11.30.2023

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Today’s Forecast

35º | Cloudy | 15% chance of sleet | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 4:39 p.m.

Home, sweet tome

Madison is tome, err, home to plenty of good bookstores

Bookshelves at Evening Star Books in Madison.jpeg

Evening Star Books is but one of many independent bookshops for local readers with discerning tastes. | Photo by 608today.

It was Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women,” who said, “Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.”

Luckily, our home of Madison is quite familiar with the joys of reading. With a robust public library system, a university that houses many treasures, book festivals, and local literary events far and wide, it’s easy to see how an author, like Anna Quindlen, would state, “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home.”

Here’s a brief list of some bookstores that call Madison home:

📚 New

Window Display at A Room of One's Own bookstore.JPG — A literary fixture in Madison since 1975, A Room of One’s Own is an independent feminist bookstore. | Photo by 608today

A Room of One’s Own, 2717 Atwood Ave., Madison
A literary fixture in Madison since 1975, the independent feminist bookstore has a wide selection of reading material, with notably large sections of women’s studies, LGBTQ+ reads, and local small press material.

Mystery to Me, 1683 Monroe St., Madison
It’s no mystery that the bookstore has a robust mysteries section. The store also has an equally robust calendar of events.

📚 Used

The Book Deal, 3822 Mineral Point Rd., Madison
If you want a deal, visit The Book Deal in their new large space. Eager to foster literacy in the community, they give away free children’s books (5 per child per visit).

Evening Star Books, 8413 Excelsior Dr., Ste. #130B, Madison
Open by appointment, the store has fine and collectible antiquarian books. Looking for a first edition of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” or Sigmund Freud’s “The Interpretation of Dreams”? They can help.

Paul’s Book Store, 670 State St., Madison
It’s an institution. Around since 1954, it’s like if your neighborhood’s Free Little Library had its own Big Bang, creating a universe of reading.

📚 New and used

Editor Jonathan Shipley reading at Half Price Books.jpg — Jonathan, 608today editor, reads Jonathan and the Dragon at Half Price Books. | Photo by 608today

Half Price Books, 626 S. Whitney Way; 4250 E. Towne Blvd., Madison
With locations on both sides of the isthmus, there’s always fresh inventory of books you didn’t know you wanted until you stumbled upon them.

Read on

Asked

What literary world would you like to call home?

A. Wizarding World (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”)
B. Narnia (“The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”)
C. Oz (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”)
D. Middle-Earth (“The Lord of the Rings”)
E. Wonderland (“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”)

Turn the page

Events

Thursday, Nov. 30

HR Basics for Non-HR Professionals | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave., Madison | $269 | The first of three upcoming classes, register today.
Schlock and Awe Comedy: Dracula | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 8 p.m. | The Rigby, 119 E. Main St., Madison | Free | Sink your teeth into a bad movie where comics comment throughout it.

Friday, Dec. 1

Mad City Story Slam | Friday, Dec. 1 | 7-9 p.m. | Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse, 1101 Williamson St., Madison | Free | Come tell a story about a time you earned your spot on Santa’s list, naughty or nice.
Hot Flash: An early dance party | Friday, Dec. 1 | 7-9:30 p.m. | The Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson St., Madison | Free | You’re not getting any younger, but you’re still young at heart.

Saturday, Dec. 2

The Crafty Fair | Saturday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa St., Madison | Free | Over 140 makers will showcase their wares, including jewelry, clothing, artwork, and more.
Heartland Farm Sanctuary Public Tour | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 1-2 p.m. | Heartland Farm Sanctuary, 424 US-51, Stoughton | $15 | An hour of touring the mammal barn and meeting some rescued animal residents.
John Denver Christmas | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 7:30 p.m. | The Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave., Madison | $30-$45 | You’ll get a “Rocky Mountain High” on holiday merriment with this John Denver show.

Sunday, Dec. 3

Jolly Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Prairie View Middle School, 400 N. Thompson Rd., Sun Prairie | Free | Get good gifts while supporting OccuPaws guide dogs.
2023 Madison Polish Film Festival | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 3-7:30 p.m. | Union South, 1308 Dayton St., Madison | Free | Celebrate Poland’s vibrant and universally recognized cinematic tradition — zapraszamy na festiwal.

Monday, Dec. 4

Hot Cocoa Paint and Sip | Monday, Dec. 4 | 6-7 p.m. | Storytime Room, 5530 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg | Free | Preteens can recreate a winter painting while sipping on a warm drink from the hot cocoa bar.
Rigby-oke | Monday, Dec. 4 | 9:30 p.m.-12 a.m. | The Rigby, 119 E. Main St., Madison | Free | Shake off the Monday blues with a tune or two.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Shop

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Every Upway e-bike is eligible for a 14-day return and backed by a one-year warranty. | Photos by Upway

Have an active loved one on your shopping list? We’ve got you.

Upway delivers rigorously inspected, certified, and 99% pre-assembled e-bikes from top brands (think: Specialized, Aventon, and Super73) directly to your doorstep — so your favorite person can get rolling right after unwrapping.

E-bikes are typically more expensive than bicycles, but you can score yours for up to $1,200 off.

(Order before Wednesday, Dec. 20 and use code TREE for free express shipping.)

Shop Upway e-bikes

News Notes

Civic

A new local PFAS treatment system might work out well. Madison’s share of two class action PFAS settlements, worth $12.2 billion, is expected to fund most of the construction of the state’s first-ever municipal PFAS treatment system. It is planned for Well 15 on Madison’s east side. (Isthmus)

Environment

Green thumbs, take note. According to studies, climate change has pushed Madison into a new zone on the USDA’s “plant hardiness” map. The map tells the average extreme minimum temperature they can expect in a given area. Higher average temperatures in the last 30 years have changed our zone. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Outdoors

Hunters killed significantly fewer deer during Wisconsin’s nine-day gun season this year than they did last year. Hunters reported a total of 173,942 deer harvested Nov. 18-26, a 17.6% decrease from the 2022 season. Wisconsin DNR believes a severe winter last year may have diminished deer populations. (Channel 3000)

Sports

Badgers football running back Braelon Allen is forgoing his senior season and declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. Allen finishes his career ranked ninth in Badgers history with 3,494 rushing yards. His last game will be whichever upcoming bowl game Wisconsin is invited to. (Bucky’s Fifth Quarter)

Edu

Madison-area high schools received high marks recently from US News and World Report. The rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and Washington, DC. Middleton, Waunakee, Monona Grove, West and East Madison High Schools, among others, were recognized. (US News and World Report)

Biz

Local small businesses will get a boost thanks to a $1.9 million grant. Gov. Tony Evers and US Senator Tammy Baldwin announced that Wisconsin will receive the funds from the US Department of the Treasury’s Small Business Credit Initiative, offering legal support and financial advice for small business owners. (Madison Startups)

Ranked

You betcha’, we’re nice. Madison was recently placed on a “Top Ten Happiest Cities in the US in 2023” list. (Nice News)

Pets

Is your dog named Bella? We just guessed, based on a new report highlighting the top five dog names in the state of Wisconsin. Luna and Charlie are also quite popular names for Wisco pups. (US News and World Report)

Featured Deal

Last call for this exclusive deal: Score 50% off everything online at Harlestons — the Golf Digest/Golfweek/Golf Channel-featured premium men’s apparel brand — with code BF50. (We especially love their performance polos.) Bonus: Free shipping on $125+ and easy returns, always.*

Art

Iconic iconography

David Giffey is an icon in Madison iconography

Ceiling of Madison's Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.jpg

David Giffey, a former combat journalist, has been creating iconography in Madison’s Assumption Greek Orthodox Church since 1979. | Photo by 608today

David Giffey, an 81-year-old living in Arena, grew up on a dairy farm. He became a combat journalist with the US Army during the Vietnam War. He was also a street vendor for a while in Austin, Texas.

Then, in 1979, he got inspired at Madison’s Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, located on 7th Street. So much so, that he painted an icon on one of its walls.

Giffey began creating permanently installed murals and portable icons there. Executed in the traditional Eastern Christian style, he follows the traditions of liturgical art dating back more than a 1,000 years.

Through the years of his own life, he’s kept at it and keeps at it still. Today, much of the adornments in the church’s interior are almost entirely the work of this one man.

Giffey is inspired, indeed, and generations of churchgoers may also be inspired by his work.

The Buy

The Buy 11.30.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

That thing for your bathroom you’ve always thought about but never actually gone for. Yeah, that one.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Jonathan

From the editor

There are few things I love more in this world than finding a cozy bookstore. Since I was a kid, I’ve always felt like combing the stacks was like being a pirate seeking treasure. Madison is rich with literary gold! Let me know what your favorite bookstore is.

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