Ann Arbor Book Society

What are you reading this weekend?

The perfect place to lounge and read doesn't exi-

At the Library of Congress: a beautiful 600 year old Mishneh Torah

Author Lucy Tan sharing her debut novel What We Were Promised with author Lillian Li for a post-reading discussion.

Literati Bookstore

Ann Arbor Book History: In 1974, the rapidly growing Borders Bookstore moved a few doors down to 303 South State. It stayed there until 1994 when it moved to East Liberty St.

Ann Arbor Sun, Dec. 6, 1974 / Ann Arbor District Library

Hello, friends! Here's a taste (pun intended) of the events going on this week- find more on our website calendar: a2books.org/events

“Old books exert a strange fascination for me -- their smell, their feel, their history; wondering who might have owned them, how they lived, what they felt.”
― Lauren Willig
The Dawn Treader Book Shop

Comfy seats and a beautiful mural by Motawi Tileworks at the AADL Pittsfield Branch. What are some of your favorite reading spots in ?

Did you score some new reads last night during Midnight Madness?

When you shop at small businesses, you help your community, the environment, and the economy.

❤️ Find your local indie bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder

📚🌟 Dive into the whimsical world of children's literature with our program favorites! 🏰Join us in exploring the cherished tales loved by young readers: “Dragons Love Tacos” written by Adam Rubin and Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, “Bird and Squirrel on Fire” by James Burks, and “The Very Last Castle” written by Travis Jonker and Illustrated by Mark Pett. 🐉❤️🌮 These enchanting stories spark imaginations and inspire a love for reading in our young book enthusiasts! 💫What's your child's beloved story? What was your childhood favorite? Share with us below!

Books Around the World: Hay-on-Wye in Wales, one of the most-visited book towns in the United Kingdom

*rubbing hands together in excitement* More books!

Book Glut - Ann Arbor Observer “You have so many books you can’t put them all out,” adds the owner of Motte & Bailey Booksellers. “I have some books on my sale table for two or three dollars that, a couple of years ago, might have been six or seven and on a shelf.” Nonprofits have observed the same phenomenon. “We [.....

Ann Arbor Book History: Notice a difference between these two storefronts? The drawing is from Crazy Wisdom's early years and first location on Fourth Ave. near Kerrytown. It moved to 114 S. Main in 1999.

We're hiring a part-time bookseller, readers! This is a regular position, ideally starting in January 2024. Thanks for your consideration and sharing:

https://www.indeed.com/job/part-time-bookseller-b1429c075f27e147

A fascinating essay by co-founder Tom Borders

https://lithub.com/from-local-to-global-to-gone-on-the-rise-and-fall-of-borders-books/

From Local, to Global, to Gone: On the Rise and Fall of Borders Books The following essay by Tom Borders is excerpted from Among Friends: An Illustrated Oral History of American Book Publishing & Bookselling in the 20th Century, edited by Buz Teacher and Janet Bu…

Here at the AABS, our all-volunteer band of organizers, writers, photographers, and editors, strive to connect people with the events and places that make this town a book-lovers destination. Your support is crucial to continuing this work, and even the smallest donation can make a difference. From our free Booktown maps distributed every year by the thousands, to our newsletters, online calendar, author directory, history articles, interviews, and more, we love what we do and we’re excited about developing new programming and opportunities. Here’s to community, here's to books!

Non-Fiction November
Schuler Books Ann Arbor

An all time classic.
Schuler Books Ann Arbor

Support your local businesses this holiday season and all year long!

Books Around the World: Seoul Book Repository, Seoul, South Korea. The nation's first public secondhand bookstore

Huge Congratulations to the 2023 National Award winners, including Detroit-born historian and Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University Ned Blackhawk.

Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving!

Ann Arbor Book History: What's your favorite holiday dessert? The 1899 Ann Arbor Cook Book by the Ladies' Aid Society suggested "Aunt Libbie's Thanksgiving Pudding"

November is Picture Book Month!


Literati Bookstore

Which one (or more than one) are you? 📚

Books Around the World: library of the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi, Kenya

Ann Arbor Book History: This 1856 advertisement is an example of how the major booksellers of Main Street appealed to the academic crowd. It would be another 20 years before bookstores began to open closer to campus on State Street.

Show of hands in the comments if you are one.

Bookmarks Magazine

Interested in being a reading tutor but can't commit to a regular schedule? Volunteer as a substitute tutor with The Family Learning Institute

"Substitute tutors participate in the same FLI tutor training. Substitutes are usually unable to commit to a fixed schedule for a complete school year. Substitutes volunteer when they are available. Some people are also 'on-call' in case another tutor cancels. Substitute tutors are an extremely valuable resource at FLI!"

Wishing you light and joy

Books Around the World: St. Pancras Station, London, UK. This year's holiday display, a towering "book tree," has at its base reading nooks where travelers can sit and relax.

Hey, folks, what are you currently reading? This month the Bløm Meadworks book club is reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.

Ann Arbor Book History: These "books" in front of the Clements Library originally were carriage stepping stones at the home of the prominent Beal family at the corner of Fifth and William. The home was demolished in the 1950s and the site is now the home of the Downtown Library.

Photo credit: AADL/Steve Jensen/Bentley Historical Library

Ongoing exhibit at the Hatcher Gallery Exhibit Room, Hatcher Library North.

Illustrating the Renaissance Book: From Illumination to Woodcut

Enjoy a selection of manuscripts and early printed books from the 15th to the 17th centuries that were illustrated with illuminations and woodcuts. Throughout the European Renaissance (1300-1700), many book illustrations were exclusively ornamental, while others focused on enhancing the meaning of the text. However, as the pages on display attest, all these illustrations share a common ground: they reveal the aesthetic and intellectual fashions first proposed by Italian artists of the 1400s, who were strongly committed to the recovery of the past of classical antiquity.

University of Michigan Library

Books Around the World: National Library of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro

November is National Native American Heritage Month.
at the Ann Arbor District Library
Crazy Horse family elder Floyd Clown Sr. with author William Matson discussing their book Crazy Horse: The Lakota Warrior's Life and Legacy.

The Ann Arbor Jewish Book Festival opens this weekend! An exciting two weeks of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events
Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor Book History: From 1882 to 1909, the city's post office was in the ornate Beal Block that stood at the northeast corner of Ann and Main. The news depot must have received a lot of foot traffic in the early years; before home delivery began in 1886, everyone went to the post office to collect their mail.

Ann Arbor Courier, 1884. Courtesy of AADL Old News
Post Office Block, c. 1887. Courtesy of U-M Bentley Historical Library

Happy Halloween! Anyone dress up as a literary character? Horatio the cat mascot of in Pennsylvania has the purr-fect costume. 🎃😺📚