books and better parking.

“We have a great parking lot,” Fox said, pointing across the street to the city parking lot.

Fiction 101’s “gently used” books are divided into categories, with names like “paranormal romances” and “soldier and spy.” Of these, 2,500 are children’s books and about 15,000 are romance novels.

Through offering $2 paperback books, with trade-in value when they’re brought back for exchange, they reach people who like to read novels on a consistent basis.

“To come in here and find a paperback book for a low price, it’s a real resource for people,” Kate Fox said.

And through their sales of hardbacks and collectible books, she said, they entice those who might want more than just a good read.

The Foxes are always adding to their store. They take in about 2,000 books a week in trade and purchased five collections last year.

“Any bookstore is always a work in progress,” Fox said. “It’s different every single day and there’s the excitement of what’s the next thing coming in the door.”

Future plans include adding a section of used LPs and DVDs, hanging artwork done by local artists and completing a database so the books will be available online. The store also features greeting cards provided by local vendors.

Fox was once a book editor for the Los Angeles Daily News and, she said, owning a bookstore is a “labor of love.”

“That’s why I got into it, because of my love for reading,” she said. “It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun.”

Fiction 101, at 235 N. Broadway, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. In the summertime, evening hours will be added. For more information, those interested can call the store at 267-2111.