Dear Friend,
I’ve always tried to pay attention to how certain books – and places, especially bookstores – feel.
Some feel rushed.
Some feel overwhelming.
Some feel confusing.
And then there are the rare ones.
The ones that feel like a deep breath.
The ones that feel like you’ve just walked into your best friend’s living room.
The ones that feel like a warm fireplace on a cold, snowy day, with nowhere else you need to be.
Before Bookwyrm Café was ever a name, it was a feeling I was chasing. In many ways, it began with books that made me feel seen. I wanted to share a few with you that helped shape me – and that still feel like home.
The Song of the Lioness & The Protector of the Small
by Tamora Pierce
I read these books when I was very young – probably around 10 or 11, though I don’t remember the exact moment. I do remember the feeling clearly.
It was a time when life felt loud and confusing, and I was learning how to make myself quieter and smaller to fit into it.
Tamora Pierce had a way of pulling me into fantastical worlds filled with young girls who wanted to be more than they were told they could be. Girls who dreamed of becoming knights in realms where that simply wasn’t allowed.
I identified deeply with those girls. I recognized myself in them – and as the series continued, in the women they grew into. They made me feel like my thoughts, hopes, and plans for the future were allowed. That it was okay to want something different, even when people around me made it feel otherwise.
That feeling – of being allowed – is something I want Bookwyrm to offer, too. I want everyone who steps through our doors (when we have them) to feel safe and welcome exactly as they are.
Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just the stories themselves that mattered. It was the permission they gave me – to slow down, to be quiet, to sit with something without being rushed.
That’s what we hope Bookwyrm Café will offer.
A place that gives permission to linger, to be still – or to connect.
A place where you don’t have to perform, explain yourself, or hurry.
A place that feels like a book that understands you.
If you have books that have stayed with you in this way, I hope you’ll share them someday – in person, or here.
Warmly,
The Wyrm
What I've Read
Every story is a stone in the hearth of my imagination—reflecting on the paths I've walked through ink and parchment.
The Books That Made Me
by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter
When I read these books – again, around 10 or 11 – they had a profound impact on me.
At that age, I was searching for what I now recognize as community. I wouldn’t have had the language for it back then, but I’ve always been slow to make friends – and am deeply loyal once I do.
These books showed me that friendships could endure. That people could choose one another, again and again. And simply reading them alongside other kids who loved them gave me a quiet sense of belonging at a time when I needed it.
Bookwyrm is meant to be a place where those connections can happen organically – where people find the book they need in this season of life, recognize others lingering in the same sections, or sit together and talk in a space that feels safe enough to be honest.
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
I realized I should include something from a later season of my life – and I’ve come to accept that I’m apparently a series reader more than a one-off novel reader. I like stories that ask for commitment, as long as they earn it.
Outlander did.
What I love most is how accidentally this series found me. I was staying at a friend’s house, woke up before anyone else, and picked up an interesting-looking book from their living room shelf just to pass the time. I was hooked almost immediately.
I fell in love with the book first, and later the television adaptation only deepened that connection – the casting felt so true to the characters that it pulled me even further into the world. This series also introduced me to a large, passionate community of readers. Outlander fans are…enthusiastic, and I mean that fondly.
I want Bookwyrm to be a place where books find people the same way – unexpectedly, at just the right moment. Books that quietly change them, help them find their people, or simply offer an escape into another world or time when that’s what they need most.
What I'm Reading
The Legendborn Cycle
I’ll be honest — I think I picked this up because of a Facebook post or a recommendation from one of the many book groups I follow. I wasn’t expecting it to stay with me the way it has.
I went in thinking this would be another familiar twist on Arthurian legend, but Deonn layers so much more into the story. There’s real emotional depth here — grief, trauma, healing — alongside thoughtful representation and an unflinching look at racism and lived experience.
It has a slower start and leans into a few familiar tropes, but it’s also a reminder that sometimes stories are meant to make us uncomfortable. Sometimes that discomfort is where the learning and growth begin.
I’m nearly finished with Legendborn, with Bloodmarked waiting patiently nearby.
by Tracey Deonn
Irish/Scottish Folk & Fairy Tales
edited by J. K. Jackson
I’ve always had a soft spot for fairy tales, and lately I’ve been diving deep into Celtic folklore. Part of it is simple enjoyment — these stories feel like old friends — and part of it is research for a novel I’ve finally decided to give my full attention to.
These collections feel like wandering through an old landscape filled with magic, warning, wonder, and a little bit of darkness. They’re the kind of stories that linger, that feel older than their pages, and that invite rereading rather than rushing.
I hope someday I’ll be able to share the story they’re helping to shape.
Witch of Wild Things
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
I picked this one up on a whim, armed with a few Barnes & Noble gift cards and no real plan — which is sometimes the best way to find a book.
I’m only a few pages in, but I’m already looking forward to following Sage Flores on her journey. This feels like the kind of story that unfolds gently, with room for magic, family, and personal reckoning.
I’m happy to be at the very beginning of this one.
If you’re reading any of these — or something you think I should know about — I’d love to hear about it.
What Should I Read Next?
Tell us about the books that have lived in your heart—the stories that feel like home. Your recommendations will help us curate the perfect collection for every guest who finds sanctuary in our nooks.
Upcoming Releases: 2026
JANUARY
The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus
20 January - Historical Fiction/Magical Realism
Set on the Cornish coast in the 1800s, this debut novel immediately caught my attention. A young widow becomes entangled in the dangerous schemes of a band of seafaring smugglers — which already feels like the kind of story steeped in atmosphere and moral complexity.
With promising early reviews and a setting that practically demands mist, salt air, and difficult choices, I’m very curious to see where this one goes. I have a feeling it may be the sort of book best read slowly, with a cup of something warm nearby.
FEBRUARY
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
3 February - Fiction/Romance
Tilly’s fiancé died five months ago, but on her birthday she receives twelve books from a local bookshop — one for each month of the coming year — sent by him to help her “turn the page” on her first year without him. Immediately made me think of PS. I Love You, so I'm interested to see how much it parallels.
I don’t think this book is going to be subtle about its emotional impact, and it might just make me cry. Sometimes that’s exactly what a story is meant to do.
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
17 February - Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Normally firmly rooted in historical fiction, I'm especially interested to see how Quinn steps into fantasy and magical realism with this one.
The Astral Library centers on a hidden library where people can escape into books and faraway worlds — which already feels very Bookwyrm-adjacent. From what I can tell, the conflict here lives within the library itself, woven through the stories and the people drawn to them.
MARCH
The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg
3 March - Fantasy/Romance
This is the second book in a series I haven’t started yet, so it’s on my list with the understanding that I’ll need to read the first before diving in. I haven't read anything from this author, yet, so I'm excited to see how Holmberg builds magic systems and worlds.
In this installment, Nym must escape captivity and find her way back to Renn, even as forbidden love, magic, secrets, and the weight of the crown collide alongside a brewing war between kingdoms.
This feels like a story full of tension, loyalty, and hard choices — the kind that linger after the last page.
If there’s an upcoming release you’re excited about, I always love hearing what others are looking forward to.
Quirky Quotes
“
Old Favorites
The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures, and have courage when things go wrong.”
— Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie
“
Current Reads
"What better way to begin our adventure than with a pinch of rebellion."
— Tracy Deonn, Legendborn
“
Your Favorites
***