INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY CELEBRATES PRINTED WORD
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day — a day for celebrating all the one-of-a-kind little stores across the country that are fighting the good fight for literacy and the printed word.
Stores with staffers who recommend their favorite books with enthusiasm.
Stores that host authors for book signings, toddlers for storytimes, tweens for YA book clubs.
Stores that become a gathering space, where readers can find books and one another.
Independent Bookstore Day started in 2014 in California, then became a national event the next year. Now, at least 490 indie bookstores across the country have signed up to join the celebration. In Houston, that means special storytimes, live animals and book-themed cocktails. Here’s a look at some of what’s on tap in the Bayou City: Blue Willow Bookshop 14532 Memorial (bluewillowbookshop.com)
All day Saturday, the store will have giveaways, indie-only items for sale and — most important — home-baked treats. At 11 a.m., there’s a 75th anniversary Little Golden Books storytime. At 3 p.m., author Meta Strauss will sign her novel “Saving El Chico,” and the staff will serve up literary libations (including the “Gentleman in
Moscow” Mule, named after Amor Towles’ 2016 best-seller).
Brazos Bookstore 2421 Bissonnet (brazosbookstore.com)
At 10:30 a.m., Houston’s Nature Discovery Center will bring live animals to storytime. From noon-2 p.m., local author Chris Cander will be the store’s guest bookseller, and 15 percent of sales will go to Writers in the Schools. From 2-4 p.m., it’s “Drunk Coloring.” Check out the staff-designed Cormac McCarthy coloring books for sale, and do a little coloring while sipping McCarthy-themed cocktails from Under the Volcano, a bar down the block. Then, from 4-5 p.m., the store celebrates its upcoming “Summer of Austen” summer series, which is all about Jane Austen. Finally, at 7 p.m., Brazos hosts an Inprint poetry workshop reading, led by local poet Erika Jo Brown.
Katy Budget Books 2450 Fry (katybooks.com)
Here, the party spills into the parking lot with a spring market, which will include booths from local crafters. Inside the store, you’ll find indie-only merchandise, including a signed print by Jenny Lawson (also known as “The Bloggess”) and the muchloved “Welcome to Night Vale” audiobook on vinyl.
Murder By the Book 2342 Bissonnet (murderbooks.com)
At 1 p.m., the store offers a summer book preview, with staffers discussing their favorite upcoming titles. At 4:30 p.m., Lisa Haneberg will sign her book “Toxic Octopus.” Refreshments will be served all day.