The Wandering Page bookstore opens in Bellmore

A statement stenciled on the window at The Wandering Page bookshop in Bellmore celebrates what customers will find inside.

"Book collecting ... is an obsession, an occupation, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, a fate," it reads. "It is not a hobby."

For business owner Denise Cruz, 47, who teaches Spanish at H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square, the quote spoke to her when she spied it on Pinterest. It expresses her passion for reading.

"It’s a great escape," says Cruz, a mom of 20-year-old twins. "Books let you explore places and things that maybe you’ve never experienced."

Cruz was born in Manhattan and raised in the Dominican Republic. "I didn’t move back here until I was 12 and I did not speak English," she says. "I’ve always loved to read. Books helped me to learn English."

Open since June, the store expands on a mobile version of The Wandering Page she launched in September. She still hits the road occasionally with it for special events.

"People love it," says Cruz, who gained a following and insights while motoring to various Long Island towns, festivals and parties. "I learned a lot and developed relationships with publishers and suppliers."

Taking stock of this new chapter in life, she says, "It’s a leap of faith and a dream of mine."

The brick-and-mortar store offers a wide range of books — fiction, nonfiction, kids, manga, mysteries, romance and more, mostly new and some used. Prices run around $6 to $40.

Cruz also sells items she makes at home with craft production equipment for stickers ($2 apiece), heat-transfer sweatshirts with slogans like "Booktrovert" ($40) and journals. She’s been crafting since before launching the bookmobile. At a charm bar, tiny trinkets for customizing bracelets and necklaces cost $5 each.

Cruz’s husband, Juan Carlos Cruz, who recently retired as a New York Police Department detective, now helps cover the store.

She wants her business to foster community engagement. She’s starting a local Silent Book Club chapter in August and is planning other in-store events to be announced on Instagram.

"We have a nice, happy children’s area with beanbags," she says. "We have a couch and chairs up in the front."

"Teachers can grade their papers here," Cruz continues. "We wanted it to be a space surrounded by books where people can just kind of come and hang out."

In other words, go ahead, wander in.

The Wandering Page, 103 Bedford Ave., Bellmore; 516-242-3527, thewanderingpageli.com, @thewanderingpage_li