To close out the year, we've asked contributors to choose their favorite stories of 2017.

Reporter Will Carruthers selected Facing Store's Closure, Sunset Bookseller Reflects On Profession, which ran on October 25th.

"Following Beau Beausoleil, his wife Andrea, and his employees as they attempted to sell the Great Overland Book Company was fascinating," Will said.

"In my visits to the store over the past year, it was common to see longtime customers come in and say how much the store, and its selection, had meant to them."

Hoping to pass the torch to a like-minded soul, Beausoleil began searching for a new buyer in February, a story Will also reported. "We found plenty of good people, we just didn't find anyone with money," said the bookseller.

Great Overland Book Company operated for 15 years at the corner of 9th and Judah, offering an eclectic collection of books with an "inclusive and progressive viewpoint," according to its owner.

"The store felt like a personal library opened to the public, a gesture that made customers feel comfortable and curious to see what other rarities they might uncover during a return visit," said Will.

Last weekend, Beausoleil's friends and family worked to finish packing and storing the store's remaining inventory in preparation for a final walkthrough by the landlord.

Despite his store's final chapter, Beausoleil is still passionate about his profession and believes stores like his help to preserve the work of past generations.

"To find really interesting books and know that one day someone will walk into your store and go, 'I can't believe you have this!' You can't help, as a good book seller, but to share in that happiness," Beausoleil said.

"I mean, is this a good life, or what? You don't make any money, but it's such a good life."

Continue reading Will's favorite story of 2017, Facing Store's Closure, Sunset Bookseller Reflects On Profession.