Rainy Day Reads

08/16/2026

Closed today— we’re prepping to take the youngest Hill off to college in a few days, so we’re taking the day to help him sort and pack. Shop with us online at Bookshop or Libro.fm, or come see us Thursday. Xoxo.

08/03/2026

One of the best!

August 1, 1986: Kristy's Great Idea debuts. The Baby-sitters Club is officially 40 years old!

08/03/2026

When the scheduled post doesn’t post… 🤦🏼‍♀️ Apologies for late reminder but we hope to see you tonight at CSG! (Reminder— K is out of town, so all readers, y’all are gonna have to hold it down tonight! See you in September to discuss Yesteryear!)

08/02/2026

💜💜💜 Roanokers, do you know the story of Henrietta Lacks? You can purchase the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks in our store (or in Bookshop!), and then walk up the street to see her statue.

Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1920. She is famed for her “immortal” HeLa cells, the most important cell lines in medical history.

At thirty-one years old, Lacks died of cervical cancer. Upon her death, doctors discovered that cells from her body lived long lives and reproduced indefinitely in petri dishes. These “immortal” HeLa cells have since contributed to over 10,000 medical patents relating to polio, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions.

Considering the history of medical testing on African Americans without their permission, the fate of Lacks raises questions about ethics, privacy and race. This sentiment is reflected in the visual elements of this portrait painted by Kadir Nelson. The wallpaper features the “Flower of Life,” a symbol of immortality; the flowers on her dress recall images of cell structures; and two missing buttons from her dress allude to the cells taken from her body without permission.
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🖼: “Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine” (detail) by Kadir Nelson, 2017. Collection of the National Portrait Gallery and . Gift from Kadir Nelson and the JKBN Group, LLC. © 2017 Kadir Nelson

07/30/2026

Updating today’s hours due to a last minute appointment! See y’all at lunch time!

07/25/2026

Store front is closed tomorrow, because we’ll be hanging out with children’s authors and illustrators and Hollins! You can come hang out, too! Events start at 9:30, and with a reception and book signing at 4:00. See you tomorrow!

07/23/2026

We can’t wait to celebrate kid’s lit this weekend with Hollins! David Wiesner is speaking on Friday evening (in person) and then lots of events on Saturday (online and in person). This event is free and open to the public— we’d love for you to join us! Details here: https://www.hollins.edu/events/category/graduate-programs/childrens-literature/

07/18/2026

Our fave pup costumer, Chai, was back today with her humans. She found the best place to stay cool in today’s heat!

07/16/2026

It’s time to celebrate Sycamore Station! Come see us on Saturday. We’ve got lots of new inventory and a few tricks of our sleeve (well, mostly one trick. A returning trick). Bring a cold drink and maybe one of those fans you wear around your neck, and come celebrate! ☀️🧋📚🌳