By George Berkheimer For the Bedford Gazette
Adrienne Ellis opened Bedford’s only independent bookstore in June, combining a lifelong love of books with a venture that allows her and co-owner Drew Kondylas to become a part of the town they grew to love as visitors.
Q: What inspired you to establish a bookstore?
Ellis: I’ve loved books my entire life. As a little girl, I dreamed of being a librarian, but my first career was as an eighth grade English Language Arts teacher in Texas. I have also always loved bookstores. Whenever I visit small towns, I always try to find the local baker and the local bookstore. I never understood why Bedford didn’t have a bookstore Drew and I were looking for our next adventure and a way to get more involved in the community, and owning a bookstore seemed like a perfect way to do just that. We are excited to make Rebellion Books another community space for Bedford locals and visitors.
Q: What did it take to get up and running?
Ellis: We did some research and talked to Jen Marsh at the Bedford County Development Association and the folks at Downtown Bedford Inc. to understand whether the town could support a bookstore. We eventually found a vacant building that was previously an antique store that we thought might be perfect. We bought it in January and spent the next few months renovating the building and putting together the bookstore business plan and inventory.
Q: What can customers expect at Rebellion Books?
Ellis: We sell all new books with more than 4,000 in-stock fiction and non-fiction titles, everything from board books for babies up through books for adults in all interest areas. We have a variety that includes small more niche sections, and large romance and mystery-thriller sections. We also have a large science, nature and history section, and large rooms for children and young adults. We sell comic books, too, as well as puzzles, journals, notebooks, and a few other book-adjacent items.
Q: How has the response been?
Ellis: We’ve only been in business a couple of months, but everyone has been really supportive. We have grown our staff to two part-time employees. We’re still getting a sense of what people want to read, so we’ll make adjustments over time and respond to the needs of the local community.
Q: Do you host events?
Ellis: We can host small groups of 10 to 12 comfortably. Once construction of our new 600 sq.ft. deck for the backyard is complete, hopefully by next month, we’ll be able to host events of 50 to 75 people, which will allow us to bring in authors and do book signings. We’ll also be able to do more talks and fun mixers. We’re hopeful the deck will open by spring once the weather gets warm.
Q: Why did you choose the name Rebellion Books?
Ellis: The name is a nod to the Whiskey Rebellion and Bedford’s importance in that event, but there’s more to it than that. The act of buying physical books is a bit of a rebellion to the technology that is ever present in our lives. Just in 2025 we’re seeing a trend in young people distancing themselves from digital devices and returning to analog things like books and cameras, trading smart phones for flip phones. Printed book sales bear that out.
Q: Who’s coming through the doors?
Ellis: There’s definitely a pent up demand from local readers who don’t want to drive to Altoona or order books online or read them on a device. Customers also tell us this is something they’ve been waiting for. And we have had great support from other local businesses recommending us to their guests and customers. Bedford is the perfect spot for a bookstore with all the foot traffic.
Q: How have you integrated yourself here?
Ellis: We’re a member of the Chamber of Commerce and DBI, and just joined the Bedford County Visitors Bureau. I’m hoping to get involved with some nonprofit boards. We’ll be looking into partnerships in the coming months to work on events with other local businesses and we’re starting to provide display space for some local artists.
Q: What drew you to Bedford County?
Ellis: I grew up in Michigan and lived all over the country, Drew is from Virginia and spent most of his life in Philadelphia. On one visit to Bedford County, we found our farm in Hopewell and fell in love with it and its proximity to Bedford. I love taking advantage of the H&BT Trail that’s right across the river from us, and we love to spend time kayaking and paddleboarding on the river when we have time.