Between the Covers Bed & Breakfast Literary B&B

Today's bookstore highlight is Old Books in downtown Wilmington, NC.  Old Books is another personal favorite of mine! I lived in Wilmington, NC for 24 years and visited Old Books many times (including at their second location at 22 N. Front St.)! Old Books, while its seen a name change and a few locations over the years, has been a staple in Wilmington since 1982! They also have a wonderful Literary History Walking Tour (which I've also experienced first-hand). A Literary Loft above the bookstore available as a nightly rental, and Between the Covers Bed & Breakfast Literary B&B located in the owner's home. Old Books is currently located at 249 N. Front Street, across the street from its original location, in The Gaylord Building. 

Between the Covers Bed and Breakfast is located in the Rohler family home (the family that owns Old Books) in the Historic Carolina Heights neighborhood. The rooms are themed around Maya Angelou, Tom Robbins, Zelda Fitzgerald, Nicholas Sparks, and a North Carolina Poets Laureate Garden.  The Between The Covers a NC Literary Bed and Breakfast websites states that it is a full service Bed and Breakfast. Your stay includes a three-course breakfast in their lovely dining room, with all day coffee, beverages and snacks buffet located in their Butler's pantry. 

Diana and Lloyd Rohler who acquired Old Books in 1982 from original owner, Richard Daughtry, built one the largest private libraries not associated with a college in North Carolina! When their daughter, Gwenyfar Rohler, who is the current managing partner of Old Books, inherited her family home in 2014 and she began restoring the home to it's former glory and transforming it into the literary Bed and Breakfast it is today.  Between the Covers Bed & Breakfast celebrates the same things that the North Carolina Literary Map does: books, and the state's rich literary tradition.  I'm looking forward to staying in the Maya Angelou room one day!  Check out all the rooms offered on their website!

Two books I've purchased from Old Books (I was super into theatre at the time) and my Bibliophiles Rock! sticker 

Zelda Lockhart

I'll admit before my involvement with the NC Literary Map, I had not heard of author, Zelda Lockhart.  I found a lot of information about her while researching for my post on July 6th.  Ms. Lockhart's website describes her as an "author, speaker, facilitator, and scholar" and so she is, evidenced by her many acomplishments and extracurricular events.  Zelda Lockhart is also an advocate for black women, using the hashtag: "blackwomenwrite" on most of her social media posts.  Additionally, her website features YouTube videos she has done entitled, "Black Creative Healing".  I am currently reading Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World's Most Notorious Jewel Thief but I can't wait to read her other award-nominated and award-winning books!  Diamond Doris is also advertised as soon to be a movie.  Unpopular opinion: I also love movies based on books.  It's not often that I prefer the movie but I will gladly commit to a film version as well! 

Check out more about Zelda Lockhart by going to https://zeldalockhart.com/, https://herstorygardenstudios.com/, & https://lavensonpress.com/.  You can also check her out on the map!

#Shelfies!

Hi!

I'm Ashton.  I've been behind the social media posts for the NC Literary Map since May 12th.  :)  I'm an online UNCG MLIS (Masters of Library & Information Science) graduate student and I'm halfway through the program.  I love the North Carolina Literary Map and have been following the account and website for a while! I, up until recently, lived in eastern North Carolina for the past 24 years and love to read!  I mostly enjoy young adult and historical fiction.  I've been a reader, writer, teacher, retail employee, and customer/admirer/advocate of bookshops so I feel like this internship with the map this summer was a perfect fit for me and I hope you've thought so too!  I currently live in northern Virginia with my husband and two cats, Luke & Luna.

I chose not only one of my favorite North Carolina books but one of my favorite books of all: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen!  I am a huge Sarah Dessen fan and I own all her books.  I also own The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (my favorite novel by him) and several books about the Biltmore.  I own various North Carolina trivia books as well: North Carolina Curiosities by Jerry Bledsoe, Ghosts of the Carolina Coasts by Terrance Zepke, Wilm on Film by Amy Hotz and Ben Steelman and Britt's Donuts: Forever Sweet by Daniel Ray Norris and Halyn Prusa. 

Tag us in your #shelfies (a selfie featuring you and your North Carolina book!) It could be what you are currently reading, a favorite NC book, an book written by an NC author, or anything NC literary you want to share with us!  We want to see what you are reading!

We know lots of folks have been cooking/baking during this time too so you can also tag us in your culinary posts from North Carolina cookbooks!  :)

Look for more blog posts from me!  I'm planning on making regular blog posts from now until the end of July (the end of my time with the Literary Map).