Book Stores and Authors

Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar - Asheville, NC

   There are examples of authors who sell books as well as write them. The late Larry McMurtry comes to mind and, at one point, his "Booked Up" bookstore in Archer City, Texas contained so many books it actually gave one a reason to go to Texas. If you are thinking about traveling to the U.S. and are bookish, have a look at the list below which consists of book stores owned by authors. Below that list you will find another, for those less adventurous who do not want to cross the border. It provides recommendations by Canadian authors of the bookstores they favour in this country.
  If you are bookish, you may just want to stay on the couch and read. In that case, the lists may be useful since both the bookstores owned by authors and those simply recommended by them are likely to be places filled with books and interesting suggestions about which ones to order. Some even have 'merch' if your Taylor Swift tee-shirt is tattered.

  Before you begin, although I am barely an author, I will offer three of my own recommendations for free. If you like to read and drink, head on down to Asheville, North Carolina. After touring Biltmore ("America's Largest House") go downtown to the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar. It's both swanky and comfortable as the picture at the top illustrates. Closer to Ontario, you will find Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs. It is a good shop and Saratoga is swanky. If you live in B.C. go to Sidney which has about a dozen bookstores. According to the Wikipedia entry, it is one of two "book towns" in Canada. The other one is Fundy -St. Martins in New Brunswick, but I am not sure why.

10 Bookstores in the United States Owned or Co-Owned by Authors
(The material with each entry is usually taken from the store website and the link provided, along with some text in case the link rots. I confess to not knowing much about some of the authors and if you are like me you will appreciate the brief remarks which are from Wikipedia. The entries are alphabetical by author.)

1. Judy Blume

Books & Books

The Studios of Key West

Key West, Florida.

Books & Books @The Studios of Key West is the brainchild of a small group of local book lovers, led by George Cooper, who previously founded the Tropic Cinema, and his wife, the beloved writer Judy Blume. It is a joint effort of two respected organizations, each of which brings its particular capacities to the venture.

(She is 85 and author of,  Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Judy Blume has won more than 90 literary awards, including three lifetime achievement awards in the United States. ​​Her novels have sold over 82 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages.)

2. Louise Erdrich
Birchbark Books
Minneapolis, MN
We are a locus for Indigirati—literate Indigenous people who have survived over half a millennium on this continent. We sponsor readings by Native and non-Native writers, journalists, historians. Louise Erdrich will sign or personalize any of her books ordered through the bookstore. Has a blog. Carries, games, Indigenous art.(Erdrich is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native American Renaissance. She has written 28 books in all, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's books. In 2009, her novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people.)

3. Alex George
Skylark Bookshop
Columbia, MO.
Alex George (he/him) has published seven novels, which have been translated into more than ten languages….
He has written for, among other publications, The Washington Post and LitHub. Alex is also the founder and director of the Unbound Book Festival.  He is also an attorney, and runs his own law firm in Columbia. A native of the UK, he moved to Columbia twenty years ago, not that he’s counting. In 2022 he was named Midwest Bookseller of the Year by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.
Skylark is a fiercely Independent Bookshop. We strive to always find new ways to celebrate literature and our community. Some books give us knowledge and perspective; others simply give necessary space to breathe. Putting the right book into the right hands is a deeply meaningful act. We believe that we can find that book for everyone who walks through our doors. We embrace enjoyment, entertainment, and the beauty of Skylark Bookshop.
Alex George has his own website.

4. Lauren Groff
The Lynx (brand new)
Gainesville, Florida
Best-selling novelist Lauren Groff is fighting Florida censors on their own turf. This spring in Gainesville, she and her husband, Clay Kallman, will open a new bookstore dedicated to Florida writers, LGBTQI+ authors and books banned in Florida.

5. Jeff Kinney
An Unlikely Story
Plainville, MA.
It carries much more than his Wimpy Kids books and has a cafe.
(Kinney is from the state in which I was born. To promote the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Kinney embarked on book tour across the West Coast of the United States titled "The No Brainer Show" from October 23 to November 8, 2023. Kinney dedicated the tour to libraries and librarians, making a personal donation of $100,000 for libraries along the tour. Over 275 million copies of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have sold globally as of 2023) 

6. Jenny Lawson 

Nowhere Bookshop

San Antonio, TX.

Founded by bestselling author, Jenny Lawson (AKA The Bloggess), Nowhere Bookshop is a new independent bookstore now open at 5154 Broadway in San Antonio, Texas. Featuring new books, author events, unique gifts, and a coffee, wine and beer bar, Nowhere Bookshop aims to be a space for folks to gather to share their passion for the written word. 
(Lawson is well known for her irreverent writing style.Lawson was recognized by the Nielsen ratings as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Mom Bloggers and Forbes listed thebloggess.com as one of their Top 100 Websites for Women. She was a finalist in the 2010 Weblog awards for Best Writing and Most Humorous Writer, and a finalist in the 2011 Weblog awards for Best Writing, Most Humorous Writer and Weblog of the Year.)

7. Kelly Link
Book Moon

Easthampton, MA.

It is run by Kelly Link & Gavin J. Grant and many booksellers and features new & used books, so many books, and, yet, never enough books and with more always coming. 

It is a 1,200 square foot, one-floor bookshop, with lovely big windows, comfy chairs, and specialties that include fiction, sf&f, poetry, activism, children's books, and our own Small Beer Press titles — and always a few good chocolate bars. While here, pick up your copy of our Reader's Guide to Western Massachusetts Bookshop map and check out our T-shirts, bumper stickers, and more. Come on by and say hello!
(She won a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship - $625,000!)

8. George R.R. Martin

Beastly Books

Sante Fe, New Mexico

 Also carries banned and rare books and has a coffee shop.

(In 2005, Lev Grossman of Time called Martin "the American Tolkien", and in 2011, he was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which were adapted into the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones (2011–2019) and its prequel series House of the Dragon (2022–present).)

9. Ann Patchett

Parnassus Books

Nashville, TN.

Hosts events and has a newsletter.

Parnassus Books is the independent bookstore for independent people located in Nashville, Tennessee. Our shop was opened in 2011 by novelist Ann Patchett and her business partner, Karen Hayes, and Ann took over as the sole owner in the summer of 2022 after Karen retired. These days, we’re actually more than just the one bookstore. We’re an airport bookshop, making sure travelers always have something to read via our Parnassus Books / Hudson Booksellers co-branded store in the Nashville airport. Have a blog - MUSING - Here on Musing, we collect and share interesting tidbits, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and lighthearted takes on the bookish life. To use a music analogy (this is Nashville, after all): If the store were an album, this site would be the B-side — extras, bootlegs, outtakes, and bonus tracks.

10. Emma Straub

Books Are Magic

Two Locations, Brooklyn, NY.

Books Are Magic is a family-owned independent bookstore with two locations in Brooklyn, committed to being a welcoming, friendly, and inclusive space for all people. We believe that books are indeed magic, and that literature is one of the best ways to create empathy, transportation, and transformation. We are enthusiastic about offering thoughtfully selected voices and stories on our shelves, and about hosting free and affordable events featuring emerging writers as well as long-adored authors. Books Are Magic is a place for children to feel comfortable, for young readers to grow into lifelong readers, and for our neighbors to be introduced to vibrant new books. 

(Her novels include Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures and All Adults Here. She is the author of a short story collection entitled Other People We Married. In May 2022, Straub's novel This Time Tomorrow was published by Riverhead Books.”

The Favourite Bookstores of 10 Canadian Authors
   For Canadian content I now provide a list which is based on the information found in this article: "Ten Canadian Writers Share Their Favourite Independent Bookstores," Sophie Palmer-Still, Globe and Mail, April 28, 2023.
The author, one of their books and the publisher are provided along with the name and location of the bookstore. There are more than 10 since some authors chose more than one. 

1. Janie Chang, The Porcelain Moon (HarperCollins)
Her picks: Talewind Books, Sechelt, B.C., and Book Warehouse Main St., Vancouver.

2. Vikki VanSickle, P.S. Tell No One (Scholastic)
Her pick: Moonbeam Books, Toronto
Unfortunately this store closed on Jan. 14, 2024.

3. Kate Beaton, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (Drawn & Quarterly)
Her pick: On Paper Books, Sydney, N.S.

4. Tara MacLean, Song of the Sparrow (HarperCollins)

Her pick: Bookmark, Charlottetown, PEI.

5. David A. Robertson, The Song That Called Them Home (Penguin Random House)

His pick: McNally Robinson Booksellers, Grant Avenue, Winnipeg

6. Geoffrey D. Morrison, Falling Hour (Coach House Books)

His pick: The Paper Hound Bookshop, Vancouver

7. Suzette Mayr, The Sleeping Car Porter (Coach House Books)

Her picks: Pages Books on Kensington, Calgary, and Shelf Life Books, Calgary

8. Lisa Bird-Wilson, Probably Ruby (Penguin Random House)

Her pick: Turning the Tide Bookstore, Saskatoon.

9. Robin Yeatman, Bookworm (HarperCollins)

Her pick: 32 Books & Gallery, North Vancouver

10. Jen Sookfong Lee, Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart (Penguin Random House)

Her pick: Iron Dog Books, Vancouver

Additional Sources:
   See Destination Ontario for "Unique and Independent Bookstores in Ontario."

   This is the website for CIBA, the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association.

    Penguin Random House Canada provides, Canadian Independent Bookstores which has a map and this search feature: "Find An Indie Retailer Near You." 

   For local bookstores in the Ottawa area see this site by the Canadian Authors Association. 

Speaking of Injections

   We face many complications and challenges during the current pandemic, but we should not overlook the very real concerns of those who need cosmetic surgery. Many of them had to attend holiday celebrations wearing their real lips, which were very noticeable under the mistletoe. Even those working alone at home had the wrinkles not covered by sweatpants, exposed on ZOOM. 

  Although you think you probably know all there is to know about COVID and Omicron, you may not be aware of the fact that, if you are in urgent need of forehead filler, you should wait a bit if you are also reluctantly giving some thought to getting a vaccine. It surely is a stressful time, particularly for wealthy Republican matrons. 

  You have good reasons, I’m sure, for not believing me, and you are tired of reading about this whole pandemic mess, so I will direct you directly to the sources. The first reference comes from a Republican one, so I am sure it has some substance and in it medical authorities are cited. 

“Botox Shot or Covid Boost? The Combo Causes Some Seasonal Wrinkles:

Doctors Advise Patients Seeking Cosmetic Treatments Not to Get a Vaccine Shot Two Weeks Before or After Their Procedure to Avoid the Risk of Swelling,” Alina Dizik, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 27, 2021. I think it is worth providing the first couple of sentences and then I will skip to the medical concerns:

Amanda Madison wanted to look fresh in time for her 50th birthday this winter. The Covid-19 vaccine booster threw a wrinkle into her plan.

She had time to add more volume to her lips and cheeks before her birthday bash, but needed to wait two weeks before and a further two weeks after getting her Covid booster shot before adding additional treatments to achieve "a fresh new start" for the New Year.

Spas and dermatology practices dealing with the holiday injections rush have an unexpected challenge this year: helping patients navigate Covid-19 boosters…

Many dermatologists advise clients to put time between vaccinations and injections of fillers -- gel-like substances used to plump up skin. In rare cases, mRNA vaccines have been linked to an inflammatory reaction to hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, the most common kind, according to case reports and research published in the Archives of Dermatological Research earlier this year. That can complicate holiday-season treatments, especially as Omicron increases the need for boosters.

People should wait two to three weeks between fillers and the Covid-19 vaccine to avoid a risk of swelling in areas where facial fillers were injected, says Gregory Greco, president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He encourages patients not to put off the vaccine due to fillers. "We don't want people to delay boosters for fillers," he says.

 I was somewhat surprised that those interviewed apparently did not mind using their real names and that they are relatively young. I have since learned that there is a “Botox Boom”, partially propelled by youthful clients. Once again, directly to the source:

“Botox Sales Erupt With Younger Patients: Botox Sales Have Never Been Higher,” Bob Herman, AXIOS, Dec.28, 2021

The big picture: The pandemic drastically reduced the number of people getting cosmetic skin treatments. But the rollout of the COVID vaccines and a larger, younger crowd willing to try Botox injections have led to swelling demand in dermatology offices and medical spas.

By the numbers: U.S. sales of Botox — just the cosmetic version that is used to smooth out face wrinkles and not the version that is used to treat conditions like migraines and neck spasms — surpassed $1 billion in the first nine months of 2021, compared with $600 million in the first nine months of 2020.

Canadian Content

   Those of you who insist on more Canadian material, or those of you here who want your surgery done on home soil, should know that one of the sources in the WSJ is in our nation’s capital: 

The chances of unwanted side effects as a result of facial fillers and the vaccine are extremely small, says physician Alain Michon. He has seen two patients experience this type of swelling in his Ottawa-based aesthetic practice and published research in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology earlier this year. He estimates that less than 1% of patients experience vaccine-associated posttreatment swelling in areas where they have had injections.

The Bonus:

This is not directly related, although it does involve injections. I find puzzling, the Republican/conservative vaccine views which, I think, generally are not in favour of government mandates - or the government at all. On the other hand Republican Rick Perry, a former Governor of Texas (of all places), once mandated a vaccine for girls going into grade six, for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer (by the way, the vaccine, Gardasil, works.) Opposition was met, partially because some felt that it might encourage sexual promiscuity. That may be true and it was probably particularly worrisome for those parents who had gotten plastic surgery for their daughters, because they wanted them to do well in beauty pageants and look better under the Friday night lights.

Post Script: Rick Perry still looks rather well. Meg Ryan, not so much.

Hail Storms

 Something Else to Worry About

   Today, rather than offer more contrarian opinions of which you may not have been aware, I will focus on a meteorological event which you may have missed.  It was not missed in Texas, where very, very big hail stones fell, perhaps deservedly so, on Texans who appreciate having very big things, and likely on many who think that the notion of climate change is a very big conspiracy. I insert that editorial comment because I recall reading recently that there is some concern that climate change may lead to an increase in the number of hail storms and in the production of hail much, much larger, and perhaps even more painful than kidney stones. 

    The heavy hail fell around the first of May and this headline provides all the size data you need: " 'Gargantuan' Hailstone That Fell Wednesday May Claim a New Texas Record: Some Estimates Put the Stone at More Than a Half-Foot Wide." I should add that the headline was not produced by a boasting Texas journalist, but is found in the Washington Post on May 1, 2021. While that my convince you that some very large hail stones were found, Texas readers will know that the Washington Post pushes many conspiracies.

    Although I recall reading that the coming changes in the climate may cause horrible hail storms, I couldn't remember where. After some digging, it was likely from some news stories reporting on this recent study, which says this:
Hailstorms are dangerous and costly phenomena that are expected to change in response to a warming climate. In this Review, we summarize current knowledge of climate change effects on hailstorms. As a result of anthropogenic warming, it is generally anticipated that low-level moisture and convective instability will increase, raising hailstorm likelihood and enabling the formation of larger hailstones; the melting height will rise, enhancing hail melt and increasing the average size of surviving hailstones…..

The authors indicate that such predictions are hard to make and that the composition of hail storms will vary globally. ("The Effects of Climate Change on Hailstorms," Timothy H. Raupach, et al, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment volume 2, pages 213–226(2021).

   We don't generally think much about hail storms and when we have one we usually like running to the window to see the little, short-lived, silver popcorn-like crystals bouncing in the grass. We don't often see them in the increasingly sensational weather news reports because they have melted by the time the TV crew arrives. Floods and tornadoes are much better. 

   But, hail storms have done a lot of damage and they will surely do much more if heavy grapefruit-sized stones start coming through windshields and even roofs. By the way, the record  for the largest hail stone is eight-inches and it melted shortly after falling on Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010. 

Sources: 

The place to begin is with the NOAA, which luckily, mostly outlasted former President Trump.  The U.S. has sustained 291 weather and climate disasters since 1980 in which overall damages/costs exceeded $1 Billion: "U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters."  Hail is not found in a separate category, but is included under "Severe Storms." For example:

South Texas Hail Storms - May 2020: South Texas hail storms cause widespread impact to several cities with golf-ball sized hail damaging many homes, vehicles and businesses. The highest concentration of hail damage occurred across the northern portion of the San Antonio metroplex. There was also significant damage east of San Marcos, southeast of Waco and to the west and south of Bryan and College Station. Total Estimated Costs:

$1.4 Billion; 0 Deaths

Colorado Hail Storms - July 2019: Colorado hail storms across the Denver and Fort Collins that damaged many homes and vehicles. Total

Estimated Costs: $1.0 Billion; 0 Deaths

Texas Hail Storm - June 2018: Large-hail impacts highly-populated area of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. Golfball to baseball-sized hail damages

many homes, vehicles and businesses. Total Estimated Costs: $1.3 ($1.4) Billion; 0 Deaths

For a good summary of the recent bad news about the weather see: "US Hit With Record Number of Billion-dollar Extreme Weather Disasters in 2020, Esther Whieldon, Platts Energy Trader, Jan. 11, 2021.

The U.S. in 2020 experienced a record-smashing year in billion-dollar-scale extreme weather and climate change-linked disasters such as wildfires, tropical cyclones, tornados and hail storms, according to figures the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released Jan. 8.

In 2020, the U.S. experienced 22 extreme weather and climate-exacerbated disasters that each had losses in excess of $1 billion. Those events collectively caused at least $95 billion in damages, killed at least 262 people and injured scores more, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The largest number of annual major disasters previously was 16, which occurred in 2011 and 2017. The figures for 2020 were also significantly higher than in 2019 when the U.S. experienced 14 major disasters that caused $45 billion in losses.

Scientists have projected that as average global temperatures continue to rise due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions the number and intensity of extreme weather events would rapidly increase.

See also: Hail Research (which is where the baseball picture above was found.)

Severe Weather - 101 - Hail.  

See also the National Center for Environmental Information (formerly the National Climatic Data Center.)

Some Canadian Sources:

The folks in the insurance business are paying attention. Here is a sample from a recent report from the Insurance Bureau of Canada:

Hailstorms Are Becoming More Severe and Frequent – Are You Prepared?

The frequency, severity and cost of severe weather events are rising across the country. From June until September, it’s hail season in Alberta and the Prairies. Properties in these regions are at risk of damage due to hail, heavy rainfall and strong winds.

The Calgary hailstorm on June 13, 2020 resulted in approximately 70,000 claims and over $1.3 billion in insured damages. The majority of the insured damages was to personal property and vehicles, with a smaller percentage to commercial property. It was the costliest hailstorm in Canadian history and the fourth costliest natural disaster of all time.

For a more detailed report see this one from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction: "Hail Climatology for Canada: An Update," David Etkin, York University, Feb. 2018 (47pp. pdf.) The source for this table:

Hail Storms in the Past:

Here are a few samples:

"Worst Hail Storm in Canadian History,: Elizabeth Church, The Globe and Mail, Sept. 7, 2015.

From 100 Years Ago: "Big Hail Storm at Neville Sask. Much Property Damaged in Area 30 by 100 Miles," The Globe, June 15, 1921.

"Hail Stone Stories: Remarkable Rain and Hail Storms in the Southwest," The Atlanta Constitution, April 12, 1887.

Real Trigger Warnings

Texas and the Campus-Carry Law

It is highly likely that discussions at colleges and universities about such things as the use of semicolons by Shakespeare will be somewhat muted in Texas after Aug.1, when concealed handguns can be carried on campus. It was recently pointed out in the Chronicle of Highly Sensitive Education that some suggestions were made at the University of Houston about how faculty might deal with this new situation. Supposedly the PowerPoint contained these ‘bullets’:

You May Want To:
1) Be Careful Discussing Sensitive Topics

2) Drop Certain Topics from Your Curriculum

3) Not ‘Go There’ If You Sense Some Anger

4) Limit Student Access Off Hours

While deep in the heart of Texas they are likely very happy that the students will now be safe when they do their shooters, there have been, as there usually are, some unintended consequences. Mr. Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, decided not to give a guest lecture at Texas A&M University for which he would have been well-rewarded. Lest you quickly draw the conclusion that Mr. Ford is against gun ownership, you should know that that is not the case. Both he and Mrs. Ford used to carry pistols (as liberals who had been frequently mugged) and they both still enjoy sporting pastimes that involve heavy weaponry. But, he is anti-NRA and for saner gun laws and, like most Americans, holds views about the subject that are “complicatedly divergent.”

Although I was joking when I presented the title of a journal above, the rest of this is no joke. Ford expressed his views much better than I could present them here and you can find them in “Richard Ford on America’s Gun Problem,” Financial Times (UK), March 18, 2016 and the issue is frequently discussed in the Chronicle of Higher Education.