Latest news with #bookstores
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Fans say new romance bookstores and online groups are giving the genre some overdue respect
Roses are displayed atop a bookshelf of romance titles at The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Culver City, Calif., on July 3, 2025, (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Romance novels have always spiced up quiet nights. Now, a genre that has sometimes been dismissed as a guilty pleasure is bringing readers and writers together through social media, book clubs and a growing number of romance-specific bookstores. At a recent launch party for Nora Dahlia's enemies-to-friends romance 'Pick-Up' at Lovestruck Books, a romance-dedicated store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a crowd of women sipped cocktails from the bar-café as they browsed the shelves. After Dahlia's reading, patrons stuck around to mingle, swap contact info and trade author recommendations. It was a particularly social event for a book talk. But the communal atmosphere is typical of events for romance fans. Dahlia likened romance readers to 'Comic-Con folks,' referring to the deep-rooted passion that defines comic-book fandom. 'They're educated on the genre in a real way,' Dahlia said. 'Many of them started reading romance — Danielle Steel, V.C. Andrews, Jude Deveraux — as teenagers.' At The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, manager Katherine Zofrea said romance fans who have connected online frequently come into the store to meet in person. Along with author events, the store hosts three different book clubs and a romance comedy night. 'We've had a couple proposals here, we've had a wedding here which was really fun,' Zofrea said. She said customers range 'from teenagers who are starting to really get into the romance genres to older folks who have been romance readers for their entire lives and remember way back when they were reading the Harlequins and romance wasn't as widely accepted. 'Now they're loving seeing how widely accepted romance has become.' A boom in romance bookstores Bookstores like Lovestruck and The Ripped Bodice (which has a flagship store in Los Angeles) have begun popping up all over the U.S., from Wichita, Kansas, to Wilmington, North Carolina, to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Of the 157 romance-dedicated bookstores in the American Booksellers Association, more than half opened within the last two years, said Allison Hill, CEO of the trade group for independent sellers. 'Romance books have been one of the fastest growing book sales categories in recent years, driven by a number of factors including the need for escape reading and BookTok,' Hill said. And the genre has evolved. 'The romance genre is more diverse in every way including character identity and plot,' she said. Lovestruck's owner, Rachel Kanter, called the boom 'incredible — and honestly, overdue. Romance has always been one of the most commercially successful genres, but for a long time it didn't get the respect or space it deserved in the literary world.' Romance-specific bookstores, she says, 'are places where readers can feel joy, comfort, and connection — and where love is taken seriously as a literary theme.' A lifeline during COVID As with many hobbies, romance fandom solidified and expanded after the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The pandemic had pushed so many people toward reading for escape and comfort, and romance became a lifeline for a lot of folks,' said Kanter. 'At the same time, there was a wider cultural shift happening — people were rethinking what mattered, craving joy and softness, and looking to support indie businesses that reflected their values. Romance, with all its hope and heart, met that moment beautifully," she said. Reimagining the romantic bond Romance has countless subgenres — hockey romance, Western romance, LGBTQ romance, even romance set on prison planets. But a common theme is their 'inherently hopeful storylines,' says Elizabeth Michaelson Monaghan, a 52-year-old freelance writer and editor in New York who said she's read 'hundreds' of romance novels. 'Romance must have a happily-ever-after — or at least a happily-for-now. Romance writers and readers are very clear on this,' she said. Romantic fiction that doesn't end that way? That's just a love story. Traits of the romance genre also include strong character descriptions, attraction, conflict, and a satisfying resolution and emotional growth. Expect plenty of steam — some authors deploy it explicitly, others are more tame. There's a long-standing culture of (mostly) women reading and sharing these books across generations. 'It is pleasurable to reimagine courtship or the romantic bond,' said Jayashree Kamble, professor of English at LaGuardia Community College and president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance. 'There is limited risk involved.' Kamble has been a voracious romance reader since her teenage years in India, where she devoured Harlequin romances. Romance novels, she said, are 'a lovely reminder that individualism and companionship can go together. These are basic bonds.' Community: online and in real life Podcasts, too, have become a source for discovering what's trending. Andrea Martucci, creator and host of the romance-focused 'Shelf Love' podcast, said romance bookstores have become places of connection akin, in some ways, to churches — for the romantically devoted. 'I can go to a bookstore and not just find people who love books,' she said, 'but find people who love the very same books I love.' As Annabel Monaghan, author of several love stories including 'Nora Goes Off Script,' puts it, 'People who read romance want to feel good. And when you gather a bunch of people who want to feel good, it's magic.' Tracee M. Herbaugh, The Associated Press
Fast Company
03-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Looking for a summer read? Barnes & Noble is on track to open more than 60 new bookstores this year. Here's where
Nothing says summer more than a trip to the beach, and for many people, that includes the perfect summer read. If you're looking, here's some good news: After a decade of downsizing, partly due to Amazon's rise combined with changes in consumer behavior, bookstores are back—with Barnes & Noble leading the renaissance with a major expansion, on track to open over 60 new bookstores in 2025 alone, according to a spokesperson for the bookseller. The retailer currently runs approximately 600 bookstores nationwide, as well as online. Halfway through the year, Barnes & Noble told Fast Company it has already opened 23 bookstores in 2025. '[We] are enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful,' a spokesperson for Barnes & Noble said. 'We are experiencing strong sales in existing stores and have been opening many new stores as a result.' In the early 2000s, Barnes & Noble opened 30 stores or more a year, but simultaneously closed about half that number too, according to The Wall Street Journal. By 2013, a decade later, it was on track to close about a third of its brick-and-mortar retail stores, and would continue shrinking over the next 10 years. But by 2023, consumer demand was back, and the bookseller started ramping up again. As Fast Company previously reported, the resurgence is thanks in large part to social media, in particular, TikTok 's #BookTok. But some credit also goes to a rise in so-called third spaces—places people are flocking to post-pandemic that are neither home nor work, as Americans seek real connection amid an epidemic of loneliness now plaguing our nation (especially among Gen Z). As Americans spend more time at home and on their devices, many now have fewer friends (particularly men) and fewer social outlets. But many new bookstores today are opening with a cafe or even a bar to allow for more interaction, like New York City's Book Club Bar and Bibliotheque, or (my personal favorite) Boston's romance novel bookstore, Lovestruck Books. 'Bookstores are a social spot to gather and offer that third space that online shopping cannot provide,' Barnes & Noble told Fast Company. 'Our booksellers are knowledgeable and can provide a dedicated customer service to the in store shopper.' Here's a list of locations where Barnes & Noble has already opened new stores, as well as a list of states where it will be opening new locations in 2025. New Barnes & Noble locations opened in 2025 Barnes & Noble locations expected to open in the second half of 2025 A spokesperson for Barnes & Noble told Fast Company that the company has signed leases to open additional stores in the following states: Pennsylvania New Hampshire Washington South Dakota Texas Massachusetts Tennessee New Jersey Kansas Minnesota Maryland California Louisiana Florida Idaho Michigan Colorado Ohio District of Columbia
CBS News
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
San Francisco bookstores drop J.K. Rowling titles in stand for trans rights
One bookstore in San Francisco is taking a stand against a worldwide-renowned author. Books by J.K. Rowling, who penned the "Harry Potter" series, have come off the shelves at BookSmith on Haight. Now, another bookstore is following its lead. Marcus Ewert with Fabulosa Books on Castro Street is also an accomplished author. "This was my very first one in 2008," Ewert said. "It was the first kids' book to have any transgender content, let alone a transgender kid main character." Ewert says while the book, 10,000 Dresses, has been embraced by the queer community, it has been banned and challenged by others. So the decision to take J.K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter books off the shelf wasn't taken lightly. Ewert says he did what felt right to him. "Just setting an example of there are things to resist," he said. "Choices to make and actions to take. We all need more courage right now." The idea originally came from Booksmith on Haight Street. The owners of Booksmith would not talk on camera but sent over a statement saying they sell a number of titles by authors they don't agree with, but this case was different because Rowling has pledged to fund legislation and campaigns that would harm the trans community. Camden Avery, the co-owner of Booksmith wrote, "We're one private business making a decision to align our business practice with our own values and our customers' values, the freedom to do which, if I'm honest, is the one of the most rewarding parts of operating as a truly independent bookstore." Fabulosa Books says it couldn't agree more. "Seeing that people were like this is important," Ewert said. "Somebody took a stand. Actually, we wanted to be counted too, so it's not just one lone bookstore." Some on social media have criticized the bookstore's actions, saying that it's equivalent to banning books. Ewert says this is just a show of solidarity to stand for the community he serves. "It's so much better to use language to broaden people's hearts. Broaden the world and not to condemn and vilify."
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The best way to discover hidden gems': why you should try out a bookshop crawl
We've all heard of bar crawls, but what about a bookshop crawl? The premise is essentially the same – you hop from venue to venue – but instead of drinking beers you browse books. Having begun as a trend among TikTok users, mainly in the US, the idea has begun to be adopted across the globe. There are a few 'official' ways to try it out for your yourself: Bookshop Crawl UK organises the London Bookshop Crawl, as well as crawls across the country, Bristol Walkfest has organised a walking tour of the city's numerous indies, and in April, the Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl ran an event for Independent Bookstore Day which rewarded participants who visited 10 shops on the day with 10% discount on books for the rest of the year. And the Global Book Crawl runs an annual event with 17 participating countries, from Ireland to Fiji. But mostly, bookshop crawls are much more casual affairs, with groups of friends or individuals using them as a way to explore a city and find their new favourite bookish spot. In this spirit, on a recent trip to London, I decided to take myself on a solo crawl. First, I checked out New Beacon Books in Finsbury Park, which is the longest running Black-owned bookstore in the UK, then went to Camden Town Bookshop and Primrose Hill Books. I loved exploring different parts of London and was able to pick up not only newer books that were on my to-read list but also older editions of childhood favourites – such as Jacqueline Wilson's The Illustrated Mum, which I picked up in an Oxfam in Bloomsbury for about £2. It felt like a real treat to spend a full day drinking iced coffee and browsing bookshops – and definitely something I'll be doing in future when I visit a new city. It was also helpful to have the specific goal of seeking out independent bookshops – so often when I'm looking to buy a book I just head to Waterstones or Foyles on autopilot. But indies can offer a sense of community and individuality that many of the big chains can't, and are often beautiful, relaxing spaces to be in. American TikTok influencer Eden Yonas says she has had 'the best time' doing bookshop crawls when visiting new places. They are 'an amazing way to prioritise indie bookstores that you may not visit in your day-to-day life,' she says. Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion Fleur Sinclair, owner of Sevenoaks Bookshop in Kent, and president of the Booksellers Association, says book crawls are a great way to 'explore your local community and support local high streets' but also to find unique shops. Independent bookshops 'have handwritten reviews, an eclectic taste. We have the autonomy to have the books that we want to have, to celebrate what we want to celebrate and I hope that young people really love them and enjoy celebrating that individuality with all these book crawls,' she added. The only drawback of doing a book crawl is that, tempted by so many amazing books on sale, 'you can very quickly end up with more books than bookshelf space,' Bex Hughes, founder and executive director of Bookshop Crawl UK says. 'Other than that, there are no downsides!' 'Oftentimes, the bookstores we go to are based solely on convenience,' Yonas says. 'Putting aside the time on a weekend or a day off work to just say 'here's a list of places I'm going to check out, no matter how far or close' is the best way to discover those hidden bookshop gems and give them the support that they deserve.' Independent Bookshop Week is run by the Booksellers Association and will take place from 14-21 June
