Independent Bookstore Day on Long Island to feature author events, live music, food deals and more

April 25 is the big day Jennifer McAuliffe has been waiting for. Since opening Northport Books in July, she's put a lot of thought into celebrating Independent Bookstore Day for the first time as a store owner.

"It almost rivals Black Friday. Some people say it's even bigger than Black Friday," McAuliffe said.

For her store's inaugural celebration, McAuliffe said she is "planning a very big party," complete with mimosas and doughnuts in the morning and sourdough bread from Oh, Crumbs bakery in Northport. She's also invited every author who has been at the store to come back.

Visitors will also be given "prescription pads," where they can write notes on the types of books they like to read and then McAuliffe and her staff can "prescribe" books they might be interested in.

"It's gimmicky, but they'll like it," she said.

Bigger and better

Hers is just one of a number of bookstores across Long Island celebrating Independent Bookstore Day, which was launched as California Bookstore Day in 2014 and went national the following year. The event, which is always on the last Saturday in April, was inspired by Record Store Day and is organized by the American Booksellers Association.

And each year it becomes bigger. At Tiny Raccoon Books in Sayville, for instance, from 12 to 4 p.m. the store will play host to four authors, including Eddie McNamara ("Zodiactually: The Real Story of a Fake Serial Killer!"), romance novelist Regina Brownell ("The Purrfect Arrangement"); Susan Blake, whose children's book "Ruby" is based on the beagle she rescued; and Matthew Sabatino ("Empire of Dirt"). Live music will be provided by Mike & the Mistakes, billed as "a solo acoustic act that pretends to be a band." And likely to be the most popular guests will be animals from Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, including a screech owl and a box turtle.

"It's also our third birthday party," owner Daniel McGowan said. "We actually opened on April 15, but we like to celebrate it on Independent Bookstore Day." Naturally, there will be cake.

Wheels and deals

Treats and snacks will also be served and authors will drop in at A Book Place in Riverhead, which last year saw up to 400 customers for Independent Bookstore Day. "It was our highest revenue day," said store owner Jocelyn Maningo Kaleita,

This year, the store is paying a nod to "Wheel of Fortune," as patrons will get to spin a wheel for prizes, all of which are book related, Kaleita said. There will also be live music and tarot readings by Veronica Theirs from Hamptons Tarot in East Hampton.

In addition, anyone who spends $100 or more can choose an ARC or advanced review copy of a book provided by various publishers. "Those are really special things for people who like to get a book sooner," Kaleita said. "And then if they love it, they're likely to buy it. It's a great way to share the love of reading."

Theodore's Books in Oyster Bay also plans to share that love with a few giveaways. Folks who spend $50 or more at the store that day can enter a raffle for a stack of books. Another highlight will be Blind Date With a Book, said events coordinator Olivia Kuch.

"We wrap up the books so you can’t see what the title is," she said. "It will have a little blurb on it saying something like 'It's a fiction in the horror genre' or 'If you like supernatural, you might like this.' "

Adding to the fun — from 4 to 6 p.m. Theodore's will have a Sip and Shop event with wine. 

Finally, 11 shops stretching from Blue Door Books in Cedarhurst to the Little Nook Bookstore in East Wind are taking part in a special "passport" project. Customers get a checklist with the names of all 11 stores, and each time they make a purchase at one of them, the "passport" gets stamped.

"The first four to hit all bookstores on the list between now and Independent Bookstore Day get a $25 book card of their choice," McAuliffe said.

While the rewards and sweet treats are great, that's not what McAuliffe feels should be the real takeaway from the celebration: "Independent Bookstore Day is about being part of a community, part of the fabric. It's a chance to do events and give back to community and for people to come together."