SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
FIND US ON:
Bookmans News
Here's a riddle for you: What does a Betty Page Queen of Pin-up book, a quality amp, two Wii first person shooters, Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking on LP and a DVD of Disney's Cinderella have in common? Kate, our Community Relations Manager in Flagstaff, purchased them at Bookmans as Christmas gifts for her family, that's what!
Claustrophobia anyone?
We can't imagine what would be cooler for holiday gifts than 1) shopping local, 2) not using natural resources by feeding the need to make a bunch of crappy new plastic stuff, 3) finding all kinds of rare treasures in one place and 4) not risking being trampled to death to get that once-a-year discount. Now that Black Friday is over, you can relax that your holiday shopping isn’t done, since you didn’t want to feel like a steer in a slaughterhouse anyway.
Grab your gear because these badass babes are ready to rock out their season opener this Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Arizona Memorial Coliseum. Bookmans sponsors these toughest chicks on wheels. The Arizona Derby Dames return to the coliseum to fight for position for the 2012 season. Teams compete throughout the season for top stats rankings and the chance to move directly into the championship game by ending the season in first place. Second ranked team in 2011 the Runaway Brides take on the Brutal Beauties and 2011 champions the Coffin Draggers compete against the Bombshells.
Snow has fallen on Flagstaff and it's time for some holiday fun in the mountains! Whether you like to ski, visit the best free Santa in town, have a white Christmas or watch the pine cone drop downtown on New Year's Eve, Flagstaff is the place to be!
The best Santa Claus in town comes to us via Tony Norris at Bookmans
Over the next two weeks major fun will be had in Flag. This first Friday's Art Walk will be Dec. 2 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Winter Wonderland in Heritage Square features holiday music, crafts, story time with the public library and visits with Santa (and Mayor Presler). Bring your coats and hats!
As a fourth grade teacher at Mesa Arts Academy Lisa Kush passionately advocates for reading in the classroom. Students in her class consistently earn Bookmans Read 10 coupons as rewards for the books they read each week. A healthy 95 percent of her students achieved mastery on the AIMS math test, which reflects a 28-point jump in their scores from the year before. Additionally Lisa is an active MAAPO (Mesa Arts Academy Parent Organization) member as a teacher and a parent.
The 2011 Mesa Arts Festival is the premier place to find unique gifts for the holidays! Bring the family out for a weekend full of Arizona's best at the beautiful Mesa Arts Center. Original works of art from local, regional and national artists will be featured. Live entertainment showcasing local and national talents on two stages will delight even the most distinct of music lovers. Live artist demonstrations, a variety of children's activities and culinary delights from local food vendors create a well-rounded weekend of fun for everyone.
By request we extended the application deadline for the Bookmans School Challenge to Dec. 31, 2011. While we have received many worthy and inspiring applications we also heard you when you told us how busy educators are and how important the winter break is for attending to these matters.
December is the best time of year to bundle up, grab a warm beverage, spend time on the couch and pop in a movie. As we watched our holiday displays go up, we struck up a conversation about modern Christmas Classics. We decided that we would include films from the 1980s through today in our quest. Just because we dont feel it's fair to pick and choose which one was better than the other we'll just share a few of our favorites with you!
The man in the big red coat is busy being the head honcho at the North Pole but the kids in Mesa are in luck. Taking time out of his busy schedule Santa takes a pit-stop at the Mesa Café this weekend to make sure he doesn't miss out on your Christmas wishes. Not only that he's bringing a friend along!
You've been asking what's happening in our Flagstaff store as we rearrange and reassemble the space that used to be magazine shelves. Don't worry -- this change is for the better. The magazines, comics and RPG shelves are being moved, reorganized and condensed to make space for an expanded musical instrument area. It's not just Bookmans Flagstaff expanding their musical insturment offerings. All six locations have made room for more. There will be guitars and amps and violins and pedals and drum sets galore. You'll have to come see it for yourself.
Make plans to retrieve your entertainment goodies early tonight as Bookmans Grant, Bookmans Ina, Bookmans Speedway, Bookmans Mesa and Bookmans Phoenix are all closing at 8 p.m. in favor of sights like this:
We still think Sam looks pretty good in last year's Christmas sweater.
As other retailers are extending their hours to accommodate holiday shopping, we recognize our employees are just as excited about the holidays as everyone else. Tonight all our stores in Tucson, Phoenix and Mesa will close early so that we can party. We will reopen tomorrow with our normal hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bookmans Flagstaff will get their turn Dec. 13 when we close early there so they can party. Our folks in Flag like to do things their own way in case you hadn't noticed. Yep, it's that wonderful way each of our stores reflect their community.
Happy holidays!
Kinky Friedman promises "one hell of a show" this Friday, Dec. 9 at Plush as he makes a Tucson stop on his 2011 Hannukah Tour. Bookmans caught up with Kinky as he navigated the Denver airport en route to his tenth gig on this 14-day, 14-city tour to talk about the show, politics, animal welfare and books.
Don't tackle the stresses of the holiday season alone. Bookmans to the rescue! Once you've put together your pile of gifts it might seem less than appealing to wrap everything with love and care when all you want is a pillow and Tylenol. That is where we step in! Bring your holiday gifts from 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21 to Bookmans Phoenix to let us take care of that last annoying step for you. Sure some people love wrapping gifts but for most of us it's a time consuming chore after all the effort we've already put into working for the money to pay for the gift, swatting through the crowds to find it, standing in the long line to buy it and spending the cash on gas to get it home. Let us take over by adding pretty papers, ribbons, bows and tags to whatever it is you purchased. You get your choice of different colored and designed papers to fit whomever the gift is for.
It might feel like the Ice Age outside but grab that parka you've never used and head outdoors in search of the December '11 Phoenix Edition of Bookmans Treasure Hunt: The Search for Local Business Booty. Hug N Pups Grooming Salon*** joined the fun in November by hiding the treasure in their adorable pet haven on Bell Road. Which local business will stash it for us in December?
It's sugar and spice and everything nice for the ladies of the Tucson Roller Derby at the last bout of 2011. This ballet of enchanted nutcrackers takes place at 6 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Bookmans Event Center located at 5120 S. Julian Drive. These ladies roll action and suspense into one tasty yule log. Don't be fooled by these glamazons, for they are beautiful but deadly and this bout will be no exception (the hair pulling and elbow jabs will just remind you of your holiday dinner). Venture down to see these rolling reindeers that deliver pain where ever they go and all for the low low price of $10 in advance or $15 at the door and tickets can be purchased at any Bookmans locations.
For the procrastinator in all of us, for those of us who can’t think of what to get, for all who just looked up from work to realize the time for giving careens nearer and for all of us who read this far and finally understand our days are limited before Christmastime and all that remains on the shelves of other stores have been picked through leaving uninspired puerqueria, please know we've been there. Stopping at a drug store at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning to stock up on candles and boxes of chocolates is nothing new to us. We know what it feels like to wrap presents out of the trunk of a car while appreciating the extra pair of scissors in the glove compartment. We don't judge. You wouldn't be the first to give everyone on your list a six-pack with a bow on top.
But we also know a different route; one that will make your gift giving easier, wow your friends with your creativity, keep your wallet happy and leave them talking about your present for years to come. How do we know? Every day we help people find gifts from our sales floor and we commonly hear, “WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND THIS FREAKING AWESOME (insert gift name here)?!”
Some of us admit to being Hulu and Netflix users but when it comes to classics for the kiddos, sometimes you just gotta own the movie. We're stocked with the good stuff lately including Disney's magical Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Snow White and a collection of 1970s Sesame Street episodes. Don't you love the humanitarian values on the old show? These are hard to find titles, never on free TV and usually cost a fortune to buy new. But why buy new when there's a Bookmans in the 'hood?
Even employees marvel at the treasures hidden in plain sight on our orange shelves. Once lost among a collection of neglected books in our stacks, Politically Correct Holiday Stories by James Finn Garner has made the rounds. The title is descriptive and provides a clue to what lurked beneath the cover but we had no idea how entertaining these revised holiday classics would be. Stories such as "'Twas the Night Before Solstice", "Frosty the Persun of Snow" and "Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer" provide a glimpse into the author's dedication to a story devoid of religious or racist implications.
Ticket Tuesday took a little vacation for our Phoenix and Mesa friends. We hope you'll forgive us with this week's giveaway! Our friends at The Royale and The Nile Theater teamed up to bring A Christmas Story to Downtown Mesa!
Coming to Phoenix: Winner of three prestigious Ovation Awards including Best Book, Best Score and Lead Actress in an Original Musical, Daddy Long Legs is brought to you by The Arizona Theater Company. Today or perhaps tomorrow may be your lucky day! From the Tony Award-winning director of Les Miserables and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and the creators of the Tony Award-nominated Jane Eyre, comes a heartwarming new musical based on a book beloved for generations. Daddy Long Legs tells of a young girl's Cinderella journey into womanhood as well as a confirmed bachelor's awakening into love. Told through a series of letters between Jerusha Abbott, the oldest orphan at the John Greer Home, and Jervis Pendleton, her mysterious benefactor, Daddy Long Legs is a testament to the power of the written word and its ability to touch our hearts. An elegant and inventive romance, this award-winning musical love story has been lauded for its innocence, sheer beauty and depth of emotion, not to mention its magnificent musical score.
2011 has been a year full ups, downs and all arounds for what seems like all of us. We'll call 2011 a Year of Surprise because that is exactly what it has been. Our favorite surprises come in the forms of media that have our customers and staff giddy with delight.
Every month at Bookmans Flagstaff Regina and Desiree chat with people (just like you) about books. Book Chat has had some very lively discussions this past year. From Alice in Wonderland’s influence on children’s literature to the influence of "the fool" character on modern journalism to a discussion of the many (bad) reasons books are censored; Book Chat isn’t afraid to go there! Book Chat with Regina and Desiree is always the last Wednesday of the month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Bookmans Flagstaff Café. Please join us this Wednesday, Dec. 28 to discuss The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore. The theme this month is Christmas and we chose two traditional stories and one modern representation of Christmas.
Be it a student studying in the cafe, a young mom taking the kiddos in for Friday story time, a hobbyist perusing the woodworking books, a young hipster in the LPs or a lit nerd in general fiction, most everyone seems to have settled back into their home away from home. We are amazed that it has been a year since the reopen of Bookmans Flagstaff and almost two years since the dramatic roof collapse. The remodeled store boasts all the great areas and affordable stuff the old store sported with the addition of the gorgeous new cafe and other awesome updates including the brand new musical instrument area.
A sad day - Bookmans Flagstaff collapsed under snow
It's time for the Twitter Treasure Hunt in Flagstaff again and this is your chance to act all Nancy Drew for a whole bag of free local business treasure! Come again? If you haven't heard of our Bookmans Twitter Treasure Hunt where you can win great prizes for using your noggin then it's time to get with the program! All you have to do is follow your local Bookmans tweep (@bookmansflag in this case) and we'll lead you to local business booty!
You can find plenty of seasonal favorites in our bins and even some real doozies. Not too long ago @BookmansTucson tweeted the William Hung Christmas CD that she found at Bookmans Grant. We have holiday music fit for any girl or boy not good enough to even deserve a lump of coal. This time of year is about forgiving and forgetting and to love one another. We think that also applies to music. A handful of artists you would never be caught dead listening to become more appealing when they release a Christmas album. We say indulge in these guilty pleasures.
The Christmas frenzy often overshadows the other religious holidays celebrated this month but around these parts we're enjoying Hannukah. Hannukah is more than just a holiday with a wooden toy (it's a dreidel) and a nine-branched candelabra (called a menorah). Hannukah means "festival of lights" and is a seven-day, eight-night celebration commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple. Last night at sundown marked the first day of Hannukah, which is on the 25th day of Kislev and concludes on the second or third day of Tevet. Long story short, Hannukah is scheduled using the Hebrew calendar. Each day at sundown a candle should be lit and burned for at least a half an hour into the night, except for Friday which is the Shabbat and the candle needs to be lit prior to sunset. Blessings are said each night depending on the tradition.
Enough of all the educational stuff lets talk about gambling, Adam Sandler and fried foods.
Get your last minute Bookmans shopping done between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24 because we're closing early. We like big dinners with our family and some sneaky peaky at the presents under the tree too. Don't look for us Christmas Day either because we will be closed so that we can break in our new-to-us drums. Make sure you're 'N Sync with our schedule!
We will resume our normal hours Monday, Dec. 26 at 9 a.m. Happy holidays!
We know you are full of sweets and Santa has dropped off plenty of goodies for you as well but we offer the gift of self satisfaction when you have found and claimed your prize package from the December Bookmans Treasure Hunt (the last of 2011). We're dishing up a prize package worth $120 but there is some work involved. Get ready to crank those gears but be aware that only an adventurous attitude and local know how will land you this grand treasure.
If you're like us you'll hole up with good books, movies and takeout while enjoying the comfort of New Year's Eve in elastic pants and a comfy sofa (if you hurry in you can get in on all the good Christmas trade-ins). If you are the more adventurous type you can venture out to strive for that perfect New Year's Eve as depicted in the apptly-named movie New Year's Eve (you know the star studded box office bomb). In order to do either one we will close all our Bookmans stores early on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. and reopen on New Year's Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
We will resume our normal 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours on Jan. 2. Please enjoy the holiday responsibly and we'll see you next year.
Twitter Updates
Archive
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- August 2008
- May 2007
- April 2007