Spotlight on Bookstores: *A Novel Idea* in Bristol, Rhode Island

Eve Marie Mont lives with her husband, Ken, and her shelter dog, Maggie, in suburban Philadelphia, where she teaches high school English and creative writing.  I’m excited to welcome her to She Is Too Fond of Books with a Spotlight on Bookstores post about a charming shop in Rhode Island.  Eve may find her own novel on the shelves the next time she visits – her debut novel, Free to a Good Home, was published recently by Berkley, a division of Penguin Publishing:

Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find the perfect homes. If only it were as easy to find the same thing for herself. After discovering that she can’t have children—and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband—Noelle feels as forlorn and abandoned as the strays she rescues.

She can’t seem to get over her ex, Jay. Unfortunately, all Jay wants from her is a whopper of a favor: serving as a caretaker for his elderly mother, who still blames Noelle for the breakup. While Jay heads off to Atlanta to live the life of a bachelor, Noelle is left with only her Great Dane, Zeke, to comfort her. But when a carefree musician named Jasper gives her a second chance at life—and at love—Noelle comes to realize that home is truly where the heart is.

Please check out Eve’s contest on her website for a chance to win a book club package of eight signed copies and a Skype call-in. Also, if you’d like to read a sneak preview, click here.  And now, Eve’s guest post:

For years now, my husband and I have spent our vacations exploring various parts of New England, our dream being to one day live in a cottage by the sea. During one of our explorations, we discovered the seaside town of Bristol, Rhode Island, and it quickly became one of our favorite destinations. Situated on the Narragansett Bay, Bristol is the quintessential New England village, complete with clapboard houses, brick walkways lit by old-fashioned gas lamps, a picturesque bike path that runs along the waterfront all the way to Providence, and rows of quaint restaurants and shops with panoramic views of the harbor. Incidentally, the town also boasts the “oldest, continuously celebrated Fourth of July Celebration in the country,” a claim to fame so unique that I wrote it into my first novel.

So it is fitting that the bookstore in this town also fits my ideal for the perfect New England bookstore. A Novel Idea sits at the beginning of Hope Street in a red brick Tudor-style building with green awnings, reminiscent of the shops on Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. And when you open the door, you do feel transported, surrounded by forest green shelves stacked with books, their covers facing out proudly—classics and new releases, nonfiction and bestsellers. They have an adorable, adopted Tortoiseshell cat named TJ that will happily climb into your lap if you sit down to read. A sunny table by the front window holds fresh juices, coffee, and snacks, and a children’s section in the back sports a cozy rug just perfect for a read-along.

The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and the proprietor, Sue Woodman, strives to make her small niche of the book world warm, enticing, and relevant, selling both new and used books, renting out new releases for a nominal fee, and hosting book signings to entertain and enlighten her loyal and new customers. A Novel Idea is a bookstore where customers can browse or sit for hours, coffee in hand, bookstore kitty on lap, discussing recommendations with the staff or customers and reveling in the collective joy of fellow book lovers. 

A thriving independent bookstore is becoming a rare and special thing. Revisiting A Novel Idea reminds me how important it is to support our local bookstores and other independently owned businesses lest we lose the human connection that makes life worth living. What better place to celebrate that life than at a friendly neighborhood bookstore filled with stimulating reads and even more stimulating people. Enjoy your bookstore browsing this summer, and thank you Dawn for inviting me to guest post on “Spotlight on Bookstores”!!

 Eve, you are so very welcome!  And thank you for sharing the goodness of A Novel Idea with me and readers of my blog!  I love the idea of uninterrupted time in this store – with a hot coffee, a purring cat, and the company of other book lovers.