Bobzbay Books' BobzBlog - 9/26/25 - 5 Events, 1 Weekend AND Bookmark Contest Launch!

Tuesday, September 30th (5:30 - 7:30PM) Obsidian is always bringing some of the most unique performances to Bloomington-Normal, and later this month they've invited JJJJJerome Ellis to University Galleries for a Poetry reading, musical performance, Q+A, & Book Signing. We've got a couple staff members on vacation so we won't be on-site selling books during the event but we do have copies of Ellis' Aster of Ceremonies in-stock at the book store now!

Friday 10/3 (5PM - 8PM) First Friday! Stop by the bookstore to soak up the Halloween vibes with us and shop our new "Horror-ween" book display where we take you on a tour of all that horror has to offer...whether you like ghost stories, gothic horror, creature features, haunted houses, or creepiness with a side of cozy, we'll have a horror book to get you in the mood for spooky season! PLUS! Spend $50 or more and pick out a FREE book from a surprise selection!

Saturday 10/4 (11AM - 1PM) Book Signing with Sci-Fi/Horror Author Jonathan Janz! We’re so excited to welcome horror author Jonathan Janz to the shop for a book signing and meet & greet! Join us on Saturday, October 4th from 11:00am-1:00pm to meet the author and snag an excellent horror novel (or two!).

Veil is one of my (Liz's) staff picks, and is such a fun sci-fi-horror 'dad needs to save the family from aliens' survival story (think War of the Worlds, Signs, A Quiet Place, etc.). It's a fast-paced read with a lot of heart, if you're in a slump and you need a good read - I highly encourage picking up a copy of Veil and meeting the author! Grab your copy from Bobzbay now!

Saturday, 10/4 (9AM - 12PM) Typewriter Poetry with JustMyTypewriter! "Who doesn't love a typewriter? At JustMyTypewriter Poetry, we are excited to make poetry fun and visible in local communities. From pop-ups to writing events and even festivals and weddings, we bring poems to life through the nostalgia of real-life typewriters. You can make it yourself or have us make it for you! Local poets will be present, writing poetry and selling their already-typed poems. We also offer the opportunity for people of all ages to type their own poetry on high-quality paper of their choice--and scratch paper, of course!"

Saturday 10/4 (4PM - 5PM) Open Mic Poetry. If you are looking for a laid back place to meet new friends, share your love of spoken word, or just listen to some great poetry, please join us! Readings of original poetry, favorite poems, short stories, spoken word, etc. are all welcome. Please keep your reading time under 10 min to make sure all participants have a chance to read. (You can hop back on once everyone has shared!)

Carey

I just started reading Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries series. I have already read the first one, All Systems Red, but I'm re-reading it in preparation to read all of the others. Murderbot, a human-shaped machine designed for murdering ("working as a security guard" is probably a better term for it) found a way around its governor module and wants to take a break from murdering to watch soap operas. Hilarity and murdering ensues.

The Murderbot Diaries are part of one of my favorite genres, which I'll call "Snarky Non-Human Thinks All Humans Are Dweebs." Other books in that genre? Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty, Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton, Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove. Yes, those are some of my favorite books. Yes, you should read them!

Liz

Last weekend I went to go see HIM based purely on this review from Judith Sonnet. It was bananas and I loved every minute.

Halloween is coming very very very soon in my mind (all of October is Halloween for me - decorations go up next week!), and I got my nails done by my favorite nail artist (Fab Funky Nails) to celebrate.

This weekend, The Normal Theater is collaborating with Midwest Toy & Comic Fest for a showing of Final Destination featuring a Q&A + Intro with the creator of the franchise. You should go see it - maybe you'll run into me!

McKenzie

I’m not one to struggle putting my feelings to words when it comes to books (if you’ve ever yapped with me at the shop, you probably know this already 😅) but I finished this book well over twenty-four hours ago and I fear I still haven’t found the right words. I picked up Peter Darling by Austin Chant expecting a not-too-spicy trans romantasy retelling of Peter Pan—something to get me geared up for my Disney trip next week. What I actually read was a deeply profound exploration of how suppressed queer identities can turn us into the villains of our own stories, how the things we believe we need in order to feel validated in a hostile world can be the very things that poison us, and how empty dreaming can be without someone to share those dreams with. I am not typically one for a villain romance or even villains-as-heroes story in general, and so I spent the first half of this very short novel (less than 200 standard sized pages) skeptical that it would become a favorite. That is until the end—when everything I thought was happening unravelled in the loveliest way.

This book is a gem, bold and unflinching and entirely unique. It has the pacing of a child’s adventure story while tackling some of the hardest topics of adulthood. It was the perfect read to break me out of my reading rut, and I know it will stick with me for a very long time.

Sydney

I’m currently burning through Vineland by Thomas Pynchon in preparation for Paul Thomas Anderson’s (loose) film adaptation, One Battle After Another, to come out this weekend! Don’t let the lackluster cover design fool you…this is one of the zaniest and most lol-laden books I’ve ever read. Come for the inevitable book vs. movie comparison, but stay for the cult of ninja nuns, drug-fueled conspiracies, UFO abductions, television rehab centers, new age idiosyncrasies, and retrospectives on revolutionary politics and the death of culture & connection under Reagan’s rise to power 🌀 It’s as wacky as it is well-written and shaping up to be one of my favorite reads of the year!

Annnd in this week’s episode of ‘Sydney’s Concert Tour of Chicago’: I checked off another band on my bucket list and finally saw The Brian Jonestown Massacre live! They’ve produced some of the best (dare I say *THE* best?!) psychedelic rock to come out of the past few decades and the concert absolutely lived up to the hype. (PS! If you’re a music documentary person that also loves ✨mess✨ and wants to know what psych rock has to do with the Gilmore Girls, DIG! is all about the frenemy vibes between BJM & the Dandy Warhols and is totally worth checking out!)

New Booklist - Carey's Favorite Books of Writing Advice! "Books about writing advice are very much like Christmas albums: everyone wants to make their own, for better or worse. There are perhaps too many books about the craft of writing out there. Some you’ll vibe with, and others you’ll want to throw across the room in frustration. I’ve spent a lot of time in the creative writing space as a student, editor, writer, teacher, bookseller, and reader. Here are my favorite craft books about writing."

Have bookish news or a local event you think will be of interest to our readers? Share it with us and we’ll try to include it in the newsletter!

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Children’s Art Scavenger Hunt (10/3) "October's First Friday celebration will feature an Art Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Downtown Bloomington artists' studios and galleries. On October 3rd from 5pm to 7pm school children attending the art walk will be given a scavenger hunt list with answers to be found in participating Downtown galleries and studios. Children must match the type of art found with the gallery in which it was found. The Scavenger Hunt is appropriate for children 4 years through Junior High and there is no charge to participate." Visit the BN Artists Facebook page to stay in the loop with all things art related in Bloomington-Normal.

(near) DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event *VOLUNTEERS NEEDED* (10/4) Find more info here.

(near) DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - FlatCon (10/10 - 10/12) "Located on the expansive prairie that is Central Illinois, FlatCon is Bloomington/Normal’s premier family-friendly and inclusive tabletop gaming event since 2000. FlatCon is presented by Tabletop Gamers for Good, a 501(c)3 registered non-profit dedicated to supporting local charities while also promoting tabletop gaming. All profits after expenses from the convention go to support local charities chosen by attendees during the three days of FlatCon." Find more info here.

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Movies at the Mural (10/18) "Five Rotary Clubs in Bloomington-Normal (Bloomington Club, Bloomington-Normal Sunrise Club, Daybreak Club, Normal Club and Sunset Club) collaborated to bring a Route 66-themed mural, complete with a nostalgic drive-in movie scene, to downtown Bloomington, Illinois. All movies will start at dusk, but viewers are welcome to come downtown and find their space a bit earlier as the street will be closed off to traffic. Attendees will need to bring their own seating. Snacks will be available for a nominal fee." Find more info here.

Our local libraries also have an incredible line-up of events, and we encourage you to check out their event calendars! View Bloomington's, Normal's, & Towanda's!

Meet Maisie, the Bobzbay Books pet of the week! Maisie's owner picked up the indie exclusive edition of Brynne Weaver's Tourist Season this week!

You can find Maisie on Threads, TikTok, Facebook, & Instagram.

Tag us on social media or text us (309-434-9515) photos of your book loving pets and we'll try to share them in upcoming newsletters!