Tuesday, March 30th, 2021
The other day I was musing on why we use "lb" when we refer to weight in pounds. As it turns out, lb is an abbreviation of the Latin word libra (balance or scales) and also the initials for libra pondo (a pound by weight). In English we kept pondo (pound) and use lb for the unit itself. This is also where the symbol for British pounds (₤) comes from, and Italy’s pre-Euro currency the lira is also a shortened form of libra. I had no idea!
Tuesday, March 16th, 2021
Planning your St. Patrick's day ensemble? We've assembled a list of books, organized by hue, to provide the perfect green compliment to your outfit. Because what makes a better accessory than a book?
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
Over the past year, you've gotten to know our booksellers a bit better, but while we're quick to share our bookish interests, we seldom take the time to share our other areas of expertise. We asked each staff member to share a new kind of story, one about their life beyond books. The latest bookseller to be featured is Rachel, director of our children's department, store manager, and consummate outdoorsperson.
Thursday, February 25th, 2021
Last March, our Reading Month competition got interrupted by the pandemic, so this year, we wanted to do something a little more flexible. This time, we're running the whole thing remotely, so young readers from all over the country are welcome to participate in our Reading Month Bingo Challenge!
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021
When it comes to predicting literary trends, there are no crystal balls involved. It's more like predicting the weather—the key is keen observation, an understanding of how it all works, and the occasional stroke of luck. We asked Kendall to turn her powers of observation on the world of publishing and give us her predictions for what's coming next.
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021
Picture books are filled with animal characters who happily swim, fly, slither, clip-clop, and stroll through their pages. While plenty are genuinely cute and cuddly creatures like mice, rabbits, cats, and dogs, some, as Anthony points out, are a little more intimidating in the real world.
Thursday,January 28th, 2021
Over the past year, you've gotten to know our booksellers a bit better as we shared our favorite books, recent reads, recommendations, and, of course, photos of our work-from-home spaces and furry coworkers. But while we're quick to share our bookish interests, we seldom take the time to share about our other hobbies, interests, and areas of expertise, and with such a quirky group of people, you'd better believe those non-bookish pursuits are both varied and intriguing! So we thought we'd ask each staff member to share a new kind of story, one about their life beyond books. First up is Peter, store owner and lifelong fan of Chelsea Football Club.
Tuesday, January 26th, 2021
Ah, Valentine's Day: a holiday often derided as a "Hallmark Holiday" created as a saccharine commercial venture to capitalize on starry-eyed romantics. I think it's actually quite an interesting holiday, personally, because at its heart—at least, according to legend—is a letter.
Thursday, January 21st, 2021
I don't usually write under a pen name. To be fair, I haven't had much opportunity—I've got several tiny publishing credits to my name, two of which are in scientific journals and another for a story in Teen Ink Magazine I submitted when I was in high school. But when I was in college, I published a poem in the college's monthly literary magazine under the name "David Andrews."
Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
Conversations at the bookstore get a bit...esoteric sometimes. Like when a discussion about skydiving led Anthony down an etymological rabbit hole regarding the origins of the prefix "para."
