May’s Books and Bookstore Roundup
24 Bookstores in 2024: May Report
Unlike last month, I made it to many more bookstores this month.
18. Old Town Books, Alexandria, Virginia
Visited on May 5, 2024
It was pouring down rain, so I didn’t get a picture of Old Town Books. They have an amazing book selection, and is a great bookstore in a walkable community.
19. Shenandoah National Park Gift Shop, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Visited on May 13, 2024
Mother’s Day weekend was Wildflower Weekend at Shenandoah National Park. They offered a bunch of different workshops. I went to a photography workshop that was so helpful. I also bought a book written and photographed by the speaker.
You might say this isn’t an indie bookstore. However, they did mention that proceeds from that gift shop went to local education programs at the park. So, I’ll consider it a win.
20. Royal Oak Bookshop, Front Royal, Virginia
Visited on May 13, 2024
On the way home from Shenandoah National Park, I visited a favorite used bookstore. I used to visit Royal Oak once a year when I’d travel to Luray, Virginia for a writing retreat that Candice Ransom used to do. The last time I was there was March 2020, just a few days before the United States went into lockdown. It was a delight to go back through the stacks of old books.
21. Politics and Prose (Flagship Store on Connecticut Avenue), Washington, DC
I hadn’t been to Politics & Prose since before March 2020 either. Last spring, I went to a P&P event with Bonnie Garmus (author of Lessons in Chemistry) at 6th & I.
The flagship store (they also have several other locations in the city) was packed with people looking for books on a very rainy Saturday. But they also had several events that day. I went to see Aimee Nezhukumatathil (which I talked about last week).
I was also excited to pick up Leah Henderson and Gary Schmidt’s new anthology.
What I’ve Been Reading
by Stephen Lloyd Webber
edited by Ada Limon
by Maggie Smith
by Elizabeth Bradfield
This is docupoetry, so if you are interested in that type of poetry, I’d take a look.
Haiku of the Week
meadow gathering—
petals bear aftereffects
of their wind stylist
Haiku & Photo © 2024 Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Photo Taken: May 19, 2024 at Woodglen Lake Park
Haiku Written: May 24, 2024
Grow
I spent a lot of time this week walking and jotting my thoughts. It’s helped me move forward on two different projects, so I’m grateful for that.
29 Comments
Janice scully
What an unusual flower styled by the wind! Never seen one of those before. I love that you share what your reading, it’s a great resource to refer to when I need something to inspire my writing. Thanks, Marcie.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Janice!
Tracey Kiff-Judson
Marcie, your flowers do look like their hair has been tussled by the wind. : ) You are going to knock your “24 in 24” goal out of the park! I am intrigued by The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison – going to have to find a copy.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison is very different from Maggie’s more recent work, but still very interesting!
Sally Murphy
I love reading of all these bookstores I’ll likely never visit. It seems bookstores are as varied as the books themselves. And I love both image and haiku – clever.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you! It’s been a fun challenge!
Tricia
First, I love your haiku. The photo is fantastic and the accompanying lines so expressive. I’m a fan of your bookstore roundups, as I am within travel distance to many of them. I haven’t been to Front Royal in years, but it’s on my list now. Same for Old Town. My sister lived there for years and it was always so much fun to visit. Thanks for sharing!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So fun! And Richmond has such great bookstores too!
Irene Latham
Lessons in Chemistry! That book is SO GOOD! And your windblown petals are fantastic. Thank you. xo
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It is so good! I really enjoyed it! And Bonnie is just such a lovely person. She was wonderful to meet in person.
Patricia Franz
I always lick up great reading recommendations from your posts Marcie. Adding THE GREAT DIVIDE and APPROACHING ICE to my TBR pile. Thank you!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I think you’ll like them!
Linda Baie
Thank you always, Marcie, for taking us on another bookstore tour. I love seeing what they display &, at least, the outside of some. I also like your book recs. I add most every week! The flower ‘hairstyle’ is amazing, and I love that you captured it so well. Happy weekend!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I think Poetry Friday always gives me a huge stack of TBRs. 🙂
Linda Mitchell
Wind stylist! Ha! Love the pics of all the bookstore visits. You give me good ideas.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
We should do a bookstore date sometime!
Mary Lee Hahn
I feel a little like those flowers — this year is blowing by so quickly!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So true!
Karen Edmisten
Your haiku captured exactly what I was thinking when I saw the photo. Perfect!
This collection of bookstores buoyed my spirits. May all these bookstores enjoy long and happy lives!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s encouraging when you visit and they are packed! I’m not a big fan of crowds, but I’m just so happy and hopeful for these indie bookstore owners.
jama
I think those petals and I have the same wind stylist (love your haiku)!
Enjoyed your bookstore tour — hadn’t heard of any of those except P&P. And what a great list of book recs (I just borrowed Bite by Bite from the library and am anxious to see the deep freewriting book). Happy June and thanks for a fun post!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
oh I think you’ll love Aimee Nezhukumatathil. One of my favorite writers!
Laura Purdie Salas
Life feels windblown right now! Thank you for your poems and travelogue and reading recs. Added some to my tbr…
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Windblown is right! It’s how the end of the school year feels!
Denise Krebs
Marice,
“wind stylist” is so fun! Those flowers definitely have had a wind stylist, for sure. The year is not half over and you are almost done with your 24 book store goal. Good for you! You’ll likely see lots more than 24 this year. I am in the Pacific Northwest now, and we have visited some fun stores. My favorite so far has been Dudley’s in Bend, Oregon.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So cool! I’d love to do some west coast bookstore tours.
Michelle Kogan
Your wind stylist is perfect in your haiku and with your dramatic nature-blown pic, lovely! And Wow, for all those book stores you visited!!! I read “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” to my daughter a long time ago and we really enjoyed her journey–fun to see the book on your site, thanks Marcie
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s been the year of bookstores!
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