Bobzbay Books' BobzBlog - 8/22/25

Saturday, 8/23 (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 8/23 (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!)

Other Upcoming Events Include... Profit Share Day with Clovers Cat Club (8/26), & a special event that we haven't announced yet (8/30)!

Inventory is limited - so pre-order your book now for pickup at the bookstore or pickup on event day. We can't wait to see you! 

Carey: I *just* started filling out my bingo sheet and I'm most of the way to a bingo already! One of my favorite books I've read so far this year has been Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove. It's sci-fi/horror with some cozy elements and was a ton of fun to read! A sentient spaceship teams up with a werewolf, a mummy, Frankenstein, and some robots to take down an even bigger monster. 

Of Monsters and Mainframes can complete the following squares: Published in 2025, IndieNext list, Bobzbay staff pick, and book by a non-American author (the square I used!)

Buy on the Bobzbay webstore, Bookshop, or the audiobook is great, too! The audiobook is available on Libro.fm!

Liz: I'm about halfway though my bingo sheet (14/24, one actual bingo). I'm a serial DNF'er so all of the books I've read have been great so far BUT the one that has stuck with me the most has to be Casual by Koji A Dae. For fans of near future dystopian fiction that have commentary on mental health & bodily autonomy. Less world building & more character development (although I could explore the world of Casual for many more books - and this is coming from someone who historically does not like series).

If you're playing Book Bingo: This would satisfy 2025 release, indie published book, a Bobzbay staff pick, or a book with a one-word title. 

Buy on the Bobzbay webstore or Bookshop. 

McKenzie: As your resident “Type B” reader, Book Bingo has been a bit of a challenge—but one I’m glad I took! My TBR list is more like a mood board, which means sometimes I find myself in a reading rut 💁. Bingo has really pushed me to expand my selections, though I’ll be the first to admit the five squares I have left are going to be my most challenging yet. . . 

Some of my favorite titles on my bingo board so far: A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill (non-American author, graphic novel, Indie Next List, book published in 2025), Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy (debut book, Indie Next List, non-American author), and The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwaba (adapted into a movie—Spirited Away!, a book in translation, non-American author, book published in 2025). Shop these and other books I love here!  

Sydney: I’m a Virgo and a Perfectionist™, so give me a challenge or a check-list and I won’t (can’t??) rest until it’s complete 😅 With that being said…I completed my entire bingo sheet! Of the twenty-four books, eight were 5-star reads for me! Stand-outs include: Kindred by Octavia Butler (a banned book), Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte (a book with a one-word title), Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang by Joyce Carol Oates (a book published in 1993), Ghost of Chance by William S. Burroughs (a book recommended to me), and Timbuktu by Paul Auster (a book with an animal POV). We have some of these titles in stock now (shop my staff picks here), or you can find them on Bookshop!

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Grab a pre-order here. 

DOWNTOWN BLOOMINGTON - Movies at the Mural (8/23, 9/25, & 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.

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.

"I Wish I Had a Pen is an anthology of stories, essays, and poetry by unhoused writers in support of unhoused writers. It is proof that everyone has a story to tell, given the right tools and dedicated time. This anthology grew out of a weekly writing workshop that takes place at The Junction, a community center run by Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

Find out more here.

Bobzbay Books has donated $250 to this campaign, and I would love to see it reach the goal by the end of the weekend - last I checked they were less than $150 away!

I hope to see you in-person soon (we're open 10-6 weekdays & 9-5 Saturdays). You can always text us at 309-434-9515 if you'd like a book recommendation or if you want to place a special order. We are sporadically on Bluesky during the week if you're missing us on social media!

- Write a review on Google, Yelp, and/or TripAdvisor.

- Grab an audiobook from libro.fm.

- Buy an ebook or physical book from bookshop.org.

- Shop with us in-store or online.

- Trade-in your books (find info about how to do that here!).