If you're anything like me (and good luck to you if you are), every time you go to a bookstore it feels a little like a party. You're in a warm, inviting place; there are smart, friendly people to chat with; and, of course, there are plenty of bookshelves to browse if you don't feel like making small talk.
On April 28, Independent Bookstore Day, it'll be a party to the power of 18 — at 18 bookstores across the Twin Cities, you'll find any or all of the following: authors recommending books by other authors; free pastries and coffee; live music; freebies and games; beer and wine. Like at any good party, you'll want to be the last to leave.
Indie Bookstore Day began in California in 2014 and has grown to be an annual celebration at almost 500 bookstores across the country. This year's national ambassador is writer Celeste Ng, but let's focus on what's going on in Minnesota.
You can pick up a "book passport" and have it stamped at each store you visit. Each stamp will activate discounts. There are free maps of the bookstores of the Twin Cities, drawn by Minneapolis artist Kevin Cannon, and of the bookstores of the Upper Midwest. He does very cool maps. (We have run some in this paper before.)
Get your passport stamped at 10 stores and you will be entered into a raffle to receive a prize pack of 10 books. Visit all 18 stores and you'll be entered into a raffle to win 18 books — one from each store.
Even without a passport, there's tons going on. At Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., the theme of the day will be "kids." Students from elementary schools and middle schools will sell books — not manning the cash registers, perhaps, but helping people choose books in the children's section.
In the evening, folks are invited to get up and read their own writings from childhood. There will be a sign-up page on Facebook for this.
At Common Good Books, 38 S. Snelling Av., St. Paul, writers Mindy Mejia, Sally Franson and Louis Jenkins will recommend books.
