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Will you be my Valentine?

Submitted by joywhitaker on Sun, 01/17/2021 - 3:34pm

Hearts, flowers, candy, and some special time with the ones you love the most. It's never too early to start planning for Valentine's Day! With the crazy year we've had and Covid numbers soaring we want to offer you some ideas to make this Valentine's Day safe but super special.

We have a wine tasting event Valentine's Day weekend that is sure to put you in a romantic mood. Our socially distanced tables in the event space leave plenty of room for some intimacy at your table while getting to taste amazing wine paired with the perfect fruit and chocolates to accompany each one. Our Rough Draft Manager Courtney could not be more excited to take you on a tasty journey, learn and fall in love...with your partner and the wine! 15% off of bottle purchases is our gift to you the night of the event so you can take your favorites home. 

We also have so many great puzzles that make perfect nights without a screen. Work together with your partner, or kids to build bonds that last a lifetime. 

Another fantastic option for you is Blind Date with a book! Tell us what genre of books you like and grab one of our secret, wrapped books to take home and enjoy. Valentine's Day isn't just for couples, treat yourself to a fun surprise and enjoy handpicked selection from our wonderful buyer Deanna. 

We hope this gives you some new and interesting Valentine ideas, let Story on the Square be your Cupid. 

 

                                                                                                                                                             -Joy

Let's make it a Happy Holiday!

Submitted by joywhitaker on Thu, 12/03/2020 - 10:57am

Hey there!

      We're back again to chat a little about this once in a lifetime Holiday Season. My, how this shopping experience and planning with family looks different than last year. Who knew when we sat around the tree, opening presents with each other, complaining about that one loud Aunt or how nosey Grandma is that we would be all too grateful to see them again. Some of us have had sick family and friends or even lost some, but together is what we need to be, just not in the typical sense. Our hearts go out to you guys and ourselves as we do our best to band together in this crazy time, unprecedented to say the least. I never thought I would say that word so much in one year to be honest. I'd love to hear how you guys plan to make this Holiday Season special and still keep everyone as safe as possible. Zoom has been a great way to find some sort of togetherness, it's not the same, but it'll have to do for now. 

       I hope we can choose to make this time a reminder of the importance of life, of the family within our own walls, gratitude for each other, and a chance to find a love and intimacy of real importance. How can Story on the Square help you with that you ask? Well, puzzles galore, activity books, and tons of stocking stuffers. Of course I had to mention those things! In all seriousness though, we wish you the safest and most Happy Holiday possible. Love each other from a distance, take up letter writing again, what a beautiful lost art. We're here when you need us and can be a great one stop shop for those that don't want to peruse a ton of different public places. From bottles of wine, to men's beard kits, to the latest and greatest novel, we have  what you need and will be happy to accomodate. Love to you all!           -Joy

A Whole New World

Submitted by joywhitaker on Thu, 10/29/2020 - 11:17am

Friends and Bookstore Family,

      Welcome back to our blog spot! First, we want to thank our awesome supporters who have kept us in mind during these challenging times. I think what we have learned most through this is how important community is, how important sticking together is, and how having each other's back can literally make or break you. 

      So, lets talk about the obvious shall we? Covid, Coronavirus, 'Rona, Covid-19, virus from hell, whatever you call it doesn't seem to make a difference, it's changed our lives for the forseeable future. As a store we had to close for a time and our staff members along with customers showed the utmost loyalty and love to us. We as individuals and as a company have felt the burden of the virus as you have and yet we are grateful for the journey. It has given us the opportunity to provide books, puzzles, games, and more to families that see the significance of family time and making memories with the ones you love the most. We are finding ourselves ordering masks to sell just as routinely as we order the latest best selling book. Did you ever think in your lifetime that your world would change so drastically and so quickly. The rug has been ripped out from under us, our heads left spinning and stumbling our way back to "normal" has been a tricky beast. We are so fortunate we are to be here still, to still have you here, and together keep each other safe. 

    That brings me to the word safe. Man, does that have a whole new meaning today than it did twelve months ago. Safe used to look like mom reminding her 3 year old to hold on to the rail going down the stairs, safe used to be looking both ways before you cross the street, and wear a helmet when you get on your bike.Today safe means, did you sanitize your hands? Did you bring your mask? Did you stay away from Grandma with COPD during Easter? With so many views and opinions on the subject it's created a division in ways we've never seen. So, let me tell you what we can do about it here at Story on the Square. We want to use this opportunity to pull family and friends together through channels you had long forgotton, I don't mean television channels either, put down the remote and back away slowly from the screen. Let's take a step together to bring back the joy's of reading, to ourselves and to each other. Reading to your kids at bedtime, putting a puzzle together around the kitchen table, playing a card came that you found at the bookstore, that's the good stuff. We are doing our best here at the store to keep you safe, keep us safe, and provide a beautiful enviornment to add a little normal back in to your life. Our event space and patio are open for socially distance fellowship and fun, we have bookclubs in-person or virtual, and the best kids storytime each Saturday morning. Take some time to browse our website events and staff picks for a new book you may like to read. We love you guys and are so grateful you're taking us with you into a whole new world. 

Why change is good and needed

Submitted by deebailey360 on Mon, 10/08/2018 - 12:38pm

I have been working at this store for a month and I have been loving it! I am enjoying getting to know the McDonough community while also talking about my passion for books. I am here to tell you change is good for soul, and if you have been receiving signs to welcome change in your life DON’T IGNORE IT.

My dad served thirty years in the Army so as you guess it I moved around a lot. I went to three different high schools due to my dad’s promotions. It was difficult at times, I remember several times crying and not wanting to leave my friends, but I am forever grateful for the lessons and experiences. People do not realize the extent of the sacrifices that not only those who serve in the military but their family as well.

I received my master’s degree in Health Care Administration in 2013 from Marshall University. I started doing Human Resources for Mental Health Homes- my jobs included recruiting, hiring, auditing employee files, and payroll. I did this for five years. At first it was something I was very passionate about, however the hours I was putting in, the endless reports and audits, I was ready for something different.

I was working part time at Victoria’s Secret throughout grad school and while I was working in the health care field. As I was contemplating a career change, Victoria’s Secret offered me a full time position and I took it because I love the company. However as I continued this line of work I realized again that I was not happy and that this was not my destiny. I made lifelong friendships through the company, ­­but I felt in my heart that this wasn’t what I wanted to do.

I started attending fiction book club this February (I haven’t missed one yet!!)  and here I am as a bookseller now. At first glance these experiences may seem that I’m not rooted anywhere and that I have a hard time staying still. If anything, I have learned that if I am no longer happy in any situation, to be open and willing to accept change. Also the constant moving around in my childhood has made me willing to meet new people and try new things, and to appreciate every single day and moment because life is too short.

Finally I want to say that on behalf of the staff at Story on the Square that we can feel the excitement of our new location as everyone visits our temporary location on Keys Ferry. We can already feel a shift in the community and how everyone is ready for something different in the square. We can’t wait to share the new location with you, and will keep you updated with our official moving date.

 

Deanna

Deanna's Blog

Submitted by deebailey360 on Fri, 09/28/2018 - 3:30pm

September 27, 2018

A couple days ago I finished reading  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (No worries this Blog DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS). I picked up this book because I follow Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club on Instagram. I’ve read only a couple of books from her club (Little Fires Everywhere and  The Lying Game) but this book drew my interest because she discussed how it’s a coming of age story with a crime through out the book that is trying to get solved.

Fiction is my favorite genre and I especially love Mysteries and Thrillers. This year I have been starting to read more fantasy, but my heart is truly into a good mystery. I love the thrill of not knowing what’s going to happen.

I must say Reese sure does know how to pick a good book. I made this one of my picks of the month because I loved everything about it!! I loved the way it described the marshes and the country scenery. This book is memorable because it's about survival, hope, love, loss, loneliness, desperation, prejudice, determination and strength. I liked this book because it wasn’t all about the crime. It was about a girl raising herself with the help of some town people that others in the town did not understand. It made me emotional at times how people were just able to write her off as a dumb weirdo, but she was probably one of the smartest people in this town.

This was one of my favorite reads in September. I think that everyone should read this book. I do not recommend reading this book at night, especially the last 40 or 50 pages you are panicking WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?! Other than that I can’t express enough good things to say!

Pictured is me drinking some Octoberfest while reading in my back yard. I wanted to be in the environment like the book, outside on a hot humid day. Also pictured are some ARCs that I will be reading the next couple of months that are coming out late this year/early next year.

 

 

Growing and Changing in Spring

Submitted by stephanie on Sun, 04/08/2018 - 12:00am

We have just returned from a much needed vacation on Spring Break. This respite gave me loads of time to rest, think, reflect, and redirect my energy. I have had too many balls in the air, with little control of my schedule and needed to slow down. My "real job" has been busy, with growth of new employees and the imminent doom of Blue Cross going out of network with Piedmont. This affects about 50 % of my patients, unfortunately. My "new job" as a bookstore owner is becoming more real by the day. I am finally starting to know what I don't know, and that represents progress for me. At first, I was so naive, that I thought this business would be easy. It's retail, how hard could it be. The first 4 months, it was as if I was trying to drink from a fire hose. It was survival mode- from mistake to crisis to another mistake. Now, not so much. I finally realized I can take baby steps and not feel pressured to know or do everything at once. I have hired two great employees who run the day to day business without needing much supervision. They are giving me the freedom to relax and enjoy the fun aspects of this career. 

Now, we are moving into our second season at Story on the Square and enjoying seeing regular customers. Thru event planning, we are starting to understand what our community wants. Our story times have become a special time with our favorite clients. Author events are filling up the spring calendar and we are seeing more customers at each one. It's so exciting to meet an author and have them personalize your copy of their book. We are hosting some big name authors this Spring with Joshilyn Jackson at our Ferst Foundation Luncheon April 17th, and Kimmery Martin April 20th at Pasta Max for an author luncheon. 

The construction of the permanent building at 19 Griffin Street is coming along well. I have ordered the custom bookshelves from Franklin Fixtures in Cooksville, TN who specialize in bookstore fixtures. We ordered the elevator right here in Griffin, GA from Premier Elevators. I've picked out paint colors and windows, so now we are getting to the fun stuff!  Our construction schedule is set to be complete by August, but we will keep you updated. 

I spend some of Spring Break in Savannah at E. Shaver bookseller. I looked at their beautiful collection of carefully curated books, but more importantly, inhaled the lovely environment they have created for their readers. I sat down on a comfy couch and listened to the calming music, spied on all the customers, and watched the fat, yellow cat curl up into the sunshine filled window, and I exhaled. I started crying tears of joy, knowing I had found my place and my calling. I can not wait to create my own space, offer the same sanctuary to my customers, and have them sit down and exhale. 

Stephanie

 

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