Kelly Hayes
This weekend, Tallahassee’s Midtown Reader will mark its fifth year in business.
The locally-owned, general-subject independent bookstore will be celebrating the anniversary with a three-day-long birthday celebration that will host raffles, sales and events for readers of all ages.
“We are so grateful for the support of Big Bend readers and consider it a privilege to serve as Tallahassee’s neighborhood booksellers,” owner Sally Bradshaw said in a statement. “Regardless of genre, a great read can change lives and grow relationships. It can lead to good questions and great dialogue. That’s how reading helps build better communities.”
On Friday evening, the store hosted New York Times bestselling author and Florida resident Kristen Arnett, who will talk about her latest novel, With Teeth.
On Saturday, the store will hold a Sidewalk Sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with coffee and hot cocoa from Argonaut Coffee on the patio. At noon, families are invited to a special “Kidtown” story hour with students from Young Actors Theater, who will read from The Wizard of Oz and perform a song from their upcoming show.
To conclude the celebrations, on Sunday afternoon, the bookstore will host “10 Books in 10 Minutes,” where authors and booksellers recommend 10 of their favorite reads in just 10 minutes. Featured presenters will include: FSU writers and professors Barbara Hamby, Diane Roberts and Elizabeth Stuckey-French; Argonaut Coffee’s owner, Jason McArthur; and Midtown Reader’s own booksellers Tanya Eakin and Matt Dailey.
Bradshaw opened Midtown Reader in November 2016, in the historic “pink building” on Thomasville Road next to Waterworks. Since opening, Midtown Reader has become a destination bookstore where readers.
The store hosts multiple weekly events, including author readings, discussion panels, a monthly “Story Slam” writing contest, children’s story times and more. In the age of Amazon, Midtown Reader strives to be a welcoming community space where book lovers can connect over stories and ideas.
