Rainy Day Books founder Vivien Jennings Talks Books & 50 years in business

Vivien Jennings first opened Rainy Day Books on November 4th, 1975. Since then, the quaint little shop has grown to be a pillar in the nation’s independent book scene. Known for hosting hundreds of travelling writers, it has built a reputation that surpasses the metro’s confines, bolstering its successful half-century run. In 2022, Jennings and Rainy Day Books announced they were looking for new ownership, and the store was bought by a consortium of investors. This month, the Kansas City staple celebrates its 50th anniversary.

What made you start RDB, and what was it like getting that going in the ’70s? I had loved reading ever since grade school, and my mother was a big reader too. She lived in Dallas and had these two friends who owned a bookstore which recycled paperbacks and allowed you to trade them. I thought, “You know what? This is a really good concept.” We lived down the street from the Fairway shops, and I thought it would be a great idea if you tried it in more of an upscale shopping center. So I went to [Fairway] and said, “I would like to rent this space. Could you make me some kind of a deal?” I’ve always felt like you just ask. If somebody says, no, that’s okay, but I always ask. And they said okay.

Independent shops have weathered a lot of storms, from big-box book stores to Amazon’s massive selling machine. How do independent bookstores stay alive? I said in the very beginning you need to build relationships with your customers. They will value the knowledge that you have and the relationships that we have with them. I feel like we weathered all those storms [because] a certain loyalty was developed, even when pricing became an issue.

What do you think the future of the independent book shop looks like? I think the independent bookseller [needs to] have a knowledge of books. They have to have a passion for books. They have to focus on books. There is a definite value in that knowledge. That knowledge is worth money.

What do you like to read? Do you have a favorite book? I have different favorite books. One of my favorite fiction books of all time is John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meaney. Fantastic book. Fantastic novel. Just great. But there’s also a book called Wherever you Go, There You Are, which is fantastic. I had the author here years ago. And it’s the idea of just what it says—that you need to just stop and be aware of what you’re doing now. So you’re not thinking forward, you’re not thinking backward.

Now that you have stepped away from the day-to-day operations, what are you doing with your time? Reading.

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