Independent Bookstore Day pop-up at Idle Hands Craft Ales

Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day party that takes place at indie bookstores all across the country on the last Saturday in April. Join Read My Lips Boston, Boston's diverse romance pop-up bookstore, at Idle Hands for our own unique celebration -- and take a chance on a blind date with a book for a chance to win a $30 Idle Hands gift certificate! You can also shop a curated selection of gently pre-loved diverse romance novels, stickers, swag, and more! Read My Lips Boston donates 10% of its proceeds to a different featured non-profit each month. This month, your purchase will benefit the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (<a href="https://barcc.org/">BARCC</a>).

Idle Hands Craft Ales

🔥 Sizzling Scenes: An inclusive sex writing workshop & romance bookshop pop-up 🔥

Are you ready to learn how to write some spicy smut? 😏 During this Sex Week Boston workshop, you'll learn from romance writing and editing instructor Megan Hennessey about how to write your very own smutty scenes! Be sure to bring your notebook, laptop, and/or other preferred writing tools. You'll write your own scenes at the end of the workshop, and will walk away an expert on writing sweat-inducing, sizzling scenes that also reveal character, move the story forward, and heighten tension. Afterwards, you'll have ample time to network with other romance fans and writers and browse titles at our romance bookshop pop-up. Tickets: <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPv2RcR0td9vl3wauliUcA804qLZGekVTkPkllfdBU7X6lwQ/viewform?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeDEUmWla_HExECYTLKaUXWMSNIgynYyJVVtNg8tknDHWyQtWHPX9Em0uhelA_aem_XRHpGS8v_U4M2BZuS0Ki2g">You can register and purchase your ticket for the workshop via this link</a>. After filling out the form, you will be able to purchase your selected ticket. Your ticket will include a workshop seat, a selection of tea and pastries from Rite Tea &amp; Espresso, and private shopping from Read My Lips, Boston's diverse romance pop-up bookshop! We are offering 3 pricing tiers for tickets: 🎟️ A discounted $19.99 ticket for those experiencing economic challenges (7 available, first come, first served) 🎟️ A $29.99 base ticket that covers the cost of our event space and paying our instructor and booksellers a fair wage 🎟️ A $34.99 "pay it forward" ticket that helps us offer our discounted tickets - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  📚 About Read My Lips Boston: Read My Lips Boston is a pop-up inclusive romance bookshop that highlights authors and main characters who identify as BIPOC, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA,&amp; more. They hold pop-up bookshops at local events, monthly book clubs, author events, and more. 🌶️ About Sex Week Boston: Sex Week Boston is a week-long series of events designed to educate, inspire, and empower individuals to embrace their sexuality in a safe, inclusive, and fun environment, while also fostering sex-positive community. The week is a vibrant celebration of sex education, queer and trans liberation, and sex-positive community building. 👩‍🏫 About the instructor: Megan Hennessey got her start in romance at the height of 50 Shades of Grey at Sourcebooks Casablanca reading the slush pile. She continues sharing her love for romance by giving workshops and courses at writers’ groups, the Women in Publishing Summit, and the Editorial Freelancers’ Association. She loves romance novels that break the rules and center queer, kinky characters.

The Annex at the Charles River Speedway

Read My Lips Boston pop-up & free wine tasting at The Urban Grape

Come join us for a pop-up and free public wine tasting at The Urban Grape, a Black-owned and woman-owned wine shop that highlights BIPOC and LGBTQ+ producers! (Psst...Celebrities are known to stop by, and Issa Rae visited in June!) What's in store: 💋 A freshly curated selection of (mostly) gently pre-loved and (some) new inclusive romance books! 📚️ Blind dates with books: Let fate decide your next romantic adventure!⁠ 🌟 Staff recommendations: Handpicked stories that'll make you swoon.⁠ 🛍️ Fun swag, T-shirts, stickers, candles, and more: Because who doesn't love a little extra?⁠ At each of our pop-ups, we donate 10% of our proceeds to a different non-profit. This month, a portion of the event proceeds will go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nativedisabilitylaw.org/">The Native American Disability Law Center</a>. Help us do some good as we go into the holiday season!

The Urban Grape

November Romance Book Club (and author visit!) with Read My Lips Boston

We are partnering with Rite on a monthly Romance Book Club! November's pick is Dukes and Dekes by Torie Jean, who will join us for a discussion of her most recent romance with endometriosis/chronic illness rep! After the event, feel free to hang out in the Annex! Rite has made the space super cozy, and it's the **perfect** reading spot. Q: When does the book club meet?⁠ The second Thursday of each month in the Annex at the Charles River Speedway!⁠ Q: I couldn’t make it to the kickoff event or subsequent meetings. Can I still join the book club?⁠ You sure can!⁠ Q: How do I get a copy of the book?⁠ * You can order a copy through us for pickup at Rite! Please DM us and we’ll send you a secure payment link.⁠ * You can purchase it through Bookshop.org or Libro.fm. (see link in bio)!⁠ * Check out your local library or Libby!⁠ Q: What if I don’t finish the book before the meeting?⁠ Finishing the book is not required! Just be aware the discussion may surface spoilers. :)⁠ If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please shoot us an email at <a href="mailto:readmylipsboston@gmail.com">readmylipsboston@gmail.com</a>! We hope you can join us.

Silent reading party & private holiday shopping

Spots are limited, and tickets are $25. Please sign up (and submit payment) via&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/dUXBDJa4JQnQHzEp9">this Google form</a>&nbsp;to secure your place. Bring your book (audiobooks w/ headphones count!) and join Read My Lips Boston for a cozy Silent Reading Party with light snacks &amp; drinks at the disability-friendly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehouseofid.com/">House of id</a>! Read My Lips will bring a curated selection of gently used &amp; new books from their inclusive romance bookshop, and the House is full of gorgeous, curated (and buyable) treasures -- so, if you find yourself in the mood, this is a laid-back &amp; private holiday shopping opportunity, too! We will be joining the House of id in donating a portion of the event proceeds to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nativedisabilitylaw.org/">The Native American Disability Law Center</a>. Help us do some good as we go into the holiday season!

House of id

Haunted romance bookshop pop-up with Read My Lips Boston

Grab your pals or a date, snag a beer (or two) and head on over to our spooky pop-up at Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden, MA! What you can expect:⁠ * Costumes encouraged! (One of us may or may not be dressing up as an evil Cupid)⁠ * Spooky &amp; cozy romance reads centering queer, BIPOC, disabled, plus-size &amp; other underrepresented perspectives in the genre ⁠ * Beer &amp; book pairings (of course!)⁠ * Spooky swag!! ⁠ 10% of our proceeds this month will go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abilitiesdanceboston.org/">Abilities Dance Boston</a>, a Boston-based nonprofit that uses dance as a tool to dismantle ableism and advocate for intersectional disability rights. ⁠

October Romance Book Club with Read My Lips Boston

We are partnering with Rite Tea &amp; Espresso (at the Charles River Speedway) on a monthly Romance Book Club! October's pick is Rules for Ghosting by local author Shelly Jay Shore! After the event, feel free to hang out in the Annex. Rite has made the space super cozy, and it's the **perfect** reading spot. Costumes encouraged, because, duh, 'tis the season. ;) Q: When does the book club meet?⁠ The second Thursday of each month in the Annex at the Charles River Speedway!⁠ ⁠ Q: I couldn’t make it to the kickoff event. Can I still join the book club?⁠ You sure can!⁠ Q: How do I get a copy of the book?⁠ * You can order a copy through us for pickup at Rite! Please email or Instagram-DM us and we’ll send you a secure payment link.⁠ * You can purchase it through Bookshop.org or Libro.fm. * Check out your local library or Libby!⁠ Q: What if I don’t finish the book before the meeting?⁠ Finishing the book is NOT required! Just show up and join the discussion! Please be aware that spoilers may surface.

Read My Lips Boston pop-up at Idle Hands Craft Ales

It's almost the end of summer...Treat yourself at Read My Lips' Bookstore Romance Day pop-up!⁠ ⁠ What is Bookstore Romance Day? Well, besides being one of our little shop's favorite holidays, it's officially designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community! ⁠ ⁠ To celebrate this magical day, we will be popping up at Idle Hands Craft Ales on August 17, 3-6 PM. Come on by for our fun bookish merch, on-demand romance recommendations, and curated mix of new and pre-loved romance novels with inclusive representation! At each pop-up, we donate 10% of our proceeds to a local non-profit. (Feel free to tell all your friends you read steamy books for a good cause, wink wink). We are excited to share that, on Bookstore Romance Day, a portion of what you spend will go to Stone House! ⁠ Stone House is an incredible local non-profit (based in Roxbury MA) whose mission is to care for and protect adult and child survivors of domestic abuse, and help them rebuild safe, secure, independent lives of purpose and self-fulfillment. Stone House provides housing (short-term and long-term) for survivors looking for a place to stay, a safe community space, childcare, advocacy, and more. Join us! Happy shopping (and happy reading).

Read My Lips Boston pop-up at Mother Juice / Open Newbury

Mother Juice is hosting Read My Lips Boston for our Disability Pride Month Sale on Sunday, July 28, 2-5 PM! Stop by during Open Newbury Street for a scrumptious juice fix and your new favorite beach read. 💕🏖️ As always, we will have a freshly curated selection of (mostly) gently pre-loved and (some) new inclusive romance books, staff recommendations, blind dates with books, fun swag, and more — with ✨10% off your full purchase!!✨⁠ ⁠ At each of our pop-ups, we donate 10% of our proceeds to a different local non-profit. This month, we’re excited to be donating this portion of our sales to Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD). ⁠ PYD is a Boston non-profit whose goal is to create a world where young people with disabilities will be able to live with dignity and pride in who they are, and to lead self-determined lives filled with purpose. To achieve this goal, PYD works to build the skills and abilities of young people with disabilities, and to increase the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities.⁠

Mother Juice / Open Newbury Street

Read My Lips Boston pop-up - Lamplighter Brewing Company

Grab your pals or a hot date, snag a beer (or two) and join Read My Lips Boston, a women-and-disability-run bookshop specializing in inclusive romance, for our April pop-up at Lamplighter Brewing Company (Broadway)! What's in store: 📚️ Blind dates with books: Let fate decide your next romantic adventure!⁠ 🌟 Staff recommendations: Handpicked stories that'll make you swoon.⁠ 🎡 Giveaway wheel: Everyone wins! 🛍️ Bookish T-shirts from local company Bookshop Babes! 🌸 A chance to support a local nonprofit. We will be donating 100% of the proceeds from Bookshop Babes' T-shirts to 826 Boston! ⁠ 826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where Boston students in grades K-12+ can engage in creative writing, sharpen their literacy skills, share their stories, and amplify their voices. Hosting a range of after school and evening programs for students in Roxbury and beyond, 826 Boston aims to help students not only express themselves but also develop as leaders in school and in life.⁠ ⁠ This month's one-off deal: In honor of our mother's birthday month, our first customer on April 26 with the first name of "Nancy" will receive a free book valued at $10 or less! 💕⁠

Lamplighter Brewing Company 

Read My Lips Boston pop-up - Winter Hill Brewing Company

Grab your pals or a hot date, snag a beer (or two) and join Read My Lips Boston, a women-and-disability-run bookshop specializing in diverse romance, for our March pop-up at Winter Hill Brewing Company! What's in store: 📚️ Blind dates with books: Let fate decide your next romantic adventure!⁠ 🌟 Staff recommendations: Handpicked stories that'll make you swoon.⁠ 🎡 Giveaway wheel: Everyone wins! 🛍️ Fun swag: Because who doesn't love a little extra?⁠ ☕️ Mug rugs: Cozy up with a book and a drink atop a knitted mug rug, with proceeds supporting a local nonprofit. ⁠ In honor of March being Women's History Month, we will be donating 100% of the proceeds from our locally made mug rugs to Mujeres Unidas Avanzando (MUA)! MUA provides educational and social services to low-income Latina women and their families. MUA works for change, creating opportunities through programs that further the advancement of women, and of women of color. The program has expanded in recent years to include men in the evening program and other English Language Learners (ELLs) from countries such as Cape Verde, Vietnam, and Haiti. The focus of MUA's core mission remains low-income Latinas and their families.

Winter Hill Brewing Company

Read My Lips Boston pop-up - Idle Hands Craft Ales

Grab your pals or a hot date, and join Read My Lips Boston, a women-and-disability-run bookshop specializing in diverse romance, for our first-ever pop-up at Idle Hands Craft Ales! What's in store: 📚️ Blind dates with books: Let fate decide your next romantic adventure!⁠ 🌟 Staff recommendations: Handpicked stories that'll make you swoon.⁠ 🎡 Giveaway wheel: Everyone wins! 🛍️ Fun swag: Because who doesn't love a little extra?⁠ ☕️ Mug rugs: Cozy up with a book and a drink atop a knitted mug rug, with proceeds supporting a local nonprofit. ⁠ At this event, we'll be donating 100% of the proceeds from our knitted mug rugs to local non-profit Malden Reads! Malden Reads invites everyone in the city of Malden, Massachusetts, to read the same book and participate in a series of events related to the book’s themes.⁠ This season, the book is "Being Heumann," a memoir of disability rights activist Judy Heumann (who stars in the award-winning documentary "Crip Camp").⁠ ⁠

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S19: interest based

WBUR’s 75th birthday celebrations 💫

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.