Lifestyle

3 Ohio bookstores you have to visit at least once

3 Ohio bookstores you have to visit at least once

March 5, 2024 · Lifestyle

read.write.robyn

Who doesn’t love a good bookstore? As a diligent

Who doesn’t love a good bookstore? As a diligent reader and writer, I’m always looking for a unique, quiet place to explore in search of good books. This week, I’m sharing 3 of my favorite bookstores:

1) Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
2) Dollar Book Swap
3) Black Cat Books & Oddities

More information on my blog 📖

#bookstore #indiebookstore #bookstorefinds #supportlocalbookstores #bookstoreday #bookstagram #ohiobookstore #bookhaul #bookstoredate #igreads #booksta #bookstagram #ohiobookstore #thriftbooks #librarybooks

How cool is your library? Not as cool as mine! @ci

How cool is your library? Not as cool as mine! @cincylibrary did a display a few years ago as part of the @blinkcincinnati festival. It was a huge 3D rendering of Peter Pan coming to life 🧚

Q: What’s your favorite thing about your library?

#cincinnatilibrary #cincylibrary #librarylife #booklovers #librarybooks #readingtime #bookish #librarylove #booknerd #bookworm #readmore #libraryfun #librarygoals #literarylandscape #bookstoreadtoday #peterpan #libraryshelfie #cincygram #cincinnatiart #explorecincinnati

Are you a new writer? Wonder what must-have tools

Are you a new writer? Wonder what must-have tools experienced writers use?

Here are some of my favorites:
✏️Writing software: @scrivenerapp
✏️Dropbox for backups
✏️ Noise-cancelling headphones
✏️ Transparent post-it tabs
✏️ Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by @jessicabrody
✏️ Wordhippo.com
✏️ @grammarly

Want to know more? My new blog post dives into all the fun details—check out the link in my bio 😘

#aspiringwriters #amwriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorlife #writetip #writinginspiration #indieauthors #writersblock #storytelling #authorsofinstagram #bookworm #writergoals #creativewriting #writingtips #writingcraft #writinghelp #authoradvice #creativewritingtips

How do you spend your sick days? 🤒 I’ve been

How do you spend your sick days? 🤒

I’ve been down for a few days with a bug, and I’ve been either sleeping or dreaming of my ever-growing TBR list. Hoping another day of rest and green tea with honey can get me back on my feet.

#bookstack #tbr #tbrpile #bookstagram #booklover #bookshelf #bookish #cityofbones #cityofashes #cityofglass #ironwidow #hotelmagnifique #thegirlwhofellbeneaththesea #thelastwish #witcher #axieoh #cassandraclare #xiranjayzhao

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 A Court of Thorns and Roses

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, YA, Fae, High Fantasy, Retellings

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 4⭐️

The first time I picked up this book, I didn’t get far, maybe a chapter or so in. The hook didn’t catch me; I found Feyre bland and her dysfunctional family was too abusive and negligent for me to care about any of them. But I picked the book up again several months later, and I’m glad I did. Despite being slow at times, I enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Like many, the Suriel was probably my favorite character, followed by Lucien. Tamlin and Feyre had a rough, slow burn of a love story, and I kept waiting for the moment Tamlin would screw it up (I knew a broad spoiler for book 2, but thought it happened it book 1).

The last third of the book was action-packed and honestly felt like it came out of nowhere compared to the rest of the book. Once I shook off the shock of True Plot™ showing up, I devoured the rest of the book quickly. Overall, if you are a romantasy fan, I’d recommend picking this book up (if for nothing else, to get to book 2). If you don’t like slice-of-life books, this one isn’t for you.

Q: Do you enjoy fairytale retellings? What’s your favorite?

📚📚📚
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

I picked up my very first Blind Date with A Book f

I picked up my very first Blind Date with A Book from @blackcatmedia. Anything Alice in Wonderland is an instant must for me, so of course I picked up the book with Alice stamps on the cover. Swipe to see which book I got!

Q; Have you ever done a blind date with a book? What did you get??

#bookstore #indiebookstore #bookstorefinds #supportlocalbookstores #bookstoreday #bookstagram #ohiobookstore #bookhaul #bookstoredate #igreads #booksta #bookstagram #blinddatewithabook #mysterybook #mydarlinggirl #jennifermcmahon

John and I found the coolest little bookstore in C

John and I found the coolest little bookstore in Cleveland: Black Cat Books & Oddidities (@blackcatmedia). The shop was in an old converted house in downtown Medina, OH. Every room had a different theme (I won’t spoil them all for you, but my favorite was Mr. Edgar Allen Poe). In addition to a wide selection of books and bookish accessories, they had tarot cards, mugs, tote bags, oddity jewelry (like, so cute), candles, and more. If you’re ever close enough to visit, I recommend you do!

Q: What’s your favorite little or local bookstore? Share their @ below!

#bookstore #indiebookstore #bookstorefinds #supportlocalbookstores #bookstoreday #bookstagram #ohiobookstore #bookhaul #bookstoredate #igreads #booksta #bookstagram

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 The London Séance Society

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 3⭐️

This book had a great premise, and I was excited to dive into a world of ghosts and magic. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me for three main reasons:

1) The constant use of flashbacks made the story feel disjointed and unorganized. For a book that starts chapters with character names and dates, Penner had a huge missed opportunity to play with her timeline. I would have loved to see her write scenes as they happened instead of cramming multiple flashbacks per chapter.

2) The second character was unbearable. Talk about an incel who’s given too much air time. 😮‍💨 He was a little too woe-is-me-but-also-look-how-smart-and-awesome-I-am to be given the second POV.

3) The “big twist” was easily called from like the third chapter. I kept hoping there would be an actual twist, but there wasn’t. It’s often hard to surprise me (being a writer helps me call things pretty early on), so this could be more of a fault on my end. Either way, I left feeling disappointed.

Lastly, I would NOT recommend this to a YA reader. There was an...adult moment about 2/3rds of the way in that came out of nowhere. Without this one scene, this would have been a good book for a younger teenager.

💭Q: What’s your favorite ghost story?

📚📚📚
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
A spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead…(See comments for more)

🎂 Birthday book haul 🎂 A big THANK YOU! to

🎂 Birthday book haul 🎂

A big THANK YOU! to everyone who celebrated with me this year. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday or better company 💕 Here’s to 32!

Special thanks to @jess.another.book.nook, @reichmankate and my fiancé for the books, and to my book club for celebrating with some fun pottery painting! You all made me feel so loved and supported 🩷
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#birthdaybookhaul #birthdayreqds #birthdaybookstack #bookstack #fantasybookstack #birthdaytbr #loreolympus #starlinghouse #alixeharroe #divinerivals #rebeccaross #legendsandlattes #travisbaldree #neongods #kateerobert #acotar #sarahjmaas #butcherandblackbird #brynneweaver

❤️🩷Love stack 🩷❤️ Whether it’s a

❤️🩷Love stack 🩷❤️

Whether it’s a significant other, bff, close friends, or a furry friend, I hope you have a fabulous day celebrating the love in your life!

What are your favorite romantasy books? I recently devoured the entire The Selection trilogy in a few days—I just couldn’t get enough of this “first love” story!
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#readinglist #lovestack #bookishlove #valentinesreads #bookstagramvalentine #bookboyfriend #romanticreads #bookishdate #lovebookstack #romancebookstack #fantasybookstack #valentinesbooks #fourthwing #rebeccayarros #sjmaas #acotar #shadowandbone #leighbardugo #theselection #kieracass #brynneweaver

✨ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀! ✨ T

✨ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀! ✨

This little spot is one of my favorite hideaways when I want some reading (or writing) time. Surrounded by books, plants, and art, it’s easy to forget the troubles of the day and get lost in a story.

𝙌𝙊𝙏𝘿: Where’s your reading nook?

#booknook #booknookstagram #readingnook #timetoread #ilovereading #readingcorner #cozyspaces #bookandcoffee #cozyhome #readingspot #boostagram #booktube #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #bookish #readersofinstagram #readerlife #Bookstagram #booklovers #readingcommunity #booksbooksbooks

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: YA Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 3.5⭐️

After the first book, this one fell a little short for me. Without going into spoilers, Clare’s tropes and cliches get a little looser, and not in a good way. The logic of some of the magical elements fell apart, and I wasn’t a fan of the big character change in this book (it felt rushed, like a plot point we had to hit vs. genuine character development).

The love triangle in this book also felt a little forced. Clary has no chemistry or real romantic interest in her best friend, Simon, who is desperate to call her his girlfriend despite her obvious aversion to it. Meanwhile, her brother, Jace, becomes somehow even edgier than he was in the first book. At least it’s not as bad as Edward Cullen.

That said, I did enjoy aspects of this book – the Seelie Court and, of course, Magnus Bane. I can’t get enough of him.

📚📚📚
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Short Stories

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 5⭐️

If you haven’t heard of Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, or the Butcher of Blaviken, you’re missing out. “The Last Wish” is the first book in the popular “The Witcher” series, which has been adapted into video games, an animated series, and a live-action series on Netflix.

Geralt, a man of few words, makes his way through a high fantasy world as a monster hunter (called witchers). Witchers are adept at swordsmanship, alchemic potions, and some magical signs (runes). While this makes them heroes in the traditional sense (monster-killers), witchers are mostly shunned by humans, despite humans requiring witcher services for hundreds of years. It’s this juxtaposition that is intriguing.

The way Andrzej Sapkowski told the story was also unique for high fantasy books. Technically, the book is a collection of short stories. To me, it felt like a collection of flashbacks woven together by a single thread that pushed the momentum forward and kept you guessing what would happen next.

If you’re a fan of the show or games, I highly recommend reading the original source material for additional background and masterful storytelling.

📚📚📚
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Geralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good... and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

🏷 #witcher #thewitcher #thewitchernetflix #thewitcher #highfantasy #highfantasybooks #andrezejsapkowski #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #bookshelvesofinstagram #booksofinstagram #bookish #readersofinstagram #readerlife #Bookstagram #booklovers #readingcommunity #booksbooksbooks #bookinfluencer #readingupdate #alwaysreading #idratherbereading #bookworm

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: YA Fantasy, Romance, Portal, Paranormal, Urban, Dark

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Yes, there were some common cliches and tropes, and yes, some of the twists were easy to call as an adult reader. That said, I still enjoyed the Shadowhunter’s world of mythological creatures–vampires, werewolves, pixies, faeries, angels–and the dangers they encounter.

It even had a dash of romance–gasp, a love triangle in YA 🤯–and some forbidden love. Overall, for any YA reader who enjoyes a fast-paced read with paranormal elements and romance, this is one to check out.

“City of Bones” is the first of 6 books in “The Mortal Instruments” series by Cassandra Clare.

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𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

🏷 #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #readerlife #Bookstagram #booklovers #readingcommunity #booksbooksbooks #bookinfluencer #readingupdate #alwaysreading #idratherbereading #bookworm #cityofbones #mortalinstruments #themortalinstruments #shadowhunters #cassandraclare

Dollar Book Swap in Dayton, Ohio. 📚 A treasure-

Dollar Book Swap in Dayton, Ohio. 📚 A treasure-trove of over 200,000 secondhand book, audiobooks, and DVDs…alll for only $1.25!! I went last month for my birthday and walked away with 28 books for a little over $30. 😱

If you live (or visit) the midwest, it’s a pitstop worth making!

🏷 #onedollarbookswap #daytonohio #daytonbookstore #bookwarehouse #ohio #ohiobookstore #boostagram #booktube #bookstorebucketlist #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #bookish #readersofinstagram #readerlife #Bookstagram #booklovers #readingcommunity #booksbooksbooks #bookinfluencer #bookhaul #bookhauls

📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 📚 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨: YA Fantasy, Romance

𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5

Unlike most people who picked up this book, I haven’t read Caraval or Night Circus, so to me, this felt similar to “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

As an adult reader/writer, I found myself critiquing things that were easy fixes: sister existing solely as a plot device; dialogue heavy on exposition; awkward chemistry with the love interest until halfway through; telling vs. showing; plot over character; things like that.

I also had trouble connecting with Jani, who felt a little immature (even for YA) with her string of bad decisions.

I think if you are (or have) a young reader, this will be an enchanting book. It had wonderful descriptions of the hotel, its enchantments, and the powerful summaries inside.✨

Largely, I enjoyed this book, but it 𝘫𝘶𝘶𝘶𝘴𝘵 missed the mark to be above average. It didn’t hit its groove until halfway in. If they had condensed the book, it would have been a tighter story.

Buddy read with @jess.another.book.nook

📚📚📚
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

Dollar Book Swap in Dayton, Ohio. 📚 A treasure-

Dollar Book Swap in Dayton, Ohio. 📚 A treasure-trove of over 200,000 secondhand books, audiobooks, and DVDs…alll for only $1.25!! I went last month for my birthday and walked away with 28 books for a little over $30. 😱

If you live (or visit) the midwest, it’s a pitstop worth making!

🏷 #onedollarbookswap #daytonohio #daytonbookstore #bookwarehouse #ohio #ohiobookstore #boostagram #booktube #bookstorebucketlist #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #bookish #readersofinstagram #readerlife #Bookstagram #booklovers #readingcommunity #booksbooksbooks #bookinfluencer #bookhaul #bookhauls

📚 Book Review 📚 The Girl Who Fell Beneath th

📚 Book Review 📚 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Genres: YA Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Portal Fantasy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book captivated me. Told in present tense, this Korean folklore retelling is light & ethereal, like a dream. I was whisked away into a spirit world that felt very much like Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away”.

Mina is a strong-willed young woman who asks questions we all have: where are the gods? Why do they let suffering happen? Why won’t they help us in our time of need?

From the fish & whales in the sky above to legendary beasts traversing realms, competing houses of lords & gods, dangerous assassins & demons, & a river of souls, @axieoh masterfully created an enchanting & haunting tale.

Themes: faith, destiny, death, love, found family

Love dreamlike stories or portal fantasies? This is a must-read book.

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Goodreads synopsis:
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

✍🏻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 ✍🏻

As spring draws nearer, so does my inclination to write. For March, my goal is to complete 10 chapters and a prologue. This is would round out the first act for me, something I’m eager to do. Bring on the magic!

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: How do you track your writing time — by word count, chapters, scenes, or a timer?

(Note: artwork not mine. Found online without info.)

🏷 #goalsetting #writersofinstagram #writerslife #yafantasy #yaromance #writersclub #writersconnection #writershelpingwriters #writersdesk #igauthorlife #iwriteya #yabookstagram #youngadultfiction #writinglife #yafantasyauthor #writingupdates #darkacademia #darkacademiaaesthetic #authorcommunity #authorgram #yafantasyseries