PROVO, Utah — Take your favorite book or story, whether it be from a galaxy far, far away, a journey with a hobbit to Mordor or a Shakespearean drama that as you asking, "Where art thou, Romeo," and not only will a shop in Provo probably have it, but they probably have an original copy in stock.
Moon’s Rare Books has taken the world by storm on social media, showing off an impressive display of stories from around the world.
"We’re not your normal bookstore," said owner Reid Moon. "We are a bookstore disguised as a museum."
Half of the items inside Moon's shop are for sale, while the other half is part of his permanent collection. He said the store creates an ambiance of learning and excitement.
"It’s pop culture, it's literary history, it's Utah history. It's world history," said Moon.
Passing through Moon's doors is to be transported to another world.
"There's something for everybody here. It doesn't matter who you are, we have something that will spark your interest," proclaimed the owner.
Moon himself is on hand to guide your journey.
"I'm a storyteller," he said. "I like sharing the stories. Everybody here is a storyteller.
The book store started as a small section of a family insurance business in Texas, and with each book sold, there were more customers. Now, a few decades later, the store has settled in Provo, with wonders and delights that you could only dream of.
"It almost doesn't matter what genre, whether it's Shakespeare or modern fantasy or Japanese manga," shared Moon.
A trip into the vaults is a pass inside a museum of every wonder ever imagined, starting with Reid's personal favorite: a first edition of "The Hobbit" in its original dust jacket.
"What is extremely rare is to have a signed copy," Moon explained.
And that's just the start.
Inside is a Hiram Smith's copy of a first edition the Book of Mormon. There's a first edition of the King James Bible from 1611, but it actually belonged to King James.
Historical treasures include an original copy of the iconic Iwo Jima photo, a presidential flyer signed by John F. Kennedy, and a sword given from Abraham Lincoln to his son.
But there's so much more.
"Well, if you've seen "Oppenheimer" in the movie, we have secret documents from the Manhattan Project," claimed Moon. "I have Oskar Schindler's pocket watch."
Moon says the store reflects his interests, including the "Lord of the Rings," "Star Wars," and Harry Potter.
Robes, wands, posters, clapboards, comic books, props adorn the collection which includes an item that any fan of the galaxy far, far away would love.
"In the vault among my favorite items, Shakespeare. 'Lord of the Rings,' original shooting script of the first 'Star Wars,' one of my five favorite items with the original title: 'The Adventures of Luke Starkiller' is taken from the journal of the wills," shared Moon.
All of the unique items add up to some big dollars.
"I realize most people will never be able to afford the books in the back room, [it] doesn't mean they can't see them," Moon said.
So the store has started tours and adding other modern copies of other rare books for sale, with every dollar going to charity. All proceeds go to feed about 750 kids every day in Colombia, Venezuela, and an orphanage in Peru.
Moon has now taken a modern approach to show off all his treasures, leaving many to say he looks familiar.
"I had a friend who was does social media, says you really need to do TikTok," he said. "And I go, no that’s a bunch of 18 year olds."
The friend persisted and Moon gave it a try, and shortly thereafter, his account now started to take off. He now has 2.2 million followers, with each one finding a renewed love of stories, including one very popular fan.
"It’s a pretty big flex among young people when I say, 'You know who follows me? Mr. Beast!," Moon exclaimed.
People from around the world now travel to the Provo store to visit and see the books in person, with the most common comment being that it has restored someone's interested in books.
So with each page turned, Moon's Rare Books is a piece of adventure, wonder and whimsy captured in a way only this uniquely Utah treasure can do.
When asked if he ever imagined in his wildest dreams that he'd grow from sitting in that bookstore in Texas to what has turned into his life, Moon had a simple answer.
"Not in a million years," he said. "That's the goal. Get people excited about history, literature books. That's the reward in itself."
