TAMPA, Fla. — As sisters, Laurie and Teresa Rodriguez have a lot in common. They're both teachers and they both love books. 

“I read an article about these people who opened up a bookstore and we just thought, well why don’t we do that? So we did," Laurie said. 

The sisters have been fixing up an old bungalow in Ybor City that they bought last year, which will eventually be home to their shop, which will be called Bookends: Literature and Libations. Grants from the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have helped cover some of the costs of restoration, but the work is taking longer than Laurie and Teresa first thought. 

“We had no idea that it was going to cost what it cost," Laurie said. "We’re teachers, so I’m putting my whole paycheck into this and we really had no idea. But hey, we did it and here we are.”

In the meantime, the sisters are running their shop on four wheels, selling books and serving baked goods out of a "bookmobile." 

On Sunday, Bookends held a pop-up event at Circa 1949 in Tampa. In honor of Pride Month, they showcased the work of LGBTQ+ authors, some of which have been banned from Florida schools.

During the last school year, more than 350 books were banned in schools across the state, according to the nonprofit PEN America. The majority of those books were by and about LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color, according to the nonprofit. 

Laurie and Teresa said they want to give residents a space to learn and grow, while supporting local authors. 

“We have quite a few titles from local authors, but we have a mix of books," Teresa said. "We have children’s books, we have some romance books, so we have a wide variety.”

If all goes as planned, the sisters are hoping to have the Ybor storefront up and running in January. 

Starting July 1, you can find Bookends at the Ybor City Saturday Market from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. through September.