Off the Shelf: What’s Happening at Bookish
By Summer Krafft
It seems everyone has heard of Bookish, the passion project of Modesto favorites Paula and Will DeBoard that is as much a community hub as it is a bookstore, but the offerings they have for events and workshops are vast and varied–bring your kids, bring your best friend, bring your mom, bring a first date, and bring that new-ish friend you want to get to know better. Just check it out if you haven’t already because they have as much to offer off the shelf as they do on.
As we approach the end of summer, the beginning of the school year, and the transition into fall, I was really interested to see what Bookish had in the works, so I sat down with Kat Fortin, Assistant Manager, to discuss events and workshops in the coming months.
Some things they’re becoming known for are evenings with local musicians, hosting book clubs, and Taylor Swift Bracelet Days, which draw a line out the door of parents and kids who can’t wait to get creative in the space with other Swifties. The next of those will be August 3rd from 10:00 to 6:00.
They have a lot coming up, but to conclude their Summer Reading Challenge, for which they partnered with Yogurt Mill to reward big readers with gift cards, they’ll have an end-of-summer party on August 10th full of interactive activities, a scavenger hunt, and live music. Two Modesto favorites, Tèa Noelle and Mitch Dill, will keep the energy alive. At the same time, kids, parents, and community members enjoy paper activities like crosswords and coloring books, interactive videos, opportunities to share their favorite books they’ve read during the challenge, and a scavenger hunt to find quotes throughout the store.
Bookish challenged readers to nine books over their summer vacation. At five, they got the coveted Yogurt Mill Gift Card, and at nine, they get to choose from three free books Bookish and their staff have selected to keep reading alive in young and adult lives alike. They aren’t as strict as your third-grade teacher might have been, though–audiobooks count, graphic novels, Pokemon guidebooks, activity books, and so on–as long as they’re engaging!
Join them at the shop in Roseburg Square at any time on the 10th–the event runs all day. You could even pop over to Cora, Modesto’s new fusion restaurant, for lunch or dinner amongst all the festivities!
It’s a collaborative effort regarding how events come to be at Bookish. Their staff of seven all pitch ideas, give input, and take the lead on their concepts while Paula and Kat oversee events in general.
Here is some more of what they have coming up for you:
The 17th of August will be the first Bookstore Romance Day, complete with an 18+ Spice Night that evening, including games like Guess That Book, a Book Boyfriend (Partner) Pyramid, spicy nametags, and tropes by the hour. This is for all romance readers alike.
Additionally, on the second Friday of every month, there will be Audiobook Paint Nights, where you can purchase a themed paint-by-number and zen out to a good story.
Bookish has already had one installment of its quarterly Story Slam, a themed story competition series on the second Friday of every third month. The next will be on scary stories, given that it’s October 10th. October will be one to watch at Bookish for all things spooky, scary, and fun.
As they are still such a new business, Kat was able to share some things they have in the works but aren’t quite scheduled yet. Among the in-process plans they have are trivia nights, more writing and writer’s events, book-to-movie nights, opening the children’s space to book for birthday parties, storytime for kids, craft workshops, and seasonal offerings.
But don’t just go to Bookish for events! In addition to books, they have an incredible selection of merchandise made by 209 artists and makers, art, and an events board that will help keep you up-to-date on what is real and happening in Modesto.
More than anything, go hang out there! Grab a book, take a gander at all the beautiful things in the store, chat with the incredible staff, and do some work at one of their tables. You won’t be able to resist coming back.
