It’s been over a week since Bookstore Romance Day (Saturday, August 17), so hopefully everyone has had a chance to sit down with some good summer lovin’ and happy endings before the end of summer.
National publications gave great coverage of the first annual Bookstore Romance Day (BRD), and independent booksellers are already planning for next year’s event. (Mark your calendars: It will be Saturday, August 15, 2020.)
Third Street Books’ Bookstore Romance Day sign
Publishers Weekly wrote up a great recap of the event; it was posted on August 19. Alex Green’s article featured Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, MA, Third Street Books in McMinnville, OR, Love’s Sweet Arrow in Tinley Park, IL, and Silver Unicorn in Acton, MA. Coast to coast, bookstores had a successful and fun day.
Over 160 independent bookstores participated in the celebration of romance books and romance readers. Stores let their personalities shine; some had events with authors, some had special treats, some had scavenger hunts or book bingo games, some had selfie stations, and almost all had clever, enticing, colorful romance book displays.
Queen Anne Book Company in Seattle had a “Pick Your Perfect Pleasures” snack mix-making station. Ingredients included champagne gummi bears, milk chocolate non-pareils, and bourbon vanilla butterscotch popcorn.
On Instagram, almost 700 posts were tagged #bookstoreromanceday. Scroll through– I promise you’ll find something to bring a smile to your face. Great book displays! Cats! Chocolate! Gowns! Kilts! Abs! Wine! Our regional trade association’s Executive Director! Swag! Witty shirt slogans! Hearts! Flowers! Readers! Authors! Crafts! Bookstores, inside and out! Reading lists! And FABIO!
Photo of Fabio at Cavalier House Books in LA, from Instagram via thevictorious11
In addition to looking forward to next year’s Bookstore Romance Day, stores announced ways to keep the flame burning year ’round. Third Street Books has a new Romance Book Club; their next meeting is September 21 at a gluten-free brew pub. The Neverending Bookshop is rebooting its Romantic Endeavors Book Group. Some stores added a Romance section; others are expanding their romance offerings. Connections were forged with readers who love romance and more authors who write romance.
Last, but certainly not least, Bookstore Romance Day led to two PNW booksellers being featured in Forbes. Talk about a lifetime achievement! Rachel Kremer Bussel profiled Third Street Books in McMinnville, OR (bookseller Billie Bloebaum), Hooray for Books in Alexandria, VA (bookseller Patrick Hunter), and The Neverending Bookshop in Edmonds, WA (bookseller Annie Carl).
