Books: The Old Man and the Sea, Earnest Hemingway. State of Wonder, Ann Patchett. New York Sketches, E.B. White.The Boy from the Sea, Garrett Carr 

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Name: Michelle Pierce
Occupation: Owner, Lido Village Books
Home: Alaska

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Michelle Pierce first came across HanaHaus the way many locals do—on a casual stroll to Blue Bottle Coffee. “I was walking to get a coffee and just stumbled in,” she recalls. “I immediately loved the energy. It’s like you’re with people, but not with people. Everyone’s working on something, but no one needs anything from you. That’s kind of lovely.” 

Michelle owns Lido Village Books, a Newport Beach bookstore that has been part of the community for 50 years. She purchased it in March 2020, just days before the world shut down. 

Since then, she’s navigated moves, expansions, and the launch of a second store, Malibu Village Books, which officially opened in March 2023. Between both shops, she manages inventory curation, events, partnerships, and a team of booksellers. “What don’t I do?” she laughs. “I own and run the stores, curate the books, manage events, mentor staff… but I wouldn’t trade it.” 

“Every village deserves a bookstore.”

When Michelle needs to focus, she comes to HanaHaus.

“If I stay at the store, I won’t get anything done—people want to chat. Which is amazing and lovely, but sometimes I need to get things done. HanaHaus gives me space to breathe and think. I do team check-ins here, interviews, even just deep-dive chats with staff over a coffee.”

Michelle’s long-term vision is expansive. She’s currently building It Takes a Village Literary Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on education, advocacy, and community media. The long-term goal? A creative trifecta: a bookstore, café, and publishing house under one roof. “The idea is to build a space that fuels every part of the literary experience,” she explains. “The café supports the bookstore, the publishing house creates the content, and events bring the community together.” 

Even with the pressures of the modern book industry, Michelle is all in.

“Independent bookstores are third spaces. We’re not just selling books—we’re creating experiences, sparking conversations, and holding space for curiosity and connection. And no two bookstores are the same. That’s the magic.” 

HanaHaus and Lido Village Books are teaming up to bring even more literary energy to the community. Together, they’ve launched a rotating collection of books curated in collaboration with Michelle and the HanaHaus team, centered around themes and ideas that matter to the community—innovation, creativity, wellness, equity, and more. “We wanted to bring books into this space in a way that felt intentional and organic.” 

Guests can browse the featured shelf inside HanaHaus and purchase any of the selected titles directly from Lido Village Books, just a short walk away.  More community-focused literary events are in the works. 

What is your favorite space in HanaHaus? 💛

London and Paris - “I always feel like I’m in my own little space.”

What is your go-to Blue Bottle Coffee order? ☕️

Original hot latte with cow’s milk

Discover more about Lido Village Books:

TikTok & Instagram: @lvbabookstore

Website: https://www.lidovillagebooks.com/

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/LVBaBookstore 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@VillageBookstores

Address: 3424 Via Lido #103, Newport Beach, CA 92663