New Beginnings Art Reception
2020-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 UTC | Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 East Main St, Webster, MA, 01570, United States
Come meet some of the artists participating in this month’s group show, New Beginnings.
Light refreshments will be served.

Love is Worth the Work author event
2020-02-08 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Have you and your spouse hit a rough patch in your relationship? Have you devalued yourself so much that you lack self-love? Ed and Angel Cooper have taken their relationship tips and experiences from The Cooper Chronicles Show and turned their knowledge into a book called “Love is Worth the Work”.
“Love is Worth the Work” is a 30-day challenge designed to demonstrate love and care for your spouse and self. Readers will be empowered and inspired to create an effective change within their relationships. Some topics you will read about include rekindling the love, self-care, communication techniques, importance of forgiving fast, reinventing your relationship, and keeping it special, spicy, and spontaneous. By completing the questions, challenges, and reflections, we hope that you will gain more insight and be strengthened during your journey towards love.
Ed and Angel Cooper have been married for over 25 years. Their goal is to see married couples communicating, working together and growing in their love for one another. They want single people to understand that life
is still great regardless of their single status. In addition to understanding that singleness is a time for preparation and personal self-growth and love. Also, everyone should work together to build the community around them, supporting and encouraging one another to be their best, bringing their best together to the table to restore lives and provide everyone a quality life.
This is a free event and signed copies of the book will be available for purchase.

New Beginnings group art show & sale
2020-02-04 - 2020-02-29
Come view this month’s group art show, New Beginnings, featuring 13 local artists in various media including paintings, photography, collage, mixed media and wood carving. On display through February 29th during regular business hours: Tue-Fri 10-6:30, Sat 10-5, closed Sun & Mon

Call to Artists - New Beginnings group art show
2020-01-31 10:00 - 2020-02-01 17:00 UTC
In honor of the new decade, this year’s annual group February show at Bookovers’ Gourmet will have the theme of “New Beginnings”. Artwork in any media including photography, painting, drawing, collage, fiber, etc. will be considered and must be framed or ready to hang on the wall. Work must not be larger than 24″ in any direction.
Drop off dates: Friday, January 31st, 10-6:30 or Saturday, February 1st, 10-5

Location: Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main Street, Webster, MA 01570
Show Dates: February 4th-29th
This will be a juried show. Up to 2 pieces may be submitted for review.
$10 entry fee per person at time of delivery.
A 25% commission will be taken on any sales during the show.
For questions call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com

Monthly Book Group
2020-01-29 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
The featured book this month is Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.
To sign up please call 508-949-6232. Books are available for purchase at a 10% discount.

Artist Reception for "In Pieces"
2020-01-18 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Afterglow by Lora Brueck
Meet and greet with artist/photographer Lora Brueck.
Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public.
Artist’s Bio
With almost 30 years of photography behind me, I have seen and enjoyed many photographic processes from black and white film to digital. In the early 1990s, I began using infrared film and hand-coloring my infrared images, creating and exhibiting series including classic cars and carnival rides. In 1995, I was introduced to making artists’ books, individual books which use collage, photography, printing and other techniques. This allowed me to use my photography in ways other than matting and framing. Creating artists books challenged me to sequence images to tell a story, paying particular attention to form and craftsmanship
In moving from film to digital photography, I began exploring mixed media and collage, using my own photographic images as points of departure. What I find intriguing about collage is combining images and materials from different sources and contexts to create new pieces with a new meanings. I enjoy the craft aspect of decorating paper, using paste and various printing techniques. I have combined these techniques along with my photography in this show “In Pieces.”
I have exhibited my work in solo and group shows since the 1980s. As a member of the Sunday Photography Group, ARTXII, the Boston Book Arts, and f8, I have participated in collaborative and collective exhibitions in the Worcester area.

The Fall of the House of Trump author event
2020-01-11 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Meet local author and historian Paul Macek who will discuss his brand new book “The Fall of the House of Trump” which covers an historical overview of topics such as immigration, education, elections, health care, economics and the environment to name a few, putting everything that is happening now into a greater perspective.

In Pieces – Photographic Works by Lora Brueck
2020-01-03 - 2020-01-31
Ships of Galilee by Lora Brueck
“In Pieces” combines photography and paper crafts to create unique two-dimensional photographic works. The artworks are made in a grid configuration using individual collaged photographs bordered by unique papers in quilt-like patterns. The grids are united by theme, color, or shape to tell a story. The paper borders serve as frames both containing and expanding on the grid images.
In the world of digital photography, where it is possible to create hundreds of images in one shooting session, a single perfect image, matted and framed, may not tell the whole story. The collaged works in this show delve deeper into a site or event to create a totally new work combining shapes and colors of related, or in some cases, unrelated subjects.

CLOSED
2019-12-31
We will be closed New Years Eve

CLOSED
2019-12-25
We will be closed Christmas Day

Special Hours
2019-12-24
Closing @ 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve

Signs of Spirit book event with Roland Comtois
2019-12-21 12:30 - 14:00 UTC
Join us for an inspiring afternoon with medium Roland Comtois! His new book “Signs of Spirit” contains Beautiful Messages of Hope, Love, and Healing Sent from Spirits to the Loved Ones They Left Behind.

When a powerful spiritual presence directed Roland Comtois to write down the messages he receives from the other side, Roland decided to do just that … and the results have been astonishing. Signs of Spirit presents the heartwarming stories of people who have received Roland’s Purple Papers and confirmed that the messages are from their loved ones in spirit. In this book, you will read actual messages from siblings sent through Roland to their grief-stricken brothers or sisters. You will discover stories of hope sent to children who struggle with the loss of their parents. You will feel the immense gratitude and relief that comes when messages reveal that loved ones in spirit are safe and at peace.

Caryls' Art Studio Reception
2019-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Orange Slices, watercolor & ink by Kaylah Brace
Come meet and chat with some of the student artists from Caryl’s Studio & Creative Design.
Light refreshments will be served.

Caryl's Studio & Design Student Art Show
2019-12-03 - 2019-12-28
Student work from Caryl’s Studio & Creative Design including watercolors, acrylics & mixed media will be on display December 3rd-28th
Join us for a reception on Saturday, December 14th from 2-4 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Gallery hours are Monday 10-5, Tuesday-Friday 10-6:30, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-3.
Founded in 2012, Caryl’s Studio is located at 148 Thompson Road in Webster and is an eclectic art studio offering adult decorative painting, children’s classes, painting parties, birthday parties, fundraisers and more. For more information visit www.carylsartstudio.com

Meet Author/Illustrator Ralph Masiello
2019-11-30 13:00 - 16:00 UTC
Come celebrate Small Business Saturday with a special appearance by author/illustrator Ralph Masiello! Ralph Masiello—affectionately known as ‘The Icky Bug Man’—has illustrated several children’s books including The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, The Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book, and The Flag We Love.
In 2004, Ralph’s first book as both author and illustrator was released–Ralph Masiello’s Bug Drawing Book. With his signature humor and simple instructions anyone can learn to draw. His latest book, Ralph Masiello’s Alien Drawing Book, was released in October 2019 by Charlesbridge Press.
A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Ralph has produced numerous works of fine art for galleries in addition to picture book illustrations and magazine covers for Omni and Tennis. He is twice the recipient of the Society of Illustrators Certificate of Merit. But it is his visits with school children that give him the most satisfaction. “Adults are very subdued. They say, ‘Isn’t that lovely?’ But children will go, ‘That’s so cool, dude!’ That’s better than any award.” Along with discussing the technical aspects of book making, Ralph tells his audience about his own education, stressing reading and library skills as they relate to the research and development of an accurately illustrated book. Audience participation and spontaneity is highly emphasized and always leads to boisterous, but stimulating and educational, fun for kids. For years, children have benefited from visits from ‘The Icky Bug Man.’
Ralph is the father of two daughters and lives in Thompson, CT.

Small Business Saturday
2019-11-30
Celebrate shopping local independents with us! Enjoy refreshments, raffles and special deals all day long!!
Special appearance by children’s author/illustrator Ralph Massiello who will sign copies of his books including his latest “Alien Drawing Book” and do some drawing demos from 1-4 p.m.
Don’t miss out on all the fun and get your holiday shopping done!

Mystery Author Debi Graham-Leard
2019-11-23 13:00 - 15:00 UTC
Debi Graham-Leard
Come by to meet mystery author Debi Graham-Leard. Her books, ‘The Uninvited Guest’, ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Trouble’, and ‘Bed, Breakfast, & Blackmail’ are set in a fictitious version of Norton, MA that has been moved to the coast and renamed Harbor Falls. The genre is traditional mystery with cozy touches. This is a free event with books available for purchase. For more information visit the author’s blog at debigrahamleard.com.
About the books: The series is built around amateur sleuth Gwen Andrews, widow and retired music professor. Each story takes place in a different season and a different location within Harbor Falls: Gwen’s home in a converted library on the village green, her friend’s bookstore near the waterfront, the newly opened B&B. A ghost or two along the way deepens the mysteries.
About the author: Debi was born in mid-state Delaware, graduating from J.B. Moore High School in Smyrna. After attending the University of Delaware for one year, she moved to New England, later earning her degree in business/marketing at Bryant University. When she retired from the the custom jewelry industry in 2010, she decided to try her hand at writing a mystery, resulting in ‘The Uninvited Guest.’ The second and third stories in the series have been published, and she’s now plotting the 4th story. She lives with her husband in southeastern Massachusetts.

Shapes of Poetry & Colors of Music
2019-11-16 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Join us for a fun afternoon celebrating poetry and music with Lindsay Adler & Emily Burns!
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
Purchase tickets HERE.
For more information about the performers go HERE.

"Second Chances" artist reception
2019-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Stop by to meet quilter and photographer Bette LaHair! Pick up a nature inspired hand-quilted hot pad for yourself or a gift. Browse the garden photography too!
Light refreshments will be served. Free.

"Second Chances" art exhibit by Bette LaHair
2019-11-02 - 2019-11-30
Hot pad quilts designed by Bette LaHair
Hand quilted pieces featuring nature and wildlife motifs as well as digital photographs inspired by local gardens created by Bette LaHair will be on display and for sale November 2nd-30th.
You are also invited to a meet the artist reception on Saturday, November 2nd from 2-4 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Owls, deer, bear and fox return along with cardinals and chickadees, sailboats and beach scenes. These hot pads make great holiday gifts or gifts for any time of year!
Proceeds from the sale of photographs will be donated to The Dudley Conservation Land Trust.

Monthly Book Group
2019-10-30 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
Monthly Book Group meets to discuss The Witch Elm by Tana French. Free. Space is limited so please call 508-949-6232 to register.
For a review by Stephen King, go HERE.

Book Signing/Poetry Reading with Sky Boivin
2019-10-19 13:00 - 15:00 UTC
Come by and get yourself a copy of the full collection of poetry by Sky Boivin who will share her writings and artwork this day.
Full collections of poetry will be $40.
Other books that date will be $20 and artwork will be varied depending on availability of stock.

Author event with Marie LeClaire
2019-10-12 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Come meet and chat with writer Marie LeClaire! She will be signing and discussing her two companion books, The Last Yard Sale, which grew out of a short story she wrote as a spiritual exercise in letting go of that which no longer serves us, and A Soldier’s Last Mission, about a mysterious yard sale that sends a Vietnam vet on a mission to save the life of an Afghanistan soldier. This is a free event and books will be available for signing & purchase.
Marie LeClaire has spent the past thirty years as a mental health counselor encouraging others to look beyond our sometimes limited perspective and see a bigger picture of what influences our lives and guides our behavior. She has been writing novels and short stories for the past five years. She still does a little counseling part time but her love now is purely fiction – sort of. After all, art imitates life, doesn’t it? Wandering around much of her adult life, she has come full circle and calls Worcester, Massachusetts, home.

Jean Grant author meet & greet
2019-10-05 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Come meet local author Jean M. Grant and share a cup of coffee or tea with a tasty scone. She’ll be chatting about the inspiration behind her historical romance fiction and contemporary women’s fiction books, and have a few for purchase and signing.
For more information, visit her blog HERE.

Gargoyles and Graveyards: B&W Photography Exhibit by Paul Szlosek
2019-10-01 - 2019-10-31
Stop by October 1st-31st to view the black & white photography of poet and artist Paul Szlosek.
A meet the artist reception including an open mic poetry reading will take place on Saturday, October 26th from 1-4 p.m. For more information call 508-949-6232.
Paul Szlosek is an artist, magician, poet, blogger, and photographer born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, but currently residing in Worcester. He was a founder and host of the popular Poet’s Parlor poetry venue for over 13 years, and has recently started a brand new open mic and featured poet reading series (with Ron Whittle) in Southbridge called The Poetorium at Starlite. His daily photo blog can be viewed HERE.
Artist’s Statement: Since I first took a photograph of a cement bulldog with wings dripping a steady stream of water from his jaws along the roadside in Sturbridge in 2013, I have become fascinated with this strange parallel world of fantastical creatures that exists along side ours, but we seldom notice: gargoyles lurking in our architecture, marble angels weeping in our cemeteries, and fairies frolicking on our front lawns. With my digital camera, I have sought to capture these strange and striking statuary throughout New England, and share them with the rest of the globe on my daily photo blog Gargoyles and Grotesques :Don’t Look Up! Something May Be Watching You…, posting over 2000 such images there through the years. Although the digital images are originally in color, I have made the artistic choice of draining them of all hue, feeling B&W is the perfect medium for the subject matter. To misquote a popular Paul Simon song, monochrome “makes you think all the world’s a gloomy day” and everything looks weirder in black and white.” This exhibit “Gargoyles and Graveyards” is just a small sampling of these photographs, but I hope they will be your portal into this eerie yet tender otherworldly universe.

Acoustic Musician Cameron Sutphin
2019-09-28 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Acoustic musician Cameron Sutphin makes a return performance! Donations will be accepted.
Like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger before him, Cameron Sutphin has been traveling around the United States performing classic country and folk music wherever he stops, as a solo acoustic artist. With his newly released album, Reason to Believe, Cameron takes his songwriting to a whole new level, as each one of the ten songs on the album all have a tangible personal touch. Since releasing his debut CD My Guitar and Me in 2011 it has gone on to sell well over 1,000 units and have radio play in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Transcending the genre of folk Americana, Cameron’s music echoes inspiration from singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young – combining simple melodies and a lyrical intensity, while establishing a unique sound of his own.

Broken Open author event
2019-09-21 10:30 - 12:30 UTC
Join us for a special Broken Open author talk and signing with Mal Duane. The event is free and books will be available to purchase. Space is limited so to reserve yours call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com Mal’s powerful and inspiring message guides women to release their limiting beliefs and to heal themselves so they can live and love as whole and authentic women.
TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:
HOW DO YOU HEAL FROM BETRAYAL?
UNDERSTANDING YOUR HALF OF THE RELATIONSHIP
WHAT IS YOUR LOVE STORY?
FINDING FREEDOM IN FORGIVENESS
LEARN-LISTEN-LOVE, A NEW STORY
HEARTBREAK HAS MEANING AND PURPOSE

Mal is an inspirational speaker, best-selling author and spiritual life coach. She is recognized as an expert on reclaiming your self worth and showing women how to bring forward the potential that lies buries beneath their scars. She has triumphed over devastating life challenges and uses her experiences to coach others to awaken to a life of purpose and real happiness. Her new book, “Broken Open”, is a culmination of lessons learned through her own painful experience of heartbreak and betrayal.

Dancing Past the Graveyard Book Event
2019-09-14 13:00 - 15:00 UTC
Join us if you dare for a presentation and signing by author Paul Eno for the new book from Schiffer/Red Feather: Dancing Past the Graveyard: Poltergeists, Parasites, Parallel Worlds and God. You will never look at the paranormal or yourself the same way again!
For more information visit here.

September Art Exhibit
2019-09-10 - 2019-09-28
This month featured artist is owner Debra Horan. A Retrospective: Drawings & Photographs will be on display September 10th-28th with a meet the artist reception on Friday, September 27th from 5-6:30 p.m.
About the artist: A Webster native, Debra is a graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. From 1994 through 2004 she was an active member of the women’s artist group ARTXII, based out of Worcester, MA, who organized and participated in collaborative regional and national gallery, university and museum shows.
Since 1995, she has owned and managed Booklovers’ Gourmet, a bookstore, cafe and art gallery, in Webster, MA. This career enables her to combine her artistic and literary interests as well as help support local artists, authors, poets and musicians in the community by creating a welcoming place for them to gather and draw inspiration from one another.
Debra is currently working in photography, drawing and collage with mixed media elements. Her main inspiration comes from the beauty and serenity of nature, especially trees, and the importance of connecting to our natural environment and open space, leading to a deeper sense of respect, well-being, self-discovery and interconnectedness to every living being.

Closed for Vacation
2019-09-01 - 2019-09-09
We will be closed for vacation September 2nd-9th, reopening on Tuesday, September 10th at 10 a.m.
