Bobzbay Books' BobzBlog - 6/26/26 - Dollar Days Are Coming Soon!

Shop for a good cause at Bobzbay Books on Tuesday, June 30th and help raise money to support Irving Elementary Promise Council!

10% of all sales made at Bobzbay Books (in-store or online) on Tuesday, June 30th will be donated to Irving Elementary Promise Council.

The Irving Promise Council exists to support students and families by responding to needs as they arise and connecting them with available resources. Their goal is to strengthen families by first utilizing community supports and partnerships, and when needed, providing additional assistance to help remove barriers to success. They work closely with families to ensure support is thoughtful, sustainable, and focused on long-term stability. All funds raised will be donated to the Irving Promise Discretionary Fund. The discretionary fund has been used this year for a multitude of services for families in our school, including helping families pay their electric bill, water bill, rent to secure housing, supplying home goods to a family in need, and supplying gas gift cards for a family with emergency out of town doctor appointments.

Can't make it in store but still want to support? Online purchases made on 6/30/26 between the hours of 12:01am-11:59pm qualify for the profit share too...and we ship! :) Shop online here.

Newsletter subscribers are the first to know: Friday July 3rd through Sunday July 5th we'll be having a Dollar Days book sale filled with $1 books from tons of different genres, including kids and teen books! We'll have 2 tables up front + one table in the children's room filled with great books to browse. Come grab a stack for summer reading or stock for a Little Free Library and help us make some room to refresh our shelves!

To help us keep costs down, please try to bring cash for dollar books. We can't wait to see you (and see what you find!)

And yes, this means that the bookstore will be open regular hours 4th of July weekend - come say hi and find some great deals!

Liz

I found out how that we can include gifs in the newsletter, so I will use that power wisely. 😈

In other news, I finished I Who Have Never Known Men and I am SO glad that the book wasn't spoiled for me because it wasn't at all what I expected. It was such a quiet, lonely, philosophical dystopian story and it will definitely be sticking with me for a long long time.

If you're still looking for a book to satisfy the 'Read a Book by an IPC Member Publisher' Bobzbay Book Bingo, this book will clear that square for you!

I'm headed up to Tinley Park this weekend for Chicago Pride Book Fest presented by Slay the Lake, it's incredibly rare that we travel out of town for pop-up shops but these organizers are amazing people (shout out to RE Bunch & Jessie Rose!) that I don't get to see nearly enough... plus the venue has tacos :)

McKenzie

Happy Friday everyone!

This week has been a whirlwind for me! With my spouse out of town on a work trip, a three month old puppy chewing on *literally* everything in my house, and publishing-related deadlines, I’ve been booked (pun intended).

Reading-wise I finished The Reimagining of Thornwood House and loved it! Fans of Howl’s Moving Castle will enjoy this cozy story about a woman, her adopted daughter, and a house that has a tendency to run off without them 🏠🏃

Outside of book world, I’ve recently discovered a new favorite music artist that I’m ashamed I haven’t listened to sooner! CMAT (acronym for the lead’s name) is an Irish pop/“euro-country” band that I discovered through an Olivia Rodrigo cover. . .and fell instantly in love. When I say that woman can write a bridge, I MEAN it. “When a Good Man Cries” is excellent, but “Running/Planning” has been a close second for me!

I also wanted to take a moment to thank Liz for featuring my book and I in the newsletter last week, as well as everyone who has supported me through my publishing journey—even if it was just a follow on socials! It means so so much, and I’m grateful every day to be a part this amazing community 💖

Sydney

It has been a beauuuutiful June so I've been having what feels like a quintessential summer so far: reading lots of books, spending tons of time in the sunshine, tackling home projects, watching copious amounts of Baywatch (shout out to Roku's dedicated channel that plays nothing but Baywatch all day long 🫡🛟) PLUS our birds of paradise and hibiscus plants survived the winter and are currently in bloom!

I finished a few books all at once and couldn't decide which direction to go next so I've got a few in play right now, but I'm particularly loving Summerwater by Sarah Moss (which takes you into the lives of various visitors to the Scottish countryside, and their internal perspectives and judgements of each other, over the course of a single Midsummer day) and Jesus Saves by Darcey Steinke (described with the highest of praise as a "goth-rock literary lovechild of Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O'Connor"). I've not read anything else by either author but will definitely be checking out their backlists after the way these two books have captured me!

The 400 block is being hit hard by the construction and I know Bobzbay isn't alone in missing the crucial foot traffic we rely on during the beautiful Spring/Summer months. Weekends remain fairly strong, but weekdays aren't what they normally are. There are so many great businesses on our block that are affected by the construction right now, please try to support them as well when you're down here! And a big thank you to everyone who intentionally comes downtown to support us - we are so grateful for you! 🫶

Speaking of great businesses on our block...we're big fans of Coffee Hound and always count down the days until their Summer menu is released, in particular the Pineapple Express (a cold brew + tonic water combo which is SO refreshing on a hot day). Try it out next time you're downtown!

We are surrounded by SO many great used books right now thanks to trade-ins from all of you! Foot traffic has slowed down a bit due to the construction so we reopened the Bobzbay Books Virtual Storefront Facebook group for anyone who wants to shop from home (and get first dibs on used books before they hit the sales floor!) Not on Facebook? We'll be posting the photos to our 'close friends' Instagram stories as well! (Just send us a message on Instagram to get added to our 'close friends' list.)

6/27: BloNo Craft Club @ Bloomington Public Library "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 1:30-4pm, participants may come late and leave early if they need to! We will meet in COMMUNITY ROOM 3!." For more information visit this link.

6/27: Recreation Coffee x Bloomington Cycle & Fitness's 3rd Annual "Ride for Pride" "Participants will meet at Recreation Coffee & Bloomington Cycle & Fitness at 5:15pm. At 5:30pm, one group will go on a group road bike ride, while the other group will take a leisurely “go at your own pace” roll/stroll down the Constitution Trail. We’ll meet at Keg Grove Brewery, where we’ll come together as a community to celebrate another beautiful Pride Month. There will be outdoor activities, food & drink available for purchase, & giveaway prizes! Not able to attend the “ride” portion of the “Ride for Pride”? That’s okay! Meet us out at Keg Grove to participate in the celebration & giveaway." For more information visit this link.

6/27: Saturdays on the Square @ Downtown Museum Square "Brooklyn Charmers: The Music of Steely Dan live at Saturdays on the Square!" For more information visit this link.

7/15: Pride Night @ Miller Park Zoo "Join us for Pride Night at Miller Park Zoo, a free, family-friendly celebration of the LGBTQ+ community! This event is being held in conjunction with Prairie Pride Coalition, Miller Park Zoological Society, PFLAG Bloomington-Normal, and Normal Public Library. Enjoy free after-hours zoo access, special activities, and a welcoming atmosphere for all. Featuring crafts and activities from both libraries, a drag queen story time, opportunities to learn more about and support the local LGBTQ+ community, and lots of animals!"

For more information visit this link.

7/18: Skate Park Saturdays @ Fairview Skatepark "Skate Park Saturdays at Fairview Skate Park in Normal is the current initiative of the BN Hub of Illinois Humanities Envisioning Justice in collaboration with Crib to Crib Skateboarding Co. in Downtown Bloomington. Skate Park Saturdays honors the BN Hub's commitment to “Wellness is Crime Prevention,” inspired by the words of Illinois artivist King Moosa, and emphasizes the importance of engaging in and nurturing third spaces in the spirit of community resilience. Skate Park Saturdays take place from 10:00am-1:00pm on the first and third Saturdays of each month from March - September (weather permitting. There will be no SPS on July 4)." For more information visit this link.

Meet Tingcat, the Bobzbay Books pet of the week!

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.