The Little Bookstore That Could
Westside Stories opened in 2011 - just down the street at 205 Grant Street. Joe and Jeanenne Petri served readers on Buffalo’s west side for nearly 10 years, adding Gather & Game in 2019.
Unfortunately, Covid came along and led to the sale of the store. Kevin Christner bought the business and Westside Stories moved to its present location at 398 Grant St.
Flash forward to October 2022, when Keri Thomas-Whiteside and Bob Whiteside purchased the little bookstore that could. We are proud to be able to provide our neighborhood and Western New York with the best used books money can buy!
“Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack”
– Virginia Woolf
About Us
In 2004, Keri Thomas began working in the Rare Book Room at the Central Library in downtown Buffalo. At the same time, Bob Whiteside was working in the adjoining Grosvenor Room. They eventually had a son, got married and purchased a boarded up house on the west side of Buffalo.
Another son, a dog and several kitties later, the opportunity came to buy Westside Stories and they jumped at the chance. With Keri’s librarian know-how and Bob’s love of reading, they hope to keep their shelves stacked with interesting books for curious readers.
Peace, Love, & Grant Street forever!
Keri and Bob
