Indie Bookstore Tour: Connecticut Chapter

We headed to the Mecca of indie bookstores: RJ Julia's!

RJ Julia is legendary for their author events and staff picks. The store is huge, with 2 floors and numerous rooms. Housed in the same building is a small coffee shop, where you can nourish your body while nourishing your mind! The stock was simply amazing; neatly organized book upon book fill the shelves, which climb to the ceiling.

Staff picks are scattered throughout each genre. Hand-written and signed by each person, these selections lend a personal touch to the shop. Lining the wall, there are autographed pictures of the authors that have visited. The lineup, in keeping with the store's reputation, was quite impressive!

Professionally printed flyers advertise book clubs and upcoming author events. The store was crammed with customers, and the atmosphere was one of pleasant comraderie between the workers and visitors.


Here is a sample of the staff picks.

We had a delicious lunch in Guilford. Here's the view from our table. You can pick up a book at RJ Julia's, grab lunch at Guilford Mooring where the fresh seafood selection is to die for, and then head to the beach!

Visit RJ Julia's website: http://www.rjjulia.com/

Visit Guilford Mooring's website: http://www.guilfordmooring.com/

Indie Bookstore Tour: NYC Chapter, Pt. II

While we were in the city for the BEA, we happened to stumble across an indie book nook! 192 Books was a lovely little shop. 192 is a one-room establishment, with a glass front to the store, so that the lighting is beautiful!

This is a relatively young shop which was opened in 2003. We were very pleased to have happened upon it, en route to the Empire Diner, which if you happen to be in Chelsea is definitely worth stopping by! Their avocado chili and turkey club are particularly delicious, as are the milkshakes.

Visit 192 Books' website: http://www.192books.com/
Visit here for info on Empire Diner: http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/empire-diner/

BEA Pt. II

BookExpo of America ... how to describe it?? On Thursday, we went and attended classes that were offered to booksellers. People from all across the country and international visitors congregated in Manhattan for the conference. We dropped in on 4 different sessions. The two we found most helpful were the one on social media, and the one for creating a community center in your store.
We have a slew of great ideas for ways to make The Book Cove even better.... keep reading our blog, we will keep posting!

BEA Pt. I

Day One: Here we go! There is our destination, the Jacob Javits Center.

Journey to Javits

The BookExpo of America is tomorrow!! We are eagerly anticipating the chance to meet authors, fellow booksellers, publicists, and sales reps. We'll be posting pictures, stay tuned!

Gift Card Giveaway: Part II

We are updating the guidelines for the gift card giveaway: All you have to do is leave a comment, indicating your desire to win a $10 gift card to the Book Cove. You can comment on any of our posts. We are also extending the deadline through the month of May. A winner will be selected at random on June 1st, 2009. You can comment as many times as you would like; be sure to include some way for us to identify you as the recipient. We will announce who the winner is on the blog, so check back again soon!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Lizzie, who is the winner of our $10 gift card giveaway. Many thanks to everyone who participated. Check back soon for our next giveaway!