Deadtime Stories a unique local shop

By Kaitlyn Delaney
Associate Editor/Photo Editor

Deadtime Stories: True Crime and Other Books is a unique bookstore that brings focus to the weirder parts of life.

 Located in Lansing’s REO Town at 1132 S. Washington Ave., Deadtime Stories is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Deadtime Stories is owned by Jenn Carpenter, who decided to create her own space after finding success with a pop-up shop within a Lansing business called Thrift Witch. She opened her own location in 2021.

“I got the opportunity to kind of try it out without taking out a huge lease, or having to fill a huge space, so I got to kind of give it a try before we opened here,” Carpenter said. “It caught on really quickly to where I knew it was going to be a doable thing.”

The business focuses on putting the spotlight on the dark and creepy, and shares oddities with those who may seek them. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by an abundance of books of all sorts, including a corner dedicated purely to children’s books.

Through a small walkway is a second section of the store, filled with a large assortment of items. These range from unique jewelry to plush toys, candles and many other spooky-themed items that are hard to find.

“We focus a lot on local history, true crime, dark history, horror, thrillers; things like that,” Carpenter shared. “And then our gift shop side, we focus on just kind of weird, odd stuff you can’t find everywhere.”

For more information on the store, check out the Facebook page at here.