Sherman’s will open a new location in Saco this spring. Contributed / Sherman’s Bookshop

It will be a summer of reading along the southern Maine coast, with a pair of new bookstores opening in Biddeford and Saco this spring.

In Biddeford, Maine native and voracious reader Matt Swanson will open Biddeford Book Co. at 380 Elm St. He plans to open the store in early June.

“Biddeford Book Co. is a place whose purpose is books,” Swanson said. “I want to create a space that invites discovery and gives every reader the chance to find a book they’ll never forget.”

Swanson fell in love with books at an early age, reading everything he could get his hands on. As he grew older, he became a bookseller.

Opening his own bookstore is a dream for Swanson that is finally becoming a reality.

“I fondly recall the impact that my local bookstores and libraries had on me, offering spaces full of potential and possibility,” Swanson said. “I look forward to building something that can be an integral part of the community for years to come.”

Though he has a fondness for fiction, Swanson said he tries to read widely. This mindset led him to include a wide variety of books in his shop, including novels and stories, plays and poetry, assorted nonfiction, cookbooks, and art books.

“I appreciate books of all sorts,” Swanson said. “This is a long-held dream for me.”

Across the river in Saco, Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop will open a location in the Saco Valley Shopping Center at 4 Scammon St.

Currently, Sherman’s plans to open the new location by Memorial Day.

The oldest bookstore in Maine, Sherman’s has 10 locations across the state, including Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, Freeport, Bar Harbor, Portland, Rockland, Topsham, Windham and Falmouth.

Like Biddeford Book Co., Sherman’s will carry a wide range of book titles, including a special section of Maine-related titles and authors.