The Book Blog in the Grove

3 Simple Tips for Bookstore Etiquette

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

Working at The Bookstore has taught me so much about how to be a better customer. I have seen some incredibly sweet people and some insanely rude people but mostly I've learned boat loads of common courtesies can be overlooked by even the best of customers. I'm not saying I'm an angel but when you are on the other side of the counter certain things sure stand out. I've compiled a short list of guidelines that should help keep you in the good graces of your local book seller.

1. PLEASE NO unpaid merchandise in the Cafe. You would be surprised how many people will pick up a book and take it into the cafe, set it on the table and proceed to eat (with their hands I might add) while the book or other merchandise sits on the table awaiting a terrible fate of spilt coffee, grease drips or worse, torn pages, eek! Please, think about this, someone before you touched that book and now you are eating with your hands. Oh, the germs! Another thing, one wouldn't think twice about asking for a discount on books with stains or tears so, either pay for it before you eat, or leave at the counter and when your finished it will be here waiting for you!;)

2. PLEASE NO merchandise on the Floor. We love that you feel so comfortable in our store that you want to break out with a story time right in the middle of the Children's Section, but please do not pile up a stack of books on the floor. You can sit on the floor but again unpaid merchandise can get ruined on the floor and then we have to sell it at a discount, if at all.

3. PLEASE Know your needs. We love helping you find a book, but when you don't know the author OR the title, it makes our job just a little bit harder. Have at LEAST one or the other, and we can usually figure it out. Help us help you.;)

Basically, with these 3 guidelines you will gain MUCHO respect within your local bookstore. We are so thankful to have new and old customers and look forward to serving each and every one of you. Being a local, independent in this day and age gets tougher and tougher every day, but with your help we can not only stay here but profit and improve our local community at the same time!

Book Club - Are you "in"?

2012-01-26T06:20:00.000-08:00

This month's book club will meet February 7th @ 7pm.

Of course we have te book in stock for your convenience and we look forward to chatting it up on Tuesday nights. Have a suggestion for next month? Bring it on.....

Book Club Pick "ROOM" by Emma Donoghue

2010-10-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

The BookClub in the Grove

November 9th, 7:30pm.

Told in the pitch-perfect voice of a five-year-old boy raised in captivity, Donoghue’s stunning novel offers a unique portrait of one mother's fiece devotion. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Award, this is a real page-turner. A special discount will be offered to BookClub attendees.

Waffle Sunday!

2010-10-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone! Have you had our delicious waffles yet? Made to order with numerous fruit toppings available, (strawberries, bannanas or blueberries) we want to fill your belly with the most delectable treat a Sunday Morning can offer!

I'm sure you have noticed the chill in the air of the past few mornings, we here at The Bookstore have too! Stop by the cafe and enjoy a slice of Hot Apple Pie, a Hot Fudge Sundae or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Topping! Wash it down with any number of our flavored coffees, including Pumkin Spice now available!

The Bookstore is Making Headlines........

2010-10-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

http://grandavenews.com/2010/10/16/a-bookstore-for-the-grove/

Check out this article from the GrandAveNews.com, a local hyperlink. It is a great write up on the store wth fantastic photos thanks to local photographer, Jessica Hodder.

If you ar ein the neighborhood we'd love to see you. Stop in for a cup of joe stay and browse our selection of books before you take home the perfect one to curl up to this fall!

Tonight Tonight Tonight - Open Mic

2010-10-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Take a Hard Look" - A Writers Read Open Mic for All Genres"

Take a Hard Look at the world around you and what do you see? Writers and artists speak the truth about what we see—that’s what we do. Writers join us to share your truth at our next...“Writers Read” Open Mic—an evening to delight with friends in the magic of the written and spoken word. Poet/Writer Sherwood Ross, our featured writer/reader, will share his truth honed as a long-time civil rights activist. Ross will read from his riveting narrative poem: “America: The Imperial.” Join us and let’s take a hard look—and listen–to our different truths.

Join us Thursday, Oct. 7,7:30-9:30 PM at The Bookstore in the Grove, 3399 Virginia Street, #620, Coconut Grove. Writers Read Open Mic is open to writers of any genre—fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature. Readers should practice your readings—max. 7 minutes. Arrive early to sign up to read.

Info: mikelrm@aol.com or (305) 281-4089 or www.write2theedge.com

Coconut Grove Grapevine: Making history with Arva

2010-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Coconut Grove Grapevine: Making history with Arva

What a spectacular event! One that will go down in the history books for The Bookstore in the Grove. Check out more photos on the Coconut Grapevine.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!!! Coconut Grove Book is Here!!

2010-09-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

COME AND GET THEM!! Hot off the Presses! A book about US!

We have the long awaited Coconut Grove book and we will host a Book Release Party and Book Signing on This Thursday September 30th, 7:30pm with LIVE music by Bobby Ingrim!

Join Us...See you there!

SCIENCE CAFE

2010-09-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

eat, think, & be merry!

Science Cafe Series

presents

Microbes:

The Scariest Monsters On Coral Reefs?

Who is Florida's "mystery coral killer"?

What can be done to prevent or manage coral disease?

with Marilyn Brandt

University of Virgin Islands

MODAY, September 13th starts @ 7:00pm

FREE FOOD

(to the first 40 attendees)

Book Signing:Evelyn Uslar-Pietri Author of Pirate's Gold Treasure to Die For

2010-09-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mark your Calendars!
Book Signing: September 18th 3pm - 5pm

Meet the Author!
Evelyn Uslar-Pietri

*****The first 20 Books sold will receive a print from the artist Jorgen.*****

This roller coaster of a novel twists and turns and plunges you into a world of dizzying adventure: a place of hideous monsters, evil wizards, ancient curses, enchanting nymphs and unimaginable riches! Tag along (if you dare!) with Captain Johnny B. Wilde and his motley crew as they sail the infamous islands of Vasquez searching for treasure of biblical proportions.

http://www.piratesgoldtreasure.com/

BookClub in the Grove September! Tuesday Sept. 14th

2010-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

Young Professionals Book Club in the Grove

September's Book is The Magician's by Lev Grossman

Tuesday, September 14, 7:30pm. We'll see you there!

Comment from a Book Club Member: "The Magicians is an urban fantasy novel that I found entertaining, suspensful and a little melancholy. I can't wait to discuss it at our book club meeting on Tuesday, September 14 at 7:30pm."

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. He's a senior in high school, and a certifiable genius, but he's still secretly obsessed with a series of fantasy novels he read as a kid, about the adventures of five children in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, anything in his real life just seems gray and colorless.

Everything changes when Quentin finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the practice of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. But something is still missing. Magic doesn't bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would.

Then, after graduation, he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real.

The Magicians was published in August 2009 and was a New York Times bestseller.

Don't Labor This Sunday, Bring the Family to the Bookstore!

2010-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Join us in the Cafe for breakfast. Have a bagel, croissant or quiche. Maybe even our delicious waffles, only available on Sundays! Don't worry about getting dressed. Wear your Pajamas everyone else will be!

11 am - FAMILY PAJAMA PARTY

Virginia Street beside the Bookstore, will be closed. We have also got you covered for lunch. Pick a hot dog and then cool down with a tasty ice cream cone!

Prizes will be given out all day for pajamas, for coming up on stage and performing as well as for speed in the obstacle course, there is music and story telling, face painting. Lots of fun things for the kiddies.

After you have worn the kids out, you'll have a little bit of time to chat with your friends before The Great Grove Bed Race begins!

See you there!!

Coconut Grove Grapevine

2010-08-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

Coconut Grove Grapevine: "Never a dull moment at The Bookstore

Yesterday, The Bookstore in the Grove was all abuzz with a commerical being filmed for State Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera. Carlos is up for re-election in November for District 113, which includes Coconut Grove. This will be his last run for this particular office because of term limits.

Felice Dubin & Carlos Lopez-Cantera @ The Bookstore!

Felice Dubin, co-owner of The Bookstore, was in the commercial, giving Carlos an endorsement, who has done great things for our district. He lives right here in the Center Grove and is a big part of our community.

Carlos is one of the judges at this Sunday's Great Grove Bed Race, along with Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, actor Steven Bauer (Rocky Echevarría) of Que Pasa, USA? and possibly Mayor Tomas Regalado among others. Grand Marshall Tony Kanaan will also be judging the beds on Commodore Plaza. They are judged in various categories like Creativity, Theme, Originality, etc. And of course they race and they are judged by their speed."

Check Humorous Authors

2010-08-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

In these economic down times, with all the oil spills and celebrity hogwash curl up with a good book using escapism! Forget about what is really going on and live in another world by reading some of these Author’s great raw and edgy tales!

Chuck Palahniuk –Best-selling Cult Author, Born February 21, 1962) is an American fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film. His tales are raw and vivid, often times leaving you with goose bumps His most recent work, Tell All is here at The Bookstore in the Grove!

Chuck’s Book List!
Fight Club (1996)
Survivor (1999)
Invisible Monsters (1999)
Choke (2001)
Lullaby (2002)
Diary (2003)
Haunted (2005)
Rant (2007)
Snuff (2008)
Pygmy (2009)
Tell-All (2010)
Damned (2011)

See more of Chuck Palahniuk -
Official Website is http://chuckpalahniuk.net/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/chuckpalahniuk

Augusten Burroughs, born October 23, 1965– Screenwriter, Memoirist - Most known for his memoir Running With Scissors that was also made into a film. He has the knack for allowing his thoughts to spill out onto the page just as they occur in his own mind! Let your imagination run wild!

Sellevision (2000)
Running with Scissors(2002)
Dry (2003)
Magical Thinking 2004
Possible Side Effects 2006
A Wolf at the Table 2008
You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas 2009

David Sedaris, born December 26, 1956 - Writer, Humorist, Comedian, a playwright and a regular commentator for National Public Radio. He is also the author of the best-selling Barrel Fever. His books are located in the Humor section in The Bookstore!

Story and essay collections

Barrel Fever (1994)
Naked (1997)
Holidays on Ice (1997)
Me Talk Pretty One Day (2000)
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (2004)
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (editor, 2005)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames (2008)
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (2010)

The Grove is Hopping right into Bed!

2010-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Great Grove Bed Race is on!
Labor Day Weekend
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Check out http://www.thegreatgrovebedrace.com/

for more information about dates and times of Races and Events!

We will kick off the weekend with

The

Pajama Pub Crawl

Saturday Septmeber 4th, 2010
The Bookstore in the Grove Open 'Til Midnight
Everyone Loves the "D.D."
No, it's not Night of The Living Dead! The streets are filled with people in their pj's for a reason!
Pajama Crawlers will “crawl” to nine (9) different locations across the village of Coconut Grove, and when they are through can meet their D.D. at the Bookstore in the Grove.

Be sure to let your Designated Driver know that we are their Official Pit Stop and FREE coffee will be available to them until midnight!

Sunday September 5th

Beginning at 11am - 1pm

Here in The Bookstore in the Grove we will be selling "hot" hot dogs and "cold" ice cream. There will be lots of goodies for the kids, including the ever popular Silly Bandz, story time and stickers.

Lookin' for a Fabulous Cookie Cookbook?

2010-04-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

Cook Book Review: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

For those who doubt that cookies can be vegan – no eggs, dairy or meat – I assure you, the recipes in Vegan Cookies Invade are amazing! I recently made the Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles for Easter baskets and they were a HUGE success. This deeply chocolate cookie has lots of cinnamon and a hint of cayenne to give just the perfect amount of heat after each bite. They are a bit crispy on the outside, giving way to a tender, chewy center. Delectable. One note: the recipe calls for a half teaspoon of cayenne… I would drop this down to one forth because a full half teaspoon yields some super spicy cookies! If you want a GREAT cookie cookbook… I highly recommend this and all of Isa’s other vegan cookbooks… always in stock at the Book Store in the Grove.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Makes 2 dozen Cookies

A beautiful crackle topped chocolate cookie with a spicy cayenne kick and a sugary cinnamon coating.

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk (Or your preferred non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla extract if you have no chocolate)
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in extracts.

Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Kids book club

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Just heard about the kids Book club. Must say im pretty impressed with this whole thing. The first meeting is on halloween morning on October 31rst at 10:00 am. Everybody will be wearing their halloween costumes and then go trick or treating at the nearby stores right after. It seems like a nice activity for young kids. This young boy even has his own website http://www.sergiosbookclub.com/. Its good kids have a Book Club of their own. Definetly a fun activity to bring your kid and his friends to, and at the same time be an easy and educational play date. They will be reading "Spooky Stories" since its halloween. This Book Club event seems like its going to be a fun one.
Nataly.

2009-10-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

This is Felice. I am very excited to announce that Susie Essman from Curb Your Enthusiasm will be at The Bookstore on November 17 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM for a signing of her new book "What would Susie Say".

Do you watch Curb your Enthusiasm. I've heard so much about Curb Your Enthusiasm but have not actually seen it and now that Susie Essman is coming to The Bookstore in he Grove I'm going to tivo the next episode. The question is, what do you think of Curb Your Enthusiasm and especially Susie's role.

On Sunday Susie was on CBS Morning Show. It was interesting to find out that the show is adlibbed. She seems to be quite a character. I learned that she is actually a stand-up comedienne and people love her. Do you?

Our New Blog

2009-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

What better a way for us to discuss what's happining at the Book Store and in Coconut Grove. We hope you'll check in on our little blog often and leave us feedback or comments.

The Book Blog in the Grove

3 Simple Tips for Bookstore Etiquette

Book Club - Are you "in"?

Book Club Pick "ROOM" by Emma Donoghue

Waffle Sunday!

The Bookstore is Making Headlines........

Tonight Tonight Tonight - Open Mic

Coconut Grove Grapevine: Making history with Arva

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!!! Coconut Grove Book is Here!!

*****SCIENCE CAFE*****

Book Signing:Evelyn Uslar-Pietri Author of Pirate's Gold Treasure to Die For

BookClub in the Grove September! Tuesday Sept. 14th

Don't Labor This Sunday, Bring the Family to the Bookstore!

Coconut Grove Grapevine

Check Humorous Authors

The Grove is Hopping right into Bed!

Recommended Reads by Kimberly

Lookin' for a Fabulous Cookie Cookbook?

Kids book club

Our New Blog

SCIENCE CAFE