Public Reception for BVAA Sunflower Show
2022-08-13 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 East Main St, Webster, MA, 01570, United States
Come meet some of the participating artists of The Blackstone Valley Art Association and their unique interpretations of the beautiful sunflower!

Bookstore Romance Day!
2022-08-20 10:00 - 17:00
Bookstore Romance Day was created in 2019 to bring indie bookstores and the Romance community together in a day of celebration.
Join us in celebrating a little bit of romance! Special discounts and giveaways all day long!!
20% OFF all new & used romance books & Hardin Soy Candles. Exclusive pin free with any purchase-while supplies last!
Register for special virtual panels HERE!
To view and order a curated list of books, go HERE.
For some cool merch, go HERE.

"Summer on the Island" Book Group
2022-08-24 17:30 - 19:00
This month we will be enjoying some light summer reading with Summer on the Island, the perfect beach read by Brenda Novak. A summer of healing, friendship, love…and a secret that could change everything.
If you wish to join us, please email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or call 508-949-6232.
All book group picks get a 10% discount in store or online.
Get the eBook HERE.

Sisters Call & Respond- To Nature and To Each Other
2022-09-01 - 2022-09-30
“Sisters Call & Respond- To Nature and To Each Other”– A Photography Exhibit by Christine M. Croteau and Elizabeth Croteau-Kallestad will be on display and for sale September 1st-30th. Viewing hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10-5, Wednesday 10-6. Please note: the store will be closed September 12th-19th for vacation.
For more information call 508-949-6232.
A public meet & greet with the artists will take place on Saturday, September 10th from 1-3 p.m. Attendees will be eligible to win a set of photos through a raffle.
This exhibit was created to show how art can be used as a means of getting close, in human relationships and in relationships to the natural world. In a largely fragmented world, art and nature can be connectors and community builders. Sisters, Elizabeth Croteau-Kallestad and Christine M. Croteau both photographers and naturalists, came together to collaborate on this call and response exhibit.

Why You Need a Plan to Self-Publish Your Book
2022-09-10 10:30 - 12:00
Lindsay Whiting, Book Coach
Join us for a free workshop with Book Coach/Publishing Consultant Lindsay Whiting.
Registration is recommended by calling 508-949-6232 or emailing deb@bookloversgourmet.com.
If you are a business professional, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, or expert, then you probably already know that publishing a book can amplify your message and attract new opportunities. The focus on this workshop will be on non-fiction writing. Whether you have a manuscript at the ready or are just starting the writing process, this workshop will benefit you.
For more information, visit www.selfpublishersbookplan.com

Reception for Sisters Call & Respond Art Show
2022-09-10 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for a meet & greet with sister artists Christine Croteau and Elizabeth Croteau-Kallestad.
Attendees will be eligible to win a set of photos through a special raffle that day only!!
This exhibit was created to show how art can be used as a means of getting close, in human relationships and in relationships to the natural world. In a largely fragmented world, art and nature can be connectors and community builders. Sisters, Elizabeth Croteau-Kallestad and Christine M. Croteau both photographers and naturalists, came together to collaborate on this call and response exhibit.

CLOSED FOR VACATION
2022-09-11 - 2022-09-19
We will be closed for vacation September 12th-19th.
See you back on Tuesday, September 2oth!

Halloween Theme Paint Nite with Jean Walker
2022-09-23 18:00 - 20:00
Paint your own wooden picket fence in a fun, seasonal design just in time to display in your home for Halloween!
The class will be led by Jean Walker, the finished piece is 4 feet tall. All supplies provided.
Space is limited, so reserve your space early!! Stop in the store to sign up or register HERE.

Banned Books Week Bingo
2022-09-24 13:00 - 14:00
Join us in celebrating Banned Books Week with a fun, informative game of Bingo! Prizes including stickers, bookmarks & t-shirts will be awarded.
The event is free and open to all. To register, email deb@bookloversgourmet.com
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Banned Books Week 2022 will be held September 18–24.
The theme of this year’s event is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
For the latest updates and list of Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021, go HERE.

Evening Book Group Movie Night - Lion
2022-09-28 18:00 - 20:30
Join us for the annual book group Movie Night! We will be watching Lion, based on the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. The movie will be hosted at a member’s home. Please call or email for location and directions.
First it was a media sensation. Then it became the New York Times bestseller and #1 international bestseller A Long Way Home. Now it’s Lion, the major motion picture starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, and Rooney Mara–nominated for six Academy Awards!
This is the miraculous and triumphant story of Saroo Brierley, a young man who used Google Earth to rediscover his childhood life and home in an incredible journey from India to Australia and back again.
For a review, go HERE.
All book group picks are available for purchase in store or online at a 10% discount!!
For the ebook, go HERE. For the audiobook, go HERE.

October Art Exhibit-Big Colors in Small Works by Linda Littleton
2022-10-01 - 2022-10-29
Come by to check out the October art show featuring Abstract Alcohol & Ink Paintings by Linda Littleton.
Artwork will be on display and for sale October 1st-29th in the cafe gallery and can be viewed during regular business hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-5, Wednesday 10-6, Closed Sunday & Monday
The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Friday, October 14th, 4-6 p.m.
About the artist: Linda Littleton is a local “Lake Artist” best known for her watercolor, many of which are on display and for sale at Point Breeze and her acrylics at Hometown Bank. But Linda also delves into other mediums. Alcohol and ink is a favorite as she has put on many workshops with this “somewhat messy” medium. The results are small abstracts bursting with color pleasing to the senses. Linda will have over 30 small abstracts for show and for sale. Please come by and enjoy these bright little works!

Intro to Digital Photography Workshop #1
2022-10-01 10:30 - 12:30
Do you have a 35mm digital camera that is still sitting in the box? Have you not taken your camera out of the camera bag in months or even years? If so, then the “Introduction to Digital Photography” class is for you.
This is a class designed for those folks who got a new digital camera, but are not quite sure how to make it work for them, or for folks who would just like a little refresher. In this class, students will learn the basic skills needed to “get the most out of their digital cameras” in a friendly and nurturing environment.
This course is perfect for beginning students as well as seasoned amateurs who would like to brush up on some basic skills. No previous Photographic knowledge is necessary and any brand of 35mm based single lens reflex (SLR) camera is welcome.
Beginning students will learn basic Photographic principals such as the camera and its controls, how to use aperture and shutter speed together to get a “proper” exposure, depth of field, white balance, tricky lighting situations and how to get the image right “in the camera” so that lots of time isn’t spent correcting the image on the computer.
Beginning and more advanced students will also gain a better understanding of composition, subject matter and image content.
Each student will also get one-on-one instruction on the controls and functions found on their own personal cameras.
Students are encouraged to bring in examples of their work for a personal critique by the instructor.
Total Cost for 3 day workshop is just $75
Register in store, email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or sign up HERE.
Classes will be led by professional photographer, Bil Gardiner, owner of William Gardiner Photography in Worcester.
Artist Bio: William “Bil” Gardiner is a Photographic Artist based in Worcester, MA. The owner of William Gardiner Photography since 2002, his studio specializes in Lifestyle Portraiture. In 2013, he began to focus on a form of Contemplative Photography called Miksang.
An award-winning photographer, Bil has exhibited regionally and has worked in collaboration with professional photographers such as Lou Jones, Stephen DiRado, Darton Drake and Patrick O’Connor.
Bil is a past vice president of the Commercial and Industrial Photographers of New England, as well as a general member of the Professional Photographer’s Association of Massachusetts and the Professional Photographer’s Association of New England.
He is an educator in Photography and has taught frequently in the Central Massachusetts region, including, but not limited to, the Worcester Center for Crafts, the Roudenbush Community Center and most recently at the Booklovers’ Gourmet. During the summer, Bil also teaches a Photography Elective for youth at the Jewish Community Center of Worcester.

Acoustic Music with Cameron Sutphin
2022-10-01 14:00 - 16:00
**THIS SHOW WAS RESCHEDULED FROM AN EARLIER DATE**

Cameron Sutphin is an Americana singer/guitar player. In 2017 as a solo act, he released his debut Nashville Recorded CD Heartbreak Town.

Cameron has also had the privilege to share the stage with many performing artists including national touring artist Drew Kelly, Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards, as well as Emily Ann Roberts Season 9 runner-up on The Voice.

Cameron performs original material and classic country and folk cover songs.
Donations accepted at the door.
CDs will be available for purchase.

Meet the Artist Reception with Linda Littleton
2022-10-14 16:00 - 18:00
Stop by to meet and chat with the featured artist of the month Linda Littleton, whose show Big Colors in Small Works is on display October 1st-29th in our cafe gallery.
Free and open to the public.

Intro to Digital Photography Workshop #2-Cancelled
2022-10-15 10:30 - 12:30
***This workshop series has been cancelled. Stay tuned for further dates.***
This is a class designed for those folks who got a new digital camera, but are not quite sure how to make it work for them, or for folks who would just like a little refresher. In this class, students will learn the basic skills needed to “get the most out of their digital cameras” in a friendly and nurturing environment.
This course is perfect for beginning students as well as seasoned amateurs who would like to brush up on some basic skills. No previous Photographic knowledge is necessary and any brand of 35mm based single lens reflex (SLR) camera is welcome.
Beginning students will learn basic Photographic principals such as the camera and its controls, how to use aperture and shutter speed together to get a “proper” exposure, depth of field, white balance, tricky lighting situations and how to get the image right “in the camera” so that lots of time isn’t spent correcting the image on the computer.
Beginning and more advanced students will also gain a better understanding of composition, subject matter and image content.
Each student will also get one-on-one instruction on the controls and functions found on their own personal cameras.
Students are encouraged to bring in examples of their work for a personal critique by the instructor.
Total Cost for 3 day workshop is just $75
Register in store, email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or sign up HERE.
Classes will be led by professional photographer, Bil Gardiner, owner of William Gardiner Photography in Worcester.
Artist Bio: William “Bil” Gardiner is a Photographic Artist based in Worcester, MA. The owner of William Gardiner Photography since 2002, his studio specializes in Lifestyle Portraiture. In 2013, he began to focus on a form of Contemplative Photography called Miksang.
An award-winning photographer, Bil has exhibited regionally and has worked in collaboration with professional photographers such as Lou Jones, Stephen DiRado, Darton Drake and Patrick O’Connor.
Bil is a past vice president of the Commercial and Industrial Photographers of New England, as well as a general member of the Professional Photographer’s Association of Massachusetts and the Professional Photographer’s Association of New England.
He is an educator in Photography and has taught frequently in the Central Massachusetts region, including, but not limited to, the Worcester Center for Crafts, the Roudenbush Community Center and most recently at the Booklovers’ Gourmet. During the summer, Bil also teaches a Photography Elective for youth at the Jewish Community Center of Worcester.

The Mystery of the Lost Lynx children's author visit
2022-10-22 13:00 - 15:00
Meet children’s author, teacher and nature-lover Tamra Wight as she talks about her latest book, The Mystery of the Lost Lynx, Cooper & Packrat’s 5th eco-adventure for middle-school readers just released in June 2022. Come and play a wildlife fact game and check out Cooper & Packrat’s latest adventure. Signed copies of all books in the series will be available. For more information call 508-949-6232.
About the book: It’s wintertime at Wilder Family Campground! Their favorite campground is opening for winter break, so Cooper, Packrat, Roy, and Summer are excited for snowy fun while helping plan a winter festival. But when they see a lynx kit wearing a pet collar, watch a reckless snowmobiler dash across the ice, and are warned about a dangerous poacher, the young detectives and some cool new friends set off on their most exciting adventure yet. Can they solve the mystery and protect the camp’s wildlife from poachers before it’s too late? Award-winning author Tamra Wight returns with her fifth installment in the Cooper and Packrat series and this time she introduces readers to a whole new season of fun, more excitement than ever, and even a hint of young romance at the Wilder Family Campground.

Poetry Workshop with Robert Eugene Perry
2022-10-29 10:30 - 12:30
Join us for a poetry workshop with Robert Eugene Perry.
Cost is $25. Sign up HERE, in-store or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com
Minimum three poets, maximum six for the workshop.

BOOKLOVERS’ GOURMET WORKSHOP GENERAL SYLLABUS
POETRY IS ABOUT FINDING YOUR VOICE AND LEARNING HOW TO EXPRESS IT!

WRITING PROCESS

WRITER’S BLOCK (UNINSPIRED)

EDITING

ORGANIZING INTO CHAPBOOK/BOOK

PREPARING TO PUBLISH

PUBLISHING OPTIONS

TIPS ON PREPARING FOR PERFORMANCE

STAGE PERFORMANCE: ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE

WORKSHOPPING INDIVIDUAL POEMS (as time allows)

Mother Daughter Art Show ~ Silent Night
2022-11-01 - 2022-11-30
Angel painting by Kathleen Kunkel
This is a show where both Kathleen Kunkel and her daughter Hanna share some of their creative work together. Kathleen will display pieces of mixed media, sharing a feeling of stillness through angels and nature. Other art by Kathleen will be displayed as well. Hanna will share her creativity through her pottery.
On view November 1st-30th in the cafe gallery during regular business hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-5, Wednesday 10-6.
A public meet the artist reception will take place on Wednesday, November 16th from 4-6 p.m.
Pottery by Hanna Kunkel
Call 508-949-6232 for more information.

Make Your Own Junk Journal
2022-11-02 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for a fun mini junk journal class! All supplies are included. Learn how to use bits and pieces to make your journal. A really easy and fun class.

Junk journals are typically made with junk mail, leftover crafting supplies, and miscellaneous ephemera.
Each journal will have ten pages to work on. Learn to add pockets, fold outs, journal cards and more!

Class will be led by Arteria’s Arts owner Annette Provost.

Reserve your space HERE, email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or stop in store.

Curt Curtin Releases New Poetry Collection for Older Children
2022-11-05 14:00 - 16:00
Curt Curtin and his wife, Dee O’Connor, will read from his latest collection, So Much Depends On Where You Live, which is both playful and deeply serious. Targeted to young readers in their teens and tweens, the collection includes the “wit, inventive rhyme schemes, and fun wordplay” that characterized his previous collection for younger children, but this new work includes challenging subject matter more appropriate for older children. The opening section entices the reader with images of home, presenting warm memories in a diversity of settings ranging from a nine-story apartment to a mud hut in the Sahel. The second section moves the reader inward through metaphors of closets and themes of loss, bullying, domestic violence and foster care. The final section zooms out to take in the universe, lightening the mood again with images from earth and beyond.
A brief open mic will start at 2 p.m. followed by the featured reading. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. A bilingual selection of the poems (Spanish and English) is currently in development for distribution within schools and other settings. Teen and pre-teen readers are highly encouraged to attend.
For more information or to reserve a seat or sign up for the open mic (space is limited), call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com.
Curtin has won several awards for poetry including the Worcester County Poetry Association’s Frank O’Hara Award (2010) and the Connecticut Poetry Society’s annual contest (2019). He has twice been named a Pushcart Prize nominee. His poetry has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies, three chapbooks and three other full-length poetry collections.
For more information about the author, visit curtcurtinpoet.com

Winter Cardinal Paint Nite with Jean Walker Creations
2022-11-10 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for a fun night out! Hands on paint class with Jean as she walks you through each step of this beautiful cardinal painting.
Stencil is provided for the cardinal. Finished piece is acrylic paint on 11X14″ canvas.

Cost is $25 per person.
All supplies included. Beverages and snacks will be available.
Just bring yourself and maybe a friend!

Sign up HERE, email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or stop in store.

Healing Wisdom of Dreams author event with Kathleen Webster O'Malley
2022-11-12 13:00 - 15:00
Come meet Kathleen Webster O’Malley, author of The Healing Wisdom of Dreams, published in October 2022 by Hay House, Inc.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com.
Signed copies will be available for purchase and may also be pre-ordered by contacting the store.
About The Healing Wisdom of Dreams
A guide to trusting in the wisdom of our nightly visions and describing how engaging with our dream world can give us a sense of direction, help us to heal current and past hurts, including pre-birth trauma.
We can analyze and interpret our dreams, but we can do so much more: when we understand and engage with our dreams, we are able to tap into a special, deeper kind of healing. The process of healing is not about putting the same pieces back together; rather, it is about reclaiming what is already within us that could never be broken, the essence of who we are as individuals and as interconnected parts of a greater whole. In THE HEALING WISDOM OF DREAMS, health and wellness practitioner Kathleen Webster O’Malley gently guides us through the process of using our dreams to heal unwanted patterns and live more authentically.
She provides specific tools for enhancing dream recall, including dream journaling, and brings in the practices of dream incubation–how to ask our dream a question and receive and interpret an answer–lucid dreaming, and Tibetan dream yoga practices. Nightmares are inevitable when we start to dive deeper into our vulnerabilities and traumas, and O’Malley discusses how to re-vision them as urgent messages that serve to deliver profound realizations. She explores the more mystical side of dreaming: visions from ancestors and spirit guides, animal guides, and archetypes that appear in our dreams. Finally, she encourages us to grant ourselves permission to be playful in our dreams, to envision ourselves as archeologists unearthing our hidden gifts.

Kathleen Webster O’Malley serves as a health and wellness practitioner, combining more than 20 years of chiropractic with other healing modalities that emphasize alignment to the body’s inherent wisdom. A dream enthusiast since childhood, she encourages her patients and wellness clients to look to their dreams as a source of guidance, inspiration, and healing. She is a 2020 recipient of the Visioneers Personal Achievement Award for her contributions to community well-being. The Visioneers is a global community of change-makers. Kathleen’s mission is to inspire greater compassion and encourage others to align with their innermost wisdom to live with greater integrity, intention, and purpose. Kathleen grew up in the Caribbean, among three island nations and currently makes her home in central Massachusetts. To learn more and receive a free, downloadable dream journal, visit kathleenomalleymessages.com

Twas The Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem
2022-11-25 15:00 - 17:00
A new book celebrates the Bicentennial (1822/1823-2022/2023) of the iconic “Twas the Night Before Christmas/A Visit From St. Nicholas”.
“Twas The Night Before Christmas” was read aloud for the first time on Christmas Eve, 1822; first published by the Troy Sentinel newspaper on December 23, 1823. This new book presents the masterpiece’s own story, published in September 2022.
Meet Pamela McColl, author/historian/collector, and authority on the popular poem, who spent a decade compiling and writing “Twas The Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem”.
Signed, personalized copies will be available for purchase that day or pre-order in store.
“A delightful and informative exploration of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” for the holiday season.”- Kirkus Reviews.

Paranormal Author Visit with Thomas D'Agostino & Arlene Nicholson
2022-11-26 13:00 - 16:00
Join us in welcoming back paranormal investigators Tom D’Agostino and Arlene Nicholson as we celebrate Small Business Saturday!
(Stay tuned for more details of a day filled with deals, giveaways, raffles & fun!)
They will be on hand to discuss their latest book, Strange New England, which contains 60 stories of our strange and alluring region, as well as other previous titles including Legends, Lore & Secrets of New England and Guide to Haunted New England.

Walking Through the Woods on a Foggy Day in December-Photo Show
2022-12-01 - 2022-12-31
View the ethereal photographs of Bettie Carlson December 1st-31st in our cafe gallery.
A public meet the artist reception will take place on Sunday, December 11th, 1-3 p.m.
Artist’s Statement: Winter, the time when all the leaves have fallen from the trees and the flowers have died and all the colors have gone from the land. Or have they?? Is it just that the colors are more subtle than in the warmer months? Not everything is dead. Most are just waiting for springtime when they can rise again. But on a foggy day in December, I discovered plenty of color – and some fascinating shapes in the decaying wood and leaves that I might not have noticed with the distractions of all that summertime color. And the fog created a veil to embrace it all.

In A Borrowed Suit book signing event
2022-12-03 13:00 - 15:00
Meet local author Carlo Morrissey who will be discussing and signing his latest novel In A Borrowed Suit.
Free and open to the public. For more information call 508-949-6232.
About the book: Nothing is ever easy! Something always goes wrong!
We can hear Raymond Rosemont muttering such thoughts as the unassuming, socially awkward, middle-aged, loner bumbles his way through one absurd episode after another. While planning the funeral arrangements for his beloved mother, Raymond must interact with his two sisters; one, a hard charging bank executive, who scares Raymond, the other, a Hollywood scriptwriter more interested in having a good time than mourning their mother’s death.
From being locked out of his apartment in a thunderstorm – clad only in his underwear, learning about the effects of drinking too much alcohol, being wrongfully accused of attempted suicide, and finally gaining the interest of a beautiful lady; Raymond manages to muddle through it all. Staying true to himself, discovering real friendship and much more in this darkly humorous tale.
Author bio: Besides Carlo’s latest novel, In a Borrowed Suit, he has also written these other novels Lavender Skies, If You See Your Father, Shoot Him, and I am the Moon. In recent years he has returned to writing poetry, with his most recent work published in the Lowell Review and two new poems will be published in the Spring of 2023 in the Evening Street Review. Carlo retired as a school psychologist for the Worcester Public Schools in 2013. He continues as an adjunct faculty member at Quinsigamond Community College teaching Sociology classes.

Scars to Stars Vol. 2 Book Launch
2022-12-10 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for a book launch with Bil Gardiner, a contributing author in the recently published book, Scars to Stars, Vol 2: Stories of Vulnerability, Resilience, and Overcoming Adversity. “Scars to Stars” is an important book that goes a long way to addressing the issues around people who experience severe trauma and the suicidal ideation that so often occurs. Each story has a slightly different spin on how each author has overcome their Scars and become a true Star.
For more information, call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com.

William “Bil” Gardiner is a Photographic Artist based in Worcester, MA. The owner of William Gardiner Photography since 2002, Bil works as a Child and Family Portrait Photographer as well as a Photographic Artist. An award-winning photographer, Bil has exhibited regionally and has worked in collaboration with professional photographers like Lou Jones, Stephen DiRado, Darton Drake and Patrick O’Connor.
Not able to go to college for Photography, Bil came home and eventually became a Police Officer with the Worcester Police Department (WPD). A few years ago, Bil decided to put pen to paper and start documenting his experiences in the police department, compiling story after story about the way he was treated and how it has affected him. Bil continues to write and is looking forward to publishing his own book one day.

Artist Reception for Foggy Day in December Woods
2022-12-11 13:00 - 15:00
Join us for a meet & greet with photographer Bettie Carlson.

Holiday Pop-Up Book Fair
2022-12-17 13:00 - 16:00
Join us for an afternoon of authors including children’s, fiction & inspirational titles!
Grab a signed copy or more for yourself or a gift to a special reader in your life.

CLOSED-HOLIDAY
2022-12-25 - 2022-12-26
Closed in celebration of the Christmas holiday
