What better way to celebrate April than with poetry books! I am a bit biased as someone who reads poetry not only during National Poetry Month but every other month as well. But I’m here because I love poems and I want more people to love them too.
Studying it in college, reading it during my lunch breaks, and writing it in my spare time, I am very familiar with the eye rolls and shrugs I get from people when I mention poetry. And, believe me, I understand when they say they just don’t get it because I don't get all of it either. One of the most common responses I hear is that school ruined it for them because required reading sometimes has a way of doing that.The overanalyzing in high school English class, your teacher and their unforgiving red pen, deters readers and nonreaders alike from picking up some of these amazing writers that are doing incredible things with language. Like Billy Collins writes, "all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it." You don't need a rope, a chair, or a confession - I promise.
Do you know the meaning behind the name of our bookstore? I didn’t know the backstory behind it until I started working here as a bookseller, so I feel it’s important to bring it up. The name originates from a theory proposed by sociologist Ray Oldenberg that says every person needs three places: first is your home; second is your workplace or school; and third is your community. A place where people from all walks of life can come together and both experience and celebrate their commonality as well as their diversity. It is a ‘third place’.
If you're in need of kids books for Women's History Month, we've got you covered! There are so many incredible children's and young adult books that celebrate amazing women who have changed the world for the better. We hope these books will find a home on your shelves and inspire your kids :) Enjoy!
Part 2 is here with more narrative non-fiction books! From the divas of Egypt's roaring 20's to a 4,000 mile journey into the Alaskan wilds to the natural history heist of the century, these true stories will have you reading late into the night. If you missed part 1, definitely check it out here. Enjoy!
A while back, a customer came in and asked me, do you have any recommendations for non-fiction books that read like fiction? As someone who predominantly reads young adult, fantasy, and sci. fi. I was a bit of a deer in headlights and didn't have a quick answer. However, I wasn't going to leave this literary seeking stranger just standing there. So after running around to ask my fellow booksellers, I was able to show the customer a solid 3-4 titles (teamwork really does make the dream work people).
With February and thus Black History Month coming to an end, we wanted to compile this list of recommendations to encourage everyone to read books by Black authors all year long. There are titles from all different genres and even a couple pre-orders to look forward to. We hope you will read some of these incredible stories and continue to support and celebrate Black authors post-February and beyond.
I don’t know about you, but this past year I have watched far too much television and spent far too little time on anything remotely productive. It has been difficult for me to find things that can capture and hold my attention - even reading has felt like a chore lately. When I’m having trouble reigning in my idleness, sometimes I turn to paper crafts. Paper folding, cutting, and gluing doesn't demand all of my focus, and I need that when I’m not in the mental/emotional space to give anything my complete attention. There are so many different kinds of crafts and so many creative crafting possibilities to explore that can help with restlessness and inattention.
Everything these days is understandably viewed through the lense of the pandemic--even these blog posts. I've only written three over the last year, but I'm pretty sure all of them started with some sort of cry for "normalcy" or a statement on how books can help us deal with everything that has had to change. And while yes, this Valentine's Day will be another unusual holiday in the books, I feel confident in saying that one thing has NOT changed: long distance relationships are a tale as old as time! Be it through letters, emails, texts, tweets, post-it notes or even time travel, love finds a way no matter how far apart we are.
I have always felt disconnected from the month of February. Yes, I know it's Black History Month and I need to take pride in my history. But for a long time I just couldn’t see myself in the greatness of these heroes’ legacy. It was a steep hill to climb. In school, the teachers would have us create projects, watch a film or two and decorate the room in an elaborate celebration of the heroes of African American History. The more they pushed this, the wider that distance became. I can remember that feeling lingering throughout high school and up until my early twenties. I celebrated my culture of course during those years but there was never a true connection to the history of it, until there was.
Spring is nearly upon us and March is filled with some ridiculously exciting new kids and young adult titles that you’ll want on your radar. All of the books below are available for pre-order now!
