grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

  • Home
  • Biography
  • Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • My Thoughts on Publishing
  • SHOP!
  • Garden
  • Food
  • Crafts
  • Farm
  • Reading & Books
  • Sunday Letter

That Bookstore in Blytheville – New Owner!

October 7, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 6 Comments

TBIB New Owner
Have you been to That Bookstore in Blytheville (TBIB) lately?
In 1976, Mary Gay Shipley opened That Bookstore on Main Street in Blytheville, Arkansas, as a place to swap one stack of used paperbacks for another stack of ‘un-read’ paperbacks. Only a little hole in the wall,  Mary Gay nurtured and grew her bookstore, which eventually attracted New York Times best-selling authors to her little spot along the Arkansas Delta Byways. 
When she announced her retirement, I worried. I don’t like change, especially when books are involved.
I am happy to report I still love it. The new owner of TBIB, Grant Hill, is book knowledgeable and friendly. He humored me as I ‘practiced’ being on book tour.
See? Here I am pretending to be at my very first book signing. The picture is blurry because I’m too excited to be still.
That Bookstore in Blytheville

My friend Harold says I’m the only person he’s ever heard of who promotes a book yet to be published. So? I’m just extreme vision boarding…

TBIB dedicates rows of shelving to regional books by local authors. There are many. I stared at the books lining this section and pictured copies of my book stacked right beside Reflections from the Black Lagoon by Julie Adams. (Julie, from Blytheville, was the Creature’s bathing beauty…) 
Grace Grits and Gardening Candle
Grace Grits candle posing at TBIB in front of Julie Adam’s Creature book…:)

If you live or travel anywhere in Northeast Arkansas or the bootheel of Missouri, be sure to stop by TBIB and buy a few great books (or a whole stack like my mother and I did). And be sure to follow TBIB on Facebook and Twitter. Wherever you live, go out today and support your local independent bookstore.
That bookstore in Blytheville

Now, I need to find a publisher…

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Filed Under: Reading & Books, Writing Tagged With: Mississippi County, Mississippi Delta, Northeast Arkansas, TBIB

Wanna receive posts via email? Sign up here!

Comments

  1. Talya's Mom says

    October 7, 2013 at 7:07 am

    I can’t wait for your books to be published. I have read Talya’s first book; it is wonderful. I laughed, I cried, and I loved every page of it. (AND, I am not biased.) So proud.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      October 7, 2013 at 8:15 am

      of course you aren’t:)

      Reply
  2. Rachel Hough says

    October 7, 2013 at 10:49 am

    Great post Talya! I love those places like that. One of my favorites called “The Book Worm” in Grove, Oklahoma was like that until the owner retired and then it did close. I don’t think you need all that practicing…hurry up and publish that book so I can come see you on your tour!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      October 7, 2013 at 3:02 pm

      Girl don’t I wish!

      Reply
  3. gina knuppenburg says

    October 7, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    So I’m wondering- do you constantly travel? I haven’t ever stopped by TBIB but I think I might have driven by ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      October 7, 2013 at 3:03 pm

      haha quite a bit now that I’m ‘retired’. TBIB is only a few miles from where I grew up in Northeast Arkansas. I actually took these pictures last time I was home on the farm:)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Never miss a blog post! Subscribe via email:

Prior Posts

Tags

A to Z April Blog Challenge Autumn BAT Book Reviews childhood Christmas creative writing prompt Dallas Desserts Eureka Springs Fall Fayetteville Food Gracie Lee Halloween Hemingway-Pfeiffer home humor Johnson Family Keiser Lake Norfork Lucy and Annabelle Mississippi County Mississippi Delta moving Munger Place Nana nature Northeast Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Osceola poem Reading Schnauzer simple living simple things spring spring gardening Summer sunday letter Talya Tate Boerner novel The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee Thomas Tate Winter Wordless Wednesday

Books by Talya Boerner / Purchase in Grace Grits SHOP

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!

All content and photos Copyright Grace, Grits and Gardening © 2023 ยท Web Hosting By StrataByte