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Vacation Bookshop Visits: Key West and Miami
I've just returned home from my 10th wedding anniversary trip to Florida. We took a sunset cruise on a yacht, ate tons of crab fritters,...
Karen Germain
Nov 9, 20233 min read


Book Review: Attica Locke's The Cutting Season
Attica Locke's novel, The Cutting Season, was the featured book for the October Literary Road Trip Box. Set in northern Louisiana this...
Karen Germain
Oct 27, 20232 min read


Indie Bookstore Morale Boost!
This week has been rough. As many of you already know, the indie bookstore where I work, Tattered Cover, has announced that it has filed...
Karen Germain
Oct 19, 20233 min read


Independent Bookstore Spotlight: The Conundrum Books & Puzzles
Our October Independent Bookstore Collaboration is with The Conundrum Books & Puzzles located in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Book lover...
Karen Germain
Oct 17, 20232 min read


October Literary Road Trip Box: Louisiana
Introducing our October Literary Road Trip Box themed to the state of Louisiana. Crawfish, jazz, the bayou...just a few things that come...
Karen Germain
Oct 9, 20232 min read


Fallcon 2023
I've just returned from spending a blur of a morning speaking with book reps at Fallcon 2023. Fallcon is a regional booksellers...
Karen Germain
Oct 6, 20232 min read


Celebrating Banned Books Week
We are currently celebrating Banned Books Week, which runs October 1-7th, 2023. Banned Books Week started in 1982, during a time when...
Karen Germain
Oct 3, 20233 min read


English Garden Mystery Box
Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite modern mystery writers and I had a blast theming a box to her novel The Girls in the Garden. The Girls...
Karen Germain
Sep 29, 20231 min read


Welcome Baby Book Box
Looking for a book-themed baby present? Gift giving is made easy with our Welcome Baby Book Box. The Welcome Baby Book Box includes a...
Karen Germain
Sep 25, 20231 min read


We Need Diverse Books Auction
Last night I was scrolling through Facebook and I landed on a post by one of my favorite authors, Curtis Sittenfeld. Sittenfeld was...
Karen Germain
Sep 22, 20232 min read


Fox and I Themed Book Box
Our monthly Literary Road Trip Box is our signature item, but we are branching out with additional themed boxes in time for the holidays....
Karen Germain
Sep 20, 20231 min read


Book Sanctuary Cities
As a bookseller at an indie bookstore, I consider myself knowledgable about the issues facing the book industry and literary issues in...
Karen Germain
Sep 18, 20232 min read


Independent Bookstore Spotlight: Booksweet
We collaborated with Booksweet,an independent bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan for our September Literary Road Trip subscription box....
Karen Germain
Sep 13, 20231 min read


September Literary Road Trip Box: Michigan
Our September Literary Road Trip Box has been revealed and our travels took us to the state of Michigan! From the beauty of the Great...
Karen Germain
Sep 12, 20232 min read


Preorders, Why They Matter So Much
See this enormous stack of books? This was my haul from attending a bookseller's conference last year. I had multiple tote bags filled to...
Karen Germain
Aug 30, 20232 min read


Indie Press Spotlight: Tin House
I'm starting a new blog series called Indie Press Spotlight, to highlight my favorite small presses, and I'm starting with Tin House. I...
Karen Germain
Aug 28, 20232 min read


Author Events in Indie Bookstores
This Saturday, the indie bookstore where I work is hosting a sold-out author event. This is a huge deal for us and for our customers....
Karen Germain
Aug 25, 20232 min read


Books for Maui Auction: Raising Money for Those Affected by the Lahina Fire
I just learned about an incredible book-related effort to raise money for those affected by the devastating fires that hit Maui. Books...
Karen Germain
Aug 23, 20232 min read


August Box Book: Rachel Beanland's Florence Adler Swims Forever
Stakes were high when creating the first Literary Road Trip Box. I didn't start Books Inside Boxes with an established customer base, and...
Karen Germain
Aug 21, 20232 min read


Found in a Library Book
Old concert tickets, love letters, family photographs, grocery receipts...readers tuck these little items inside books for safe keeping...
Karen Germain
Aug 18, 20231 min read
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