Wednesday, April 30, 2014

California Bookstore Day: Saturday, May 3

 

Celebrate California's First Bookstore Day this Saturday, May 3. California Bookstore Day is a statewide party with more than 90 stores in more than 80 zip codes putting on all their bells and whistles.

Each store will have its own party. The headline attraction are the just-for-us books you can't get on any other day at any other place (click here to find the celebration closest to you). But there will also be readings, and prizes, and things to eat and drink. In some cases there will be famous authors and artists, and people writing live poetry.

Independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by passionate readers. They are entire universes of ideas that contain the possibility of real serendipity. They are lively performance spaces and quiet places where aimless perusal is a day well spent.

California is home to lots of authors, and stores will showcase their favorite locals for the occasion--Isabel Allende, Wendy MacNaughton, Megan McDonald and Michael Pollan are among those on board. Dave Eggers will be making the rounds to four Bay Area stores on Saturday. At {pages} in Manhattan Beach, YA bestseller DJ McHale is on the program, while Vroman's in Pasadena will feature a performance of LA Noir Unscripted by the ImproTheatre, and has invited its neighbors, the founders of Prospect Park Books, over for a game of literary trivia. At Book Shop Santa Cruz, a local brewery will provide libations for its trivia session. Hicklebee's in San Jose hand-made scratch-off "Golden Tickets" offering prizes to young readers.

Pete Mulvihill, one of the owners of Green Apple Books in San Francisco, came up with the idea for California Bookstore Day, which soon was adopted by the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. The list of sponsors is long, and includes author James Patterson, who contributed $15,000 as part of his campaign to support independent bookstores.

Everyday is Bookstore Day in my "Book", so even if your favorite store isn't on the list, be sure and stop by...and buy books!

Participating Bookstores

1 comment:

Kathleen Delaney http://www.kathleendelaney.net said...

What a wonderful idea. I no longer live in California so won't be able to attend any of these celebrations but would be at several if I could. I love independent book stores, as a reader and as an author. I hope this is a great success and that some other states follow in their footsteps.
Kathleen Delaney