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Get to Know: Stories (again)

Last year, Stories opened just in time for Independent Bookstore Day (and the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl). So, we got to know them before they were fully put together.

Now the store is a year old, and looking great!

Stories is a bookstore (and storytelling lab) aimed at children. Events and workshops keep their schedule busy, and Independent Bookstore Day is no different: stop by for an Illustration Booth, where a group of illustrators will draw you (maybe as an animal), and in the afternoon for the launch of a new book called Curious Jane.

Happy 1st Birthday, Stories! Here’s to the next year (and many beyond).

Stories 458 Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY Open Sun-Mon 10 AM - 6 PM; Tue-Sat 10 AM - 7 PM

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Photos courtesy of Stories/LAMAS.

#independent bookstore day #brooklyn bookstore crawl #indie bookstores #brooklyn bookstores #brooklyn #bookstores #books #bookish #childrens books #childrensbookstores

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Get to Know: POWERHOUSE Arena (relocated)

Since the 2016 Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl, POWERHOUSE Arena has relocated! This year’s Crawl is the perfect time to admire their new space.

POWERHOUSE Arena 28 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY Open 11 AM - 7 PM Mon-Fri; 11 AM - 6 PM Sat-Sun

Facebook | Twitter | Yelp | YouTube | Vimeo

POWERHOUSE on 8th 1111 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open 11 AM - 7 PM Mon-Thu; 10 AM - 7 PM Fri-Sun

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#brooklyn bookstore crawl #indie bookstores #brooklyn bookstores #brooklyn #bookstores

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Get to Know: Books Are Magic

Our newest store for the 2017 Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl is Books Are Magic -- which officially doesn’t open until May 1st, but is doing a soft opening on the 29th for Independent Bookstore Day.

Many Brooklynites were saddened by the closing of Court Street’s BookCourt, a Cobble Hill institution. Fortunately, author Emma Straub and her husband Michael Fusco-Straub stepped into the void with plans to open a brand-new Cobble Hill bookstore in 2017. Emma says their mission is “to provide the most jubilant bookstore anyone has ever seen.”

Though they haven’t yet opened their doors, they’ve already booked about forty future events, including “readings, panels, conversations, kids' authors and illustrators.... We are READY TO PARTY,” Emma says. Their first event will be on May 9th, barely a week after the store opens.

Even before the formal events commence, they’ll have signed books on hand -- from luminaries like Colson Whitehead, who stopped by the still-in-progress store.

The store will stock books in all genres, including a substantial selection of kids’ books. What distinguishes Books Are Magic from other bookstores right now, according to Emma, is “our adrenaline, the color of our walls, the sofa that I always loved from my father's office, and the built-in nook in our kids' room.”

STAFF PICKS

Liv: I just reread Grace Paley's The Collected Stories and found every single story as funny and original and mesmerizing and terribly sad as I did the first time I read it ten years ago. A must-read for any and all New Yorkers.

Sarah: Land of Love and Ruins by Oddný Eir, which walks the line between memoir, epistolary, and novel, exploring themes of love, nature, wilderness, and home. I love its quiet precision and its gradual, meditative layering.

Ikwo: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Deep in the Russian wilderness, fairy tales leave stories and dreams to take on a life of their own. Gives a whole new meaning to "winter is coming."

Christien: Somebody With A Little Hammer, by Mary Gaitskill. Essays. Is it her breadth of experience? Range of interest? Depth of intelligence? All these. She cuts through bullshit like nobody. Prose like a diamond drill. Charming, too. 

Books Are Magic 225 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY Hours TBD (12 PM - 4 PM on Saturday, April 29)

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Photos courtesy of Books Are Magic’s Instagram account.

#brooklyn bookstore crawl #independent bookstore day #indie bookstores #brooklyn #bookstores #brooklyn bookstores #books #bookish

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The 2nd Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl - April 29, 2017: How It Works

Step 1: Choose your bookstores.

While we would love to visit all 20+ of Brooklyn’s independent bookstores in one day, we’re not sure it’s physically possible. (If you can do it, please tell us about it!) Instead, to participate, choose 5+ stores to visit on Saturday, April 29th.

The resources we have available for you are a Google Map of all the stores we know about (including info on their hours and Independent Bookstore Day promotions, if applicable), as well as a list of which bookstores are on which New York City Subway line, to help you plan the most efficient route.

While we have done our best to confirm opening hours for each store, we recommend checking their websites for the most up-to-date information.

Step 2: Visit them and tell the world about it!

At each bookstore, make a post on social media (we’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr), tag the bookstore, and use the #bkbookstorecrawl hashtag. Some suggested photos to take (don’t hesitate to make it a selfie):

Your favorite book.

A book you want to recommend to a friend (and tag the friend!).

A book on your to-read list.

A book you learned about on the Crawl.

A book in the store’s Staff Picks section.

A #bookface photo.

Step 3: Enter the raffle.

If you’ve visited 5+ stores and made a social media post at each one, submit the links to your posts and your contact information via our raffle form. We’ll randomly pick one winner to get a $25 gift certificate to the Brooklyn independent bookstore of their choice.

#brooklyn bookstore crawl #independent bookstore day #indie bookstores #bookstores #brooklyn #nyc #nyc bookstores #books #bookish

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Get to Know: Greenlight Bookstore (Prospect-Lefferts Gardens)

In November 2016, Greenlight Bookstore opened a second location in Prospect-Lefferts Garden!

On their Tumblr account, the owners say, “The more we consider it, the more it seems that one of the primary things that we do as booksellers is to make space”:

We make space on those shelves for stories, ideas, instructions, images, experiments and wonderlands and difficult theories and passionate language and transcendent art and goofy nonsense – a big chunk of the collective human experience, all these words and pictures by which humans communicate with other humans.  You could probably order any of these books in the imaginary space of the digital. But making physical room for them, letting them jostle each other and pile up in beautiful stacks and come under a customer’s hand unexpectedly is something different.

There are spaces in the world that are not welcoming, and not safe. There are spaces that feel exclusive to people of a particular income bracket, or a particular ideology, or a particular gender or sexual identity, or a particular ethnicity.  There are voices that want to unmake spaces, to wall out, to silence, and to disappear.

A bookstore is the opposite.  A bookstore is an answer. A bookstore is a welcome.  It is a space for books, for people, and for the conversations that happen when books and people come together.  We think this kind of bookstore, in this kind of neighborhood, at this particular time, is exactly what we want and need.

Like their original location, the new Greenlight will host events, including in conversation and reading/signing events as well as story times for kids.

Greenlight Bookstore (PLG) 632 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open Mon-Sat 10 AM - 9 PM; Sun 10 AM - 7 PM

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Photos courtesy of Jessica Stockton Bagnulo.

#greenlight bookstore #brooklyn bookstore crawl #brooklyn #bookstores #brooklyn bookstores #indie bookstores #independent bookstore day #books #bookish

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Get to Know Brooklyn’s Bookstores!

Last year we posted interviews and pictures here about the bookstores participating in the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl. It’s time to revisit them, so you can decide which ones to visit (in person) on Saturday! Click on the links below to learn more about each bookstore.

Get to Know: The BookMark Shoppe Get to Know: Brooklyn Art Library Get to Know: Community Bookstore & Terrace Books Get to Know: Desert Island Comics Get to Know: Freebird Books Get to Know: Greenlight Bookstore Get to Know: Grumpy Bert Get to Know: Hullabaloo Books Get to Know: Mama Says Comics Rock Get to Know: Singularity & Co. Get to Know: Spoonbill & Sugartown Get to Know: Stories Get to Know: WORD Bookstore

#brooklyn bookstore crawl #brooklyn #bookstores #independent bookstore day #indie bookstores #bookish #books

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Get to Know: Quimby’s Bookstore

Quimby’s Bookstore may be new to New York, but not new to bookselling: the original Quimby’s opened in Chicago in September, 1991. Steven Svymbersky founded that store but sold it in 1997 to move to Amsterdam. “In 2016, I decided to fulfill a life-long dream to live in New York,” Steven says. “The owner of Quimby's in Chicago was supportive when I told him of my desire to open a second Quimby's and agreed to license me the name.”

Quimby’s officially opened in Brooklyn on December 10, 2016, in the space next to Desert Island Comics on Metropolitan Avenue. Steven notes that “Gabe was instrumental in my finding the perfect location and he has been supportive in many ways.” (Who visited Desert Island as part of last year’s Bookstore Crawl?)

The store definitely has a distinct personality. “Many of the publications at Quimby's you will not find in other bookstores, especially mainstream bookstores like Barnes & Noble,” Steven says. They specialize in “zines, self-published publications, and alternative presses. We are proud to give space to self-publishers who might not be able to find space in mainstream bookstores.”

Besides fiction and poetry, they also stock nonfiction on topics like “feminism, racism, activism, punk rock, occult, tattooing and alternative and sustainable lifestyles.” Due to Steven’s interest in natural history, the store’s decor includes taxidermy and plant life, as well as photographs by local photographers -- all of which are for sale.

Quimby’s hosts at least two events a week, including traditional reading/signing events as well as short film screenings and stand-up comedy. “Once a month we invite half a dozen zinesters to come to the store and sell their wares, giving the public a fun chance to meet the people who make zines and learn more about zine culture,” says Steven.

STAFF PICKS

“Some of our favorite books right now are the new John Water's book, Make Trouble, any/everything by Rebecca Solnit, Roxanne Gay, and a great new collection of horror writing by African-American women called Sycorax's Daughters. Our favorite zines include Psycho-Moto, Semi-Bold, Animals In Space, brooklyn To Mars, Put An Egg On It, Tom Tom and the Library Excavation series.“

Quimby’s Bookstore 536 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open Tue-Sat 12 PM - 9 PM; Sun 12 PM - 6 PM; Mon 2 PM - 9 PM

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Photos courtesy of Steven Svymbersky.

#brooklyn #bookstores #brooklyn bookstores #independent bookstores #independent bookstore day #brooklyn bookstore crawl #books #bookish

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2nd Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl!

The 2nd Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl will be this Saturday, April 29th!

Check out our updated Google Map of bookstores.

#brooklyn #brooklyn events #brooklyn bookstore crawl #bookstores #independent bookstore day #indie bookstores #books #bookish

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2016 Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl: The Tasks

Less than twelve hours to go before the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl opens, with two stores opening at 9 AM!

Here’s what you’ve got to do at each of your 5+ stops on the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl to enter our prize drawings! More information at BKBOOKSTORECRAWL.ORG

BookCourt: take a selfie with your favorite book.

The BookMark Shoppe: take a photo of the knitting supplies!

Brooklyn Art Library: photo of a sketchbook by a Brooklyn artist.

Community Bookstore: photo of Tiny the Cat.

Desert Island: photo of the free publication Smoke Signal.

Freebird Books: photo of a book from the bad title shelf.

Greenlight Bookstore: selfie in the author photo booth.

Grumpy Bert: photo of (or with) Remy, the resident pug.

Here’s a Book Store: photo of an interesting book from a genre you don’t normally read.

Hullabaloo Books: photo of your fave handwritten section label.

Mama Says Comics Rock: selfie with the Stormtrooper (or another cut-out).

Morbid Anatomy Museum: photo of your favorite morbid artifact.

POWERHOUSE Arena: photo of a book published by powerHouse.

POWERHOUSE on 8th: photo of a POW!-published picture book.

Singularity&Co.: photo of a cool vintage book cover.

Spoonbill & Sugartown: photo of a book with a bird on the cover.

Stories: photo of your favorite kids’ book -- post it with a quote from the book!

Terrace Books: photo of a rare or vintage book.

Unnameable Books: photo of the “stuff found in books” wall.

Usagi NY: #bookface selfie (you + a book cover!).

WORD Bookstore: take a picture with a book of your choosing and tweet or instagram at @wordbookstores. In the caption, tell us who you would have narrate the audiobook!

If you’re including non-sponsoring stores on your Crawl, get creative! Here are some suggested tasks: a) post a picture of a book you added to your to-read list today; b) post a picture of a quote from a favorite book.

#bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #brooklyn bookstores #brooklyn #bookstores #independent bookstore day #books

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Get to Know: The BookMark Shoppe

“Bringing authors to our community.”

If you stumble upon the most adorably yarn-bombed tree in the history of yarn-bombed trees, then you’ve found the BookMark Shoppe. This cheerful bookstore was founded 14 years ago by the equally cheerful Christine Freglette. “It’s something I always wanted to do when I was younger,” Christin explains. To her, one of the most important things the store does is “bringing authors to our small community.”

While the general bookstore carries yarn and needles, you can find the real emphasis of the store in the proportionally large children’s section and the quotes written in colorful chalk. “We bring a lot of authors to the schools,” Christine says. “You know, it’s 7:00 in the morning when I’m not the brightest, but when I get there and I see their faces, they’re so happy. That’s when I know my job is a good job.”

Events are a regular occurrence at The BookMark Shoppe, happening at least 2-3 times a week. They most commonly host book signings for local and best-selling authors alike. Other events consist of writing classes for both adults and children, book clubs, knitting clubs, and crocheting clubs.

As a perk, the BookMark Shoppe offers special orders and next-day delivery with no extra charge. Even better, on Independent Bookstore Day, those 21+ can get complimentary mimosas while completing the task and browsing the shelves.

STAFF PICKS

The Girls by Emma Cline

Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica (Kubica will be at the BookMark Shoppe on May 23rd.)

The BookMark Shoppe 8415 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open 10 AM - 6 PM Mon-Tue & Sat; 10 AM - 7 PM Wed-Fri & Sun

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Feature/pictures by Zoe Maffitt.

#the bookmark shoppe #bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #independent bookstore day #brooklyn #brooklyn bookstores #bookstores #books

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Get to Know: Usagi NY

“We don’t chase the trends.”

Usagi NY may be a hybrid space that includes a gallery, café, and library, but the books came first. Founded 17 years ago as a bookstore, it moved to its current DUMBO location 7 years ago. It was only after the rent rose to an unsustainable point that the store diversified its stock.

For all that the space accomplishes, the atmosphere remains cohesive and calming. There is a definite Japanese bent to everything from the store’s layout, which was designed by famous Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, to the café’s menu, to the book selection.

Their book collection is strictly curated by Toshiki Okazaki and focuses exclusively on art-related topics, including design, architecture, urban art, photography, typography, art history, and more. According to PR Director Olga Fedorova, “we don’t chase the trends.” Their books culminate in “a timeless collection that contribute to their general body of work.” And, because of the heavy Japanese influence, “some books probably aren’t available anywhere else in the United States,” Olga says. Most of their books are for sale, but a few rare and out-of-print books are for display only.

Usagi NY is a place of inspiration to the Brooklyn arts community, including architecture companies and photographers. They host a wide variety of events, including dance installations, exhibit openings, book launches, lectures, workshops, conversation series, and more.

STAFF PICK

Hans Ulrich Obrist: Interviews, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Usagi NY 163 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, NY Open 12PM- 6 PM Tue-Sat

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Feature/pictures by Zoe Maffitt.

#usagi ny #bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #brooklyn #brooklyn bookstores #bookstores #books #independent bookstore day

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Prize packs for the #bkbookstore crawl tomorrow! April 30th, 2016; more info at bkbookstorecrawl.org

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The Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl is tomorrow! A few reminders...

We’re so excited that so many of you want to Bookstore Crawl with us. Here are a few things to keep in mind tomorrow. 

1. While book buying is not required, it is highly encouraged.

You can participate in the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl, and enter prize drawings, without a single book. But bookstores (not to mention authors!) can’t survive without book buyers. If you find a book that piques your interest, consider taking it home with you! We all love books and bookstores, or we wouldn’t be doing this, right?

2. Respect the bookstores and their employees.

We understand that there’s going to be a lot of excitement and a lot of hurrying tomorrow as everyone tries to hit all of the stores on their itineraries. But keep in mind the stores and the people who work there.

Be patient with booksellers, who may be busy, and with other customers (and Crawl-ers). If you take books off the shelves, please put them back where they belong after you’ve taken your pictures.

All of the sponsoring bookstores have been incredibly generous by donating prizes -- and in some cases opening for longer hours than usual to allow us to Crawl there. Let’s make sure they have a great time, too!

3. Have fun!

Bring some friends along! Stop at local bars and restaurants along the way. Share your pictures on social media. (If you’ve got an itinerary already planned out, share that, too!)

Your fellow Crawl-ers will also be posting pictures. Keep an eye on the #bkbookstorecrawl hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook, and see what cool stuff everyone is up to! Maybe you’ll discover another store you want to visit.

The Bookstore Crawl itself is on Tumblr as bkbookstorecrawl; Twitter as @bkbookstcrawl; Instagram as @bkbookstorecrawl. 

4. Check out our sponsors!

A lot of companies donated cool prizes. Check them out on our Sponsors page, and send them some love on social media!

5. How to win prizes:

If you’re crawling without entering the prize drawings, COOL! If you do want to enter drawings, here’s how that works.

Each store has an assigned task. You’ll be able to find these starting Friday night on the Prizes page on our website (and in other places). Each store will also have a flyer identifying its task. If you can’t find the flyer, just ask!

To enter the Grand Prize, which contains gift certificates, books, and swag from the participating bookstores, you must visit at least 5 of the sponsoring stores. A list is available on the Meet the Stores page. (Check it for updates, as we’ve had some last-minute additions and deletions.)

If you’re entering one of the other drawings, and visiting non-sponsoring stores, use one of these tasks or just get creative! a) post a picture of a book you added to your to-read list today; b) post a picture of a quote from a favorite book.

If at all possible, post pictures of each task on a publicly viewable social media account. If you don’t have any publicly viewable social media accounts, shoot us a line at “info [at] bkbookstorecrawl [dot] org” and we’ll figure something out.

An entry form will go live on Friday night, also on the Prizes page, where you can enter links to these pictures. You must fill out the entry form with links to your pictures to enter the drawings. The deadline for filling out the entry form is 11:59 PM Sunday night, May 1st.

#bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #independent bookstore day #brooklyn #brooklyn bookstores

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Get to Know: Morbid Anatomy Museum

“Art, medicine, death, and culture.”

Joanna Ebenstein and Tracy Hurley Martin opened the Morbid Anatomy Museum in 2014, with funding from a Kickstarter, and it pretty much does what it says on the tin: its exhibits, both permanent and rotating, showcase morbid anatomy. Or, more generally, artifacts “relating to art, medicine, death, and culture,” according to Cristina Preda, its office manager and membership coordinator. “It also hosts illustrated lectures, film screenings, and classes in arcane skills such as taxidermy, animal skeleton articulation, and Victorian hair art.”

The museum takes up the second floor of a building in Gowanus – but the first floor is a dedicated cafe space and gift shop, including a wide variety of books appropriate to the museum’s subject matter. “We carry books on collectors and collecting, medical museums, human anatomy, taxidermy, natural science, and paranormal phenomena,” says Cristina. They also have a section for kids and young adults. In addition to books, the shop sells art, antiques, jewelry, and taxidermy.

The Morbid Anatomy Museum hosts frequent lectures “on topics ranging from spirit photography and cabinets of curiosity to the history of leopard print, alchemy, and forensics.” They also host a flea market at the nearby Bell House several times a year, with, Cristina says, “vendors of unique art and antiques.”

A listing of upcoming events is available on the Morbid Anatomy Museum website, including classes on Peacock Taxidermy, Anthropomorphic Insect Shadowboxes, and Bat Skeleton Articulation.

STAFF PICKS

The Morbid Anatomy Anthology by Joanna Ebenstein and Colin Dickey

La Bas by J.K. Huysmans

The Decadent Reader: Fiction, Fantasy, and Perversion from Fin-de-Siècle France by Asti Hustvedt

Sporting Guide, Los Angeles, 1897 by Liz Goldwyn

Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory by Stacy Horn

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

Morbid Anatomy Museum 424-A 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Museum: Open 12 PM - 6PM daily except Tuesday Cafe & Shop: Open 8 AM - 8 PM Mon-Fri, 10 AM - 8 PM Sat, 10 AM - 6 PM Sun For the bookstore crawl, hours are 12 PM - 6 PM!

Instagram | YouTube | Google+ | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook

Photos courtesy of the Morbid Anatomy Museum.

#morbid anatomy museum #morbid anatomy #bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #independent bookstore day

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Get to Know: Here’s a Book Store

“To spread enlightenment and sell books.”

In 2011, the New York Daily News rated Here’s a Book Store the Best Indie Bookstore in New York City. In a city -- and a borough -- with so many bookstores, that’s high praise indeed.

It’s obvious that Here’s a Book Store is entrenched in its community. Within a 15 minute period, two families came in and had in-depth discussions over their reading preferences with owner Sylvia Levy and her son Doron. Both families got recommendations and both families, when checking out, commented on being happy to have something to read over Passover.

The family-owned store has been around since 1976 and has outlasted multiple other bookstores in their region. Due to the prevalence of yeshivas in their community, they have a particularly large collection of Judaica books, including entire shelves dedicated to Kosher cookbooks. However, as a general interest bookstore with an inventory of over 500,000 books--including a notably robust romance section--any reader is bound to find something interesting on the shelves here.

The mission of Here’s a Book Store, according to Sylvia and Doron, is “to spread enlightenment and sell books.” The store is one of the oldest in the borough, and Sylvia comments that they’re “kind of off the beaten path.” The most popular books there are “probably not popular anywhere else,” she says.

Here’s a Book Store is located in Sheepshead Bay -- just a few stops from the Coney Island Boardwalk, if you want to make your beach trip more bookish.

STAFF PICKS

Sylvia and Doron are fans of the mysteries of Lawrence Block and Daniel Silva.

Here’s a Bookstore 1964 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open 10:30 AM - 6 PM Mon-Thu; 10:30 AM - 4 PM Fri; Closed Saturday; Open 12 PM - 4 PM Sun

Facebook | Yelp

Feature/pictures by Zoe Maffitt.

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Get to Know: POWERHOUSE Arena

“A bookstore with a strong focus on visual books for adults and children.”

POWERHOUSE covers all its bases, both in terms of books and in terms of capitalization. You’ve got powerHouse Books, the company’s publishing arm, which focuses on art and photography books. POWERHOUSE Arena in DUMBO is the (if you’ll excuse the pun) powerhouse bookstore, selling books from many publishers, not just powerHouse. And then there’s POWERHOUSE on 8th, which focuses on children’s events, including storytimes.

POWERHOUSE Arena was founded in 2006 by Daniel Power, CEO of powerHouse Books. “Our mission was to curate a bookstore with a strong focus on visual books for adults and children,” says associate events coordinator Liz von Klemperer. One of the ways they accomplish that focus is by displaying “European-style,” with all of the books shelved face-out.

The books at the Arena depart from the publisher’s directive and include a broad variety, including graphic design and interior design but also fiction, children’s books, and general interest nonfiction. They also have a large stationery section, “which includes many Brooklyn- and New York City-themed items,” Liz adds.

The current location of POWERHOUSE Arena is a spacious warehouse in DUMBO, with plenty of room for events. The Arena hosts 3-4 events a week, including not only fiction but, according to Liz, “lots of events for visually driven books, blog to books events, non-fiction and cookbook launches.” At POWERHOUSE on 8th, “Our most popular reading series is Sunday Story Time, which introduces kids to local picture-book authors and illustrators.”

Upcoming events at POWERHOUSE Arena include book launches for ShaoLan Hsueh’s Chineasy Everyday: Learning Chinese Through Its Culture; Jessica Knoll’s The Luckiest Girl Alive; and Joshua D. Fischer’s Meet the Regulars: People of Brooklyn and the Places They Love, among many others. And, check out the information about Independent Bookstore Day at the Arena!

STAFF PICKS

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

10:04 by Ben Lerner

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

POWERHOUSE Arena 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY Open 10 AM - 7 PM Mon-Wed; 10 AM - 8 PM Thu-Fri; 11 AM - 8 PM Sat; 11 AM - 7 PM Sun

Facebook | Twitter | Yelp | YouTube | Vimeo

POWERHOUSE on 8th 1111 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Open 10 AM - 7 PM Daily

Facebook | Twitter | Yelp

#powerhouse arena #powerhouse on 8th #powerhouse books #bkbookstorecrawl #brooklyn bookstore crawl #brooklyn #bookstores #brooklyn boys #bookstagram #independent bookstore day

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Get to Know: BookCourt

Focused on finding the perfect books for its customers.

With thanks to event manager Andrew Unger for the information below!

Henry Zook and Mary Gannett opened BookCourt on September 12, 1981. Originally, BookCourt was a one-room bookstore in one of Brooklyn's quieter, working-class neighborhoods. Jonathan Lethem wrote beautifully about the neighborhood around this time in his novel Fortress of Solitude. The neighborhood changed and as it did, BookCourt grew. A basement was added in 1990. In 1996 they purchased the flower shop next door, doubling the size and inventory of the store. In 2008, they added the "Greenhouse," a breath-taking extension that gave BookCourt one of the largest event spaces of any bookstore in the city. Like most independent bookstores, BookCourt has been supported by a loyal and enthusiastic customer base. It's not infrequent to find someone browsing the shelves who can remember the store on its first day of business. Similarly, new customers are always discovering BookCourt for the first time, rounding the corner into the "Greenhouse" and realizing the immensity of the store's foot-print. There's a magic to the store that never goes away.

None of this is by accident. Mary and Henry met while working at Wordsworth Bookstore in Boston and took from it core tenants that have pervaded every aspect of the store's daily operation. They have hired smart, talented book-lovers, many of whom have gone on to write acclaimed fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. BookCourt has one of the largest selections of backlist fiction and nonfiction and one of the largest selections of children's books in the city. When customers first enter the store, they are met with a selection of literary magazines, poetry, and fiction. Rounding the corner, the store is divided into a children's section that features board books, hardcover and paperback picture books, and a selection of early chapter books. On the other side of the room are middle-grade novels and young adult literature. The mystery section follows the wall leading into the "Greenhouse" where hardcover fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels greet the customer. Our store best-seller list consistently reflects the books which are the most highly-reviewed by The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

BookCourt is so focused on finding the perfect books for its customers that the most distinguishing aspect of the store has become the customers themselves. Cobble Hill was always been a family neighborhood and BookCourt has done a lot to promote children's books and provide the ideal atmosphere for families to discover new books and read them together. On the weekends the store hosts an afternoon storytime and maintains a close relationship with a number of nearby schools.

Brooklyn has experienced a fiction boom recently and BookCourt reflects that. Local authors like Paul Auster, Emma Straub (a former BookCourt employee), Martin Amis, and others have contributed to the fact that BookCourt carries a strong offering of literary fiction. In addition to what's on the shelf, BookCourt also features one of the most active event calendars in the city. In 2015, BookCourt hosted over 300 events featuring celebrities likes Ethan Hawke, Elvis Costello, and Anthony Bourdain, as well as major literary authors like Lauren Groff, Garth Risk Hallberg, Joshua Cohen, and more.

SELECT STAFF PICKS

Lucinella by Lore Segal

In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway

Cities I've Never Lived In by Sara Majka

Independent Bookstore Day Activities

12pm — Trivia #1 (win NYRB Classics for Kids)

2pm — Sunjeev Sahota talks with Dinaw Mengestu

4pm — Trivia #2 (win a stack of NYRB classics)

6pm — Trivia #3 (Prize tk)

7pm — Simon van Booy reads from Fathers Day

9pm — Winner of the Instagram Challenge Announced ($20 BookCourt Gift Card)

**All day, if you tag us in a picture of you with your favorite book and a BookCourt memory, we'll "re-gram" you!

BookCourt 163 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY Open 9 AM - 10 PM Mon-Sat; 10 AM - 9 PM Sun

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