February at the Bookshop
This is a reproduction of our February subscribers newsletter. You can get this sent directly to your inbox by joining our mailing list. We send emails about once a month.
February 19, 2022
Hello reader,
Adam and I are currently making our way home to Greytown from Hokitika. We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary by cycling the incredibly impressive West Coast Wilderness Trail. 💛
I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to visit regional New Zealand but February and March are surely two of the best months. Autumn is making itself known in the trees and gardens but the weather is still stable enough to enjoy a morning coffee outdoors.
This week on the South Island’s West Coast has reminded me how much pleasure there is in a slow ramble around a small town. At this time of year most independent shopkeepers have time to chat, share local knowledge and give their best recommendations.
At Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop, February marks the start of the local awards season. NZ Booklovers and The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards both announced their long lists this month. For us, these lists are a chance to look at titles we may have missed throughout the year and make an effort to try one or two titles outside our comfort zone. Having said that, Mr Matthews and Mrs Blackwell have both tagged early favourites in their go-to categories! Pop in and have a look for yourself - Mr Matthews has set up a dedicated display on our main table.
The Roasting Tin Collection
Rukmini Iyer’s one dish recipe books quickly became a Blackwell favourite this summer - we came for the allure of an entire dinner in a single dish (!) and we stayed because the recipes are so delicious and full of flavour.
The core collection has been joined by two plant-based editions: The Green Roasting Tin and The Green BBQ - both suitable for vegans, vegetarians and anyone looking to eat a bit less meat in 2022.
Memories to Cherish
This series of guided journals were a surprise hit for Christmas but are just so delightful they’ve continued running out the door all summer. 200 thought-provoking writing prompts designed to collect a full record of adventures, stories, and wisdom from the author. Questions like:
'What is the very earliest memory you have?'
'What motivated you when you were young?'
'What are three pieces of life advice you can give me to pass down to my own children?'
Right now we have a journal for mothers, fathers, grandfathers and a guided journal for your own life story. Grandma proved the most popular (of course she did!) but we’re expecting more soon. Send us a message if you’d like to reserve a copy and we’ll contact you when Grandma is back in stock.
Two Blackwells Are Better Than One
Mr Blackwell & I pulled an all-nighter in high level negotiations earlier this week, and after an undignified number of tantrums and tears, Mr Blackwell wiped his nose and signed off on the following offer for February & March:
For every $50 in Mrs Blackwell's Village Bookshop Vouchers purchased online, Mr Blackwell will add - at no charge - a $10 Blackwell & Sons Voucher.
Spend $100 on Bookshop vouchers? Get a $20 Blackwell & Sons voucher. Spend $1,000? Get $200. You can see how this works.
Why this and why now? We understand many of our customers would prefer the convenience of online shopping at the moment instead of venturing out and we want to make it easier.
Featherston Booktown
Near and dear to our local hearts is Featherston Booktown - a weekend long celebration of books, readers and writers - just 10 minutes from Greytown. We got a top-secret preview of the 2022 program and while we've promised our silence we can say you’ll want to be on their mailing list when the schedule is released next month.
The Bookshop Journal
Many people are surprised to learn that Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop does not maintain a Facebook presence. We’re very active digital citizens on Instagram and once a month I take some time to add more comprehensive thoughts to the Bookshop Journal.
Recently I’ve written an Eraser Primer for my fellow pencil enthusiasts and some thoughts about my second favourite year-round activity, the Simple Joy of Letter Writing.
Happy reading until next time,
Mrs Millie Blackwell
This is a reproduction of our February subscribers newsletter. You can get this sent directly to your inbox by joining our mailing list. We send emails about once a month.
