Bobzbay Books' BobzBlog - 8/29/25 - It's Our Birthday! (and other events)

Friday 9/5 (5PM - 8PM) Oh, Honey! It's First Friday! Stop by the bookstore to shop locally-sourced honey from Washing East Honey and a mini display of honey & bee-themed books, plus all of our usual shop goodies (Blind Date books, stickers & art by independent artists, fun literary gifts, and more!) PLUS! Spend $50 or more to pick out a FREE book from a surprise selection!

Saturday, 9/6 (10AM - 12PM) Book Signing with Jen Woodrum. Jen Woodrum is a mental health counselor and author of The Severed Fates series. The Severed Fates series is one of our bestselling local author titles and I encourage you to pick up book one and discover just why readers are devouring this series.

Check them out if you like...

☠️ Hunger Games/Divergent vibes

⏳Greek myth & unstable goddesses

☠️ Death dates, ticking clock

⏳ Magical realism in urban worlds

☠️ Found family, female friendship

⏳ Fast paced, short chapters

☠️ Getting a little teary eyed

Find out more about this bestselling dystopian series here.

Saturday, 9/6 (1PM - 3PM) Book Signing with Steve Vogel. Steve Vogel is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist, columnist, and talk show host.

Steve's newest foray into non-fiction is Broadcast Live, a selection of true short stories. Broadcast Live was a quarterfinalist in the Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize for 2025 non-fiction, praised for its “balance of the lighthearted with the profound, springing from prosaic childhood experiences to perceptive adult reflections.” IndieReader called it “a testament to the skill and warmth of a lifelong storyteller, pairing slice-of-life moments with significant historical events.”

Find out more about this non-fiction collection from a local legend here.

Saturday. 9/6 (4PM - 5PM) Open Mic Poetry at Bobzbay Books. 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!)

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!

MACKINAW - Annual Grape Stomp and Harvest Festival (8/31) "Visit this Labor Day Sunday to enjoy some great wines, stomp some grapes, vote for your favorite LUCY LOOK A LIKE at 3:30pm! The Annual Grape Stomp is for those who have the desire to emulate Lucy and get their “feet” wet in the wine. Get your pictures and selfies to preserve the moment and have proof of your endeavors in “wine making”. There will be wine flights all day and live music by the band Shipwreck Kelly performing throughout the day and DJ Vinny playing “stompin rock” for everyone to enjoy." Find more info here.

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Yea Big’s Neuroplasticity Concert (9/6) "The Museum is excited to host local musician Stefen Robinson, who performs as Yea Big, for a “Neuroplasticity” concert on Saturday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m. The performances feature improvised and experimental music from Robinson and various local and visiting musicians. Chicago duo, Gerrit Hatcher (saxophone) and Erez Dessell (piano) will headline the show. Hatcher and Dessel will present a new project rooted in tradition but looking ahead, never bound by aesthetics and deeply grounded by an improvisatory practice that spans space and time.

Nonlinear Field, featuring Yea Big (bass clarinet and guitar) Jon Byler Dann (double bass and gong), and Michael Carlson (drums and percussion) will open the show with improvised meditative music inspired by jazz, experimental composers, and zazen." Find more info here.

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - New Museum Display! Mourning in McLean: The Story of Death, Grieving, and Funerary Customs in McLean County (9/15 - 11/21) "Death is one of the only guarantees in life. In early U.S. history, death was a more frequent occurrence, arriving through disease, starvation, and constant warfare. For those who remained after a loved one passed beyond the veil, mourning took many forms. Mourning in McLean explores perceptions of death, ritualistic practices, and customary expressions of grief in Central Illinois from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century." Find more info here.

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Movies at the Mural (9/20, & 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!