Bobzbay Books' BobzBlog - 6/5/26 - Book Signing TONIGHT (and Tomorrow!)

Check out all of our upcoming events on our website!

There are lots of incredible events for all sorts of ages & interests coming up in the next week... read below to find out more info and we hope to see you at one (or more!) of these events!

And a reminder for the Bobzbay Bingo-ers: attending an event at the shop is one of the bonus challenges! If you're attending one of our upcoming events, don't forget to bring your bingo sheet to be stamped!

Join us at Bobzbay Books tonight(!) for First Friday to kick off Downtown Bloomington's Route 66 Centennial weekend celebration honoring 100 years of Route 66!

We'll be open late until 8pm on Friday, June 5th, so swing by the bookstore for...

- 5-7pm: Book signing with bestselling speculative fiction author Emily Jane! For more information about Emily Jane, her books, and the book signing, please visit this link (and/or keep reading below!)

- Fresh book displays celebrating Pride Month, Road Trip Reads, and 1960's Greatest Hits!

- New monthly bookmark by local artist Amanda Trimble and some new Bobzbay sticker designs!

- Our usual selection of new & used books (including Staff Picks and Blind Dates!), local art, fun stickers, and more! Plus, we recently brought in some very cool vintage postcard reproductions that are great for souvenirs and snail mail!

For more information about the Route 66 Centennial celebrations, head to this link.

Save the event on Facebook so you don't forget!

We’re so excited to welcome genre-blending speculative fiction author Emily Jane to Bobzbay Books for a book signing to celebrate the 6/2 release of her latest novel, 'Mr. Yay'!

Join us at the shop on Friday, June 5th from 5pm-7pm (that's tonight!) to meet the author, shop her excellent selection of genre-blending and reality-bending speculative fiction, and take home a signed book or few!

Her latest release, 'Mr. Yay', as well as her previous three novels ('American Werewolves', 'Here Beside the Rising Tide', and 'On Earth as It Is on Television') will be available for purchase during the book signing, but pre-orders are highly encouraged! To pre-order and purchase Emily Jane's books, head to this link.

Save the event on Facebook so you don't forget!

We're excited to welcome local author Gia Gordon back to the book shop for a book release party celebrating her latest novel 'Strays', a heartfelt chapter book about dogs, friendship, family, and finding the courage to stand up for what's right that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find a place to call home.

Bring your family and friends (furry and otherwise!) to Bobzbay Books on Saturday, June 6th from 10am-12pm to celebrate the launch of 'Strays'! Join us at this FREE and family-friendly event for...

- Book signing* and meet & greet with author Gia Gordon!

- Adoption event with adoptable dogs from the Humane Society of Central Illinois!

- Pop-up info table with Bloomington Public Library!

- A fun specialty drink collaboration with Coffee Hound (walk just a couple doors down to try it!)

- Games, activities, and giveaways!

- AND a special appearance by Andy the Armadillo from Texas Roadhouse!

PLUS! 10% of all 'Strays' book sales will be donated to Humane Society of Central Illinois Pre-order your copy of 'Strays' here.

Save the event on Facebook so you don't forget!

Carey

I have been consuming basically the same things as last week: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Muse's new album The Wow! Signal, and my favorite games 7 Days to Die and Tetris 99. All awesome!

But this week I've been spending a ton of time out in my yard making it happy and colorful. I spent a few hours picking mulberries from my tree and soon I'll make some jam and other treats. But I'm happiest about my black raspberry bushes, which are just ✨️thriving✨️ in my yard. Just yesterday I was able to pick some and eat them, and the taste reminded me of home. I grew up with black raspberries growing wild around my house, and it's something special to have them with me now.

I also got a wicked sunburn, but it's worth it! When I pick some more berries this weekend, I'll probably be listening to an advance audio copy of Chuck Tingle's Fabulous Bodies, read by Mara Wilson! (It's so good I'm going to read it again!)

Liz

I've been at battle with a migraine most of the week so my media consumption has been pretty low (RIP to my reading streak).

Currently Reading: Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun & Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (both totally weird and wonderful books that I wish I could've dove into more this week).

Currently Watching: Ozark (it's very good so far!) & Backrooms (it was good - I need a rewatch with a quieter environment!)

Currently Listening to: Smash Mouth (NO, that's not why I have a migraine).

McKenzie

Happy pride month friends!! 🏳️‍🌈 It’s been all hands on deck at my house (between training a puppy and meeting deadlines for my own book release), but I’m determined to get back on the reading bandwagon this month and dive into some awesome queer books! I’ve kicked off June with a new middle grade graphic novel Clock Hands—the standalone companion to Ink Girls! The art style is fantastic and the clockwork/metalwork is sooo up my alley. I particularly love our nonbinary protagonist, Vale, who refuses to give up on their dreams.

I’ve also started The Reimagining of Thornwood House (out this Tuesday!) by Jaleigh Johnson! I’m only a chapter or so in but I can already tell it’s going to be so fun and cozy. I’m a HUGE sucker for magic houses let me tell you 😅. We have a book signing with Jaleigh here at Bobzbay on June 20th and I CAN’T WAIT!

In light of some recent talks around reading-related legislation, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who continues to put queer books in the hands of kids you know—whether they are in your family or the wider community! Queer stories save lives, and representation in times like these is more important now than ever. That being said, if you need a queer middle grade/YA book rec or just aren’t sure where to start, you know where to find me 💖

Sydney

Now Reading: I'm still savoring every little bit of Girlhood by Melissa Febos, which is filled with beautiful musings AND beautiful chapter illustrations (take a peek!). I read a lot of feminist nonfiction and this is really shaping up to be a stand-out in the genre. I also started Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle this morning! A fashion influencer by day/grave robber by night and an undead Elton John-type walk into a Palm Springs dive for a night of blood-soaked carnage...say less 🫶

Now Listening: The B-52s and The Beach Boys! The ocean is obviously calling my name...

Now Watching: The weather has been too nice for me to watch much of anything indoors but after dark I'm doing my summer duty and clocking into the neon panopticon that is Love Island 🫡

We have three new book displays for the month of June, stop by and browse the displays in person or shop them online via the links below.

Road Trip Reads - Celebrating road trips, travel, and Route 66.

Greatest Hits of the 1960's - Inspired by the "Groovin' into the 1960's" theme for the June 5th & June 6th Route 66 weekend event in Downtown Bloomington, here are some of the most iconic books from the 1960's.

Happy Pride! - One of our favorite displays to put together every year. All books on this display include authors who identify as LGBTQ+. Primarily fiction titles, most of our non-fiction can be found in our Gender & Sexuality section.

Because of our inventory system, our webstore only includes new books, but we always try to include a good mix of new AND used books on display in the shop. Swing by the store to check them out and see all the great titles we have that aren't listed online!

🚨 As of May 11th, the 400 block of Main Street (that us!) will be closed for parking/driving. The sidewalks will still be open for business access though!

A small update for anyone with mobility issues, strollers, etc.: the sidewalks have been torn out so the walkway is currently a mix of dirt and gravel, which can be a little cumbersome to navigate. If you prefer to navigate on solid footing just cut through the alley (highlighted on the map below) if you're walking from the south (the museum courthouse end of Downtown).

We will remain open regular hours and we would love to see your face now more than ever! Come see us Monday thru Friday 10a-6p, Saturday 9a-5p, & Sunday 11a-5p. And be sure to scroll down to check out some convenient new shopping options we're implementing.

Plus! A reminder that all of our scheduled events are still happening and we would love to see our community show up to support the incredible authors we have lined up to visit the shop. We appreciate y'all braving these changes with us!

Normal - BloNo Craft Club @ Normal Township Building (6/8) "Join us for CRAFT CLUB! Blono Craft Club is a community craft club, anyone is welcome to join at any time. Participants should bring a craft (any craft-diamond painting, knit, crochet, scrapbook, punch needle- whatever you like!) and work on it alongside other crafters. The purpose of the club is to build community while pursuing creativity.

Although the meeting is scheduled from 5:30-8pm, participants may come late and leave early if they need to!" For more information visit this link.

Bloomington - Free Lunchtime Concerts in Withers Park (6/10) "Bring your lunch and a lawn chair or blanket and join Bloomington Parks & Rec. in the park on Wednesdays (5/27-6/24) for a lunchtime concert! All Ages Welcome – FREE!" For more information visit this link.

Bloomington - Illinois Route 66 Sidewalk Mural Grand Opening @ Bloomington Public Library (6/13) "Come celebrate our Route 66 themed sidewalk murals painted by Tee Trashem AKA Noble Stabbings!

There will be fun and games for the whole family: walk the murals from the farmers market to the library or vice versa, complete the scavenger hunt to win prizes, be an artist yourself and color with our coloring books and pages, and much more." For more information visit this link.

Bloomington - Sensory Tour @ Miller Park Zoo (6/18) "Miller Park Zoo proudly offers a new opportunity for those with sensory sensitivities. The tours are aimed at encouraging those with sensitivities to attend during a quieter time at the zoo.

Join us on the third Thursday of the month for an educational tour featuring two animals at the zoo.

This is not intended as a full zoo tour. The tours will be presented by Kulture City/Miller Park Zoo-trained tour guides. Children ages two and under are free. Registration is required for this opportunity. Spots are limited." To register for this event visit this link.

Meet Nugget, the Bobzbay Books pet of the week!

Nugget's story inspired local author Gia Gordon's new release Strays, which we'll be celebrating this Saturday with a book release party!

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.