I think I’ve found my happy place, thanks to Brian Bolke opening his happy place in Highland Park Village.
Bolke’s fourth shop, Chapter Two, may be a humble 200 square-feet, but don’t let the size fool you — there are over 180 titles, plus a selection of national and international magazines for sale in the space. It’s conveniently connected to Number One, so you can grab a coffee or juice while you peruse the tomes.
“Books have always been part of the DNA of Forty Five Ten,” Bolke said when talking about his inspiration for the shop. “The world we live in is so fast-paced and digitally oriented that I wanted something that was a moment of escape.”
The books cover all sorts of lifestyle topics, from vacation spots like St. Tropez and the Hamptons to vegetarian cookbooks and Mario Testino’s holographic coffee table book Private View (cough, cough, add that to my Christmas list).
Some of Bolke’s favorite titles include Glamorous Retreats by Jan Showers, Salad for Dinner, and For the Love of Shoes.
“I love books and always think they are the best gifts,” Bolke said. “I wanted [Chapter Two] to be an easy place to pull up to for a thoughtful gift.”