The bilingual, maximalist bookstore bar serving romance and fantasy in the Mile End

As children, sisters Sylvie and Claire Trottier dreamed of owning a bookstore that also sold nachos.

The pair had spent years working together in advocacy and philanthropy through their family foundation. After a harrowing breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent recovery period for Claire, they decided life was short, and it was time to make their longtime dream a reality.

Enter ​​Mathieu Lauzon Dicso and Carrie-Ann Kloda: Mathieu came on board as Bookstore Director after a chance encounter with Sylvie at the sci-fi and fantasy bookstore—Saga Bookstore, which closed at the end of 2024—that he and his husband owned in NDG. It was a “magical moment,” he says, when “everything aligned.”

As for Carrie-Ann, now the bookstore's Director of Hospitality, she had a background in hospitality and inclusive wedding and event planning practices. She encountered the Trottier sisters as the party planner for Claire’s 40th birthday party, and Claire asked her to join the project following the party’s success.

And so, Joie de Livres was born: a bilingual fantasy and romance bookstore-café-bar-event space, open since June in a bigger-on-the-inside plum storefront on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the Mile End.

Stories that explore society

Why genre fiction? The choice, Sylvie says, was rooted in a desire to challenge the perception of these genres as “less serious or less literary.”

“Our big core purpose is to celebrate joy, to take joy seriously,” she explains. “We should be happy to celebrate the things that make us feel good, and these stories are also a great tool to explore more challenging questions about the kind of society we want to live in.”

“Romance is a genre that is mostly written by women for women, and there are huge swaths of queer readers, BIPOC readers, and writers who tell stories featuring marginalized characters that actually result in a happy ending,” Claire acknowledges. “It’s really important for a lot of communities who haven’t had the chance to be exposed to stories like that.”

Plus, romance novel sales are up, and genre fiction comes with passionate fanbases.

“There are huge communities around all of these genres… online and in person,” Claire continues. “We know that there are these communities, we are part of these communities… now we're able to build a hub.”

Taking joy seriously

The team defined its values early: joy, integrity, curiosity, wellbeing, and community are guiding principles.

“Part of our interest in this space is bringing our values into a lived example,” Sylvie notes. “Our goal is not to make huge amounts of money but to run a good business that gives back, where people like to work and be part of the community.”

Beyond that, Sylvie laughs when asked about the name, “we like joy, we like books, and we like puns. It’s also very Montreal; both sides of the linguistic spectrum get the same meaning.”

Bilingualism was another thread of the project, and an important part of facilitating the kind of community the team hoped to build through book clubs and literary events.

With its location on the Main, Mathieu finds poignancy in the fact that the store hopes to connect the anglo- and francophone communities that were once separated by the boulevard.

“We really all felt like community is something that we've moved away from, and that's needed now more than ever,” Carrie-Ann says. “There's a real lack of these third spaces, these community spaces… People are really excited about the prospect of finding community with like-minded people.”

Eat, drink, and be literary

The bookstore is maximalist, with rich, vibrant red and blue walls, velvety curtains, and scattered vintage decor. The ceiling is papered with book pages, there's interactive wallpaper in the bathroom, and vines spill down from a skylight above a back area.

Local designer Luke Havekes and project manager Shane Berube treated the space as “their baby,” says Carrie-Ann, crafting a layered, textural experience with long-lasting materials.

“We wanted it to feel like it's been around forever, and decades from now will still look nice. It's meant to be lived in,” says Sylvie.

“You come in, and it feels so grand. Then you spend your time here, you start exploring and living in the space, and you start seeing the actual details,” Mathieu adds. “From the top to the bottom— from the maximum to the micro—the care and love is the same level.” 

Every detail was intentional on the café/bar side, too: A partnership with Semilla—a green coffee importer dedicated to supporting its farmers— resulted in a bold signature espresso blend. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free friendly, and non-alcoholic options are available, and local food offerings are prioritized. Cheeky lit references show up in dish names like “Dante’s Inferno,” and glittery cocktails round out the offerings.

For the team, the throughline between books, events, design, and hospitality is the same: creating a space where care is a given, joy is fundamental, and inclusivity is prioritized.

“It really is an effort to dig into our values at every turn,” Carrie-Ann says.

Ultimately? “Time will tell,” says Mathieu. “Because we are doing such hard, great, serious, fun work, time will only tell what legacy this amazing project will have.”