Loganberry News
February 2025 |
There's still snow on the ground, but have you seen how it reflects the dying light of the day and makes it linger? The days are growing ever so slightly longer, and even though we know Black History Month is the shortest month of the year, we pack it as full as we can (and hope to make up for it in August with Black Futures Month). Please shake off the doldrums of winter and come celebrate with us.
-Harriett |
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Celebrating Black History Month |
Go Tell It: Storytime & Book Discussion with Quartez Harris |
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Sunday, February 9, 1:00 PM ~in-store; free to attend~ |
Discover the story of young James Baldwin in this ode to the legendary writer and the power of the written word -- with exquisite prose from acclaimed local poet and friend of Loganberry, Quartez Harris. Open to kids & adults of all ages. |
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Broadsides & Ephemera
Poetry Reading & Open Mic - ft. Rosary-Joyce Kennedy |
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Thursday, February 13, 7:00 PM ~in-store, second Thursdays thru February -- fourth Wednesdays beginning in March~ |
Welcome Rosary-Joyce Kennedy, local educator, poet, and author of The Journey of Other Sons, to February's Broadsides & Ephemera. The open mic will follow her feature and Q&A. Come! Enjoy Rosary's awesome work! Share your own!
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Douglass Day Friday, February 15, 12:00 PM ~in-store~ |
Join Loganberry on Frederick Douglass's chosen birthday to help literary enthusiasts around the world transcribe an online collection of Black history and culture. Bring your laptop and get to ready celebrate a civil rights hero by making Library of Congress materials more accessible to all! Learn more about Douglass Day. |
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Artist Reception: Jef Janis Thursday, February 6, 6:00 PM ~in-store~ |
Join us for the opening of our February art exhibition, featuring the work of local photographer Jef Janis! This exhibit will be on view 2/6/25-3/2/25. Preview Jef's stunning work at https://www.jefjanisphoto.com/ |
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Valentine's Night at Loganberry ft. music by Brian Henke |
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Friday, February 14, 7:00 pm ~in-store~ |
Have you ever yearned to have a date at Loganberry Books? You’re in luck -- we're open on Valentine's Night, and we're serving up romance! Bring a date (or just a friend) to enjoy a free faux-candle-lit, book-lined concert by guitar maestro Brian Henke, with complimentary chocolate and wine. It’s quite the vibe! We will also have free and bargain-priced “blind-date books” all day— take a chance on something new! It's our valentine to you. Won't you join us? |
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Local Voices highlights self-published local authors, allowing them to get their literary works onto our bookshelves and into your hands. If you are a local author, you can learn more about Local Voices by clicking here. |
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Tracy Knox, My Healing Bible Sunday, February 2, 3:00 PM ~in-store~ |
Join Tracy Knox for the launch of My Healing Bible, her account of Christian spirituality and healing. Books will be available for purchase on the day of the event. |
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Sid Lenington, Donovan's MIA Sunday, February 9, 3:00 PM ~in-store~ |
Taut, lyrical, and funny, this collection of short stories offers insight into a world that, while strange and disturbing, attests to the durability of humans. |
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Book Clubs & Discussion Groups |
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Toddler Storytime Wednesday, February 12, 11:00 AM ~in-store, second Wednesdays~ |
A beloved classic lets children love you right up to the moon -- and back. |
Sign up for book club updates! |
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Naturalist's Notebook Sunday, February 16, 1:00 PM ~in-store and on Zoom, third Sundays, alternate months~ |
Age of Deer by Erika Howsare investigates our connection with deer and invites readers to contemplate the paradoxes of how humans interact with the natural world. |
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Rebel Readers Sunday, February 16, 3:00 PM ~in-store, third Sundays~ |
How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones is a stunning coming-of-age memoir about a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out his place. |
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Queer Lit Thursday, January 20, 7:00 PM ~in-store and on Zoom, third Thursdays~ |
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown is a transformative coming-of-age about growing up lesbian in America -- and living happily ever after.
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Remaking a Myth: On Collaboration and Creation |
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Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 pm ~in-store~ |
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Plum City Reading Series ft. Chanda Feldman, Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers, Mary Grimm Thursday, February 26, 7:00 PM ~in-store; registration required -- pay what you can!~ |
Literary Cleveland's Plum City Reading Series brings the country's most interesting and groundbreaking authors to Cleveland. Join us for the first 2025 reading ft. Chanda Feldman (Glance), Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers (Miss Southeast) and Cleveland's own Mary Grimm (Transubstantiation). |
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NOBS Forum History of Marbling Thursday, February 27, 7:00 PM ~in-store or on Zoom~ |
This one’s for all the marbles! We’ve all seen beautifully marbled endpapers or covers on antiquarian books. Have you wondered how those gorgeous swirls and designs were made? Bookbinder and NOBS Board Member Karen Espler will present on the history of marbeling at our next meeting. |
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Sales, Spotlights, and FYIs |
BINC Fundraiser for LA Fire Victims |
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Saturday, February 1, all day ~in-store and online~ |
Loganberry will contribute 10% of all sales made on February 1 to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation's fundraiser for bookstore employees affected by the LA fires. Donors have agreed to match up to $55,000 in funds to help provide housing, clothing, medical, and mental health support to booksellers affected--at least seven of whom (along with thousands of other people) have already lost their homes. |
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Our Collectible Pick for Black History Month is Devil in a Blue Dress. Walter Mosley's hard-boiled crime mystery, his first published book, introduces readers to Easy Rawlins, a war veteran turned detective. This signed first edition is a great buy for die-hard Mosley fans. |
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Now Open: Loganberry Bookmark Contest |
Do you like cats, books, purple things, cozy bookstore vibes, making art, or some combination thereof? Submit your art to Loganberry's Bookmark Design Contest! Submissions are open through Feb. 28. The theme is Loganberry's 30th Anniversary. View details, including specs, and submit your designs here. |
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We are once again open for Used Book Trades; we welcome walk-ins from 11AM-4PM on Fridays. Monday book trades will resume on February 3.
This month's Indie Press Spotlight is on VERSIFY. An imprint of Harper Collins curated by Kwame Alexander, VERSIFY reflects that accessible and powerful prose and poetry—in picture books, novels, and nonfiction—can celebrate the lives and reflect the possibilities of all children. Learn more about all VERSIFY titles by clicking here, and be sure to check out our in-store display. |
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Check out the Loganberries' favorite books by Black authors, celebrating Black stories and lives. |
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A gorgeous combination of memoir, history, and recipes from the former Poet Laureate of Kentucky, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts is an unearthing of the deep cultural and culinary roots of Black Appalachia through 5 generations of Wilkinson's family. This book is a treasure. -Toni |
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Jam, a black trans girl who is selectively verbal and frequently uses sign language, lives in Lucille, a supposed utopian society where monsters have been eradicated. however, she comes across a peculiar creature who has emerged from one of her mothers paintings who claims to be hunting a monster. Pet is a mysterious and thought provoking story about morality and finding the power to stand up against injustice, even if it means you need to stand up to someone close to you. -Erika |
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A multilevel ghost story, Model Home is the tale of a Black family moving into a white gated community in Texas and the literal, metaphorical, and eerily in-between hauntings that come with it. The book tackles race, sexuality, and family with deep tenderness while maintaining an undercurrent of terror; an instant classic addition to the modern-American horror canon. -Preeya |
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One of Us Knows is a fascinating thriller with a protagonist who is host to many alternate personalities. Kenetria Nash must search to solve a mystery on an isolated Hudson River island which is somehow connected to her past. All while it is unclear if all her personalities are working together. A complicated, thrilling, and thought-provoking read! -Leigh |
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Mystic Rising is the debut novel by Cleveland-local author Devin Thornton. Thornton transports readers to a world where fantasy and reality meet and blend together. This is a good story about fitting in and coming into one's power. -Devon |
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If you enjoy some raunchy but oh so true comedy, Meaty by Samantha Irby is fun. -Julie |
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Go Tell It, the first picture book by acclaimed local poet Quartez Harris, is a lovely ode to James Baldwin and his early life. Written by a distinguished Cleveland author; you can hardly go wrong. Perfect for the young artists in your life! -Morgan |
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In a future drowned Africa, survivors live in half-submerged skyscrapers, with the richest at the top and the poor at the bottom. When disaster threatens, three people from different strata must work together. Suyi Davies Okunghowa's Lost Ark Dreaming fast-paced, richly imagined cli-fi is an exciting addition to the genre. -Wendy |
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The late and great Nikki Giovanni was the master of spinning simple language and blank space into song. The love poems in Bicycles are tender and humanizing and musical. If poetry isn't usually your jam, try this collection -- I guarantee you'll find something that tugs at your heart. -Jen |
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Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story of celebration -- of a woman, a black woman, finding her own voice after much suffering. The writing is beautiful, combining beautiful prose with a Southern back dialogue. It has become a classic. -Freddy |
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I've often put Smith's poetry collections into the hands of readers who say something like "I don't know if poetry is for me, but...?" Homie is as effervescent as the lime green of this book's cover, existing at the ecstatic intersection of a pop anthem and ancient prayer, somehow accessible and awe-inspiring, all at once. -Elisabeth |
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A slice of history from the Revolutionary era, The Blackbirds of St. Giles is a reminder of so many broken promises and deceptions. Enslaved Jamaicans are offered freedom in exchange for fighting for the British, but despite friendships forged on the battlefield, 18th century London does not deliver. This fast-paced historical novel will confound and enrage you, but also enrich and educate you with its lively and admirable cast. -Harriett |
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Percival Everett tells his own stories, and they should ring true for every reader. He’s also witty and a master of the English language. If you've already read James, check out Erasure or Trees -Brenda |
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Thanks for reading, Harriett & all the Loganberries |
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Open Mon-Sat, 10AM-6PM (Weds* and Thurs 'til 8:30!), Sun 12-5PM *Open late on Wednesday evenings beginning February 19! |
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© 2024 Loganberry Books | 13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120 |
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