Indie Bookstore Spotlight: A Likely Story

Our February 2026 Literary Road Trip box takes us to the home of bourbon, bluegrass, and horse racing—also the location of our indie bookstore partner, A Likely Story.

Located in Midway, Kentucky, A Likely Story is owned by a mother–daughter team, Ashlee and Anagail (Annie) Denington. The idea for the store came after Annie developed a neurological disorder, which shifted the path she’d imagined for her future. Annie has a deep love of books and is a disability advocate, while Ashlee brings a background in education.

A Likely Story began as an online shop before transitioning to their brick-and-mortar location in 2023. The space itself is wonderfully unique—it’s a former bank building, complete with a vault guarded by a dragon named Sisu.

You’ve heard of bookstore cats and bookstore dogs, but A Likely Story has a truly unique ambassador: Mushu the crested gecko, who lives in a vivarium inside the store. If you can’t visit in person to meet Mushu, I highly recommend checking out their Instagram page—you won’t regret it.

A Likely Story also has a fantastic events calendar. Past events have included author signings and crafts like cookie decorating and book bedazzling. Just before Valentine’s Day, the store hosted a “Boozy Bookfair,” which is honestly a much-appreciated adult twist on our beloved childhood Scholastic Fairs.

The store carries a mix of new and used titles—but they have a better name for used books: loved books, because they’ve been loved by someone else before finding their next home. As a book lover, this wording really resonated with me, and I fully vow to adopt it going forward. They also sell gift and novelty items; a recent Instagram post let followers know that 3-D dragon models are back in stock. You should absolutely take a look—they’re very cool.

When I reached out to Ashlee and Annie about partnering for the February box, they were kind and enthusiastic from the start. They even sent branded stickers, pens, and postcards to include in the Literary Road Trip box.

Our initial discussions took place last fall, and at the time I hadn’t yet selected the book for the Kentucky box. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how helpful they were in suggesting a title that I ultimately couldn’t select due to shipping and timing issues. They recommended The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, a historical novel about the “blue people” of Kentucky and the state’s remote library service. It’s an excellent book to represent Kentucky, and A Likely Story even sent a great discussion guide for the book. If anyone would like to see it, please send me an email. While I had to shift gears (as sometimes happens with subscription box planning), I was truly grateful for their thoughtful recommendation.

As of writing this post, I still have a handful of Kentucky boxes available for single-sale purchase. If you’re ever in Kentucky, please show A Likely Story some love by visiting them in person. You can also support them from afar by following along on social media and shopping online. This is a fantastic indie bookstore with so much heart and so many unique qualities—please check them out!