Bookmark the Blog: Book Group Store Tour

Story & Song Bookstore Bistro | Amelia Island, Florida

Donna Paz is in a unique position. Not only is she the owner of Story & Song, which combines a bookstore, bistro, catering service for book clubs, and gallery space. But for nearly 30 years she has also helped advise new bookstore owners through the Retail Training Center for Booksellers. Who better to ask about the current climate of the bookselling trade, and to offer perspective on what indie bookstores offer that online vendors can’t, why book groups are essential to the community of a store,

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Books on the Loose | Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Celebrating 15 years in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Books on the Loose offers a variety of new books, non-book items, story hours, and a cafe. Owner Rosemary Adomokai talks to Reading Group Choices about the challenges of starting and continuing to run a bookstore. She also shares what her brick-and-mortar store offers that online retailers cannot, what her customers are reading, and recommendations for Nigerian authors!

Reading Group Choices: Based on where you are now, what advice would you go back and give yourself when you were first opening the store?

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Garden District Book Shop | New Orleans, LA

Housed in a building that dates back to 1884, the Garden District Book Shop offers a wide selection of new and used books. They also feature local and regional literature, including signed copies and first editions. What better place to discuss books with other readers?

The store has hosted a book group since 2001, and Reading Group Choices caught up with its current leader, Rayna Nielsen, who works as a bookseller and Social Media Coordinator as well. We asked Rayna how the group decides what to read,

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Meet Lucie Camara, whose feminist book group is the first step to building a community of readers and bringing a new bookstore to Paris.

In a yoga studio on Valentine’s Day, a group of readers came together for the third meeting of COVEN, a feminist book group and larger initiative to bring the only English-language feminist bookstore to Paris. Founder Lucie Camara spoke to Reading Group Choices about her inspiration for the project, her vision for the group, and how to create a safe space for discussion.

Reading Group Choices: How have the first three meetings of the feminist book group differed (if at all) in terms of attendees,

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