Tag: readers

Take a Peek Inside the World of Trope Bookshop: a Romance Reader’s Dream

By Sophia-Joelle McDowell

What’s cooler than smutty books on wheels? Trope Bookshop stands out as a romance focused mobile bookstore operating in Charlotte, NC. 

Founder Katie wasn’t always a romance book-slinging bus driver. She grew up in Arkansas and moved to Charlotte after graduating from the University of Arkansas. Katie worked some corporate jobs before getting COVID and experiencing burnout. This weight encouraged her to kick the corporate scene to the curb and find her way to the world of bookstore ownership. 

Katie’s been enjoying the ride, and she recently announced her plans to put down roots with a brick and mortar location—Trope HQ opening March 1. The green gal on wheels will still continue to bop around Charlotte once the new location opens. We spoke with Katie about her journey so far and the love she carries for the genre. Maybe we can convince her to take a road trip to Kansas City? 

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You’ll want to hop under the covers after visiting KC’s first romance bookshop

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By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

Do you dart to the romance section at every bookstore you enter? Are you someone who chooses books based on romantic interests? Will you be reading Ao3 fanfiction for the rest of your life? Maybe you found all your fave book recs from Catcall Editor Kelcie McKenney’s Smutty Book Guide. If any (or all) of the above fits your reading style, then, wow, do we have news for you.

Carley Morton recently opened Kansas City’s first all-romance bookshop, Under the Cover, to serve all your rom-com, YA romance, paranormal romance, regency romance, and/or erotica needs. A fellow cliterature stan, Carley has been a romance fiend since 2011. 

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The Rise of Romance with Lawrence Librarian Polli Kenn

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By Kelcie McKenney

The increase in popularity of the Romance genre has had us at Catcall kicking up our feet and giggling. What’s better than watching new readers find out that romance is totally for feminists too? We’re clearly big fans (I mean, check out our smut guide or our whole Catcall Reads section!) and we’ve been salivating at the rise of #BookTok and the influx of romance-books-turned-movies/shows. And now things are gettin’ local.

This week, Romance writer and TikTok’s #BookTok sweetheart Katee Robert is in town on the Cruel Seduction Tour, hosted by the Lawrence Public Library and the Raven Book Store—which has a romance-themed shelf and IG at @ravenaboutromance. Katee is celebrating the release of her newest book, Cruel Seduction, in the Dark Olympus series. It’s a collection of Greek Mythology retellings that are spicy AF (highly recommend!). On the tour, she’s bringing friends Ana Huang, author of Twisted Love, and Sierra Simone, author of Priest and a KC local. The three are lining up a panel about all things romance, plus chattin’ with readers and singing books. 

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Books to look out for in 2023

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By Nicole Mitchell and Sophie Oswald

New year, new TBR. Maybe you’re already on that reading grind and have finished 10 books so far; maybe you’re new to the scene and looking for where to start. Either way, there are incredible books coming out this year from well-known authors such as R.F. Kuang to debut novelists like Hannah Kaner. To make it easy, we’ve cut this list in half with months January through June—we’ll be sure to touch back with end-of-the-year must-reads! Hopefully this list helps you figure out what your TBR should be for the year.

What are some books you’re looking forward to that we didn’t touch on? Share your thoughts with us by using #catcallback and tagging us on socials!

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Words and Whiskey Podcast Goes Full-on Romance this Valentine’s Day

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By Kelcie McKenney

Buckle up romance readers, we’ve got a Valentine’s Day treat for you.

Words and Whiskey, an intoxicating book club podcast, covers books that are worth reading and drinks that are worth drinking. Hosts Krossland Shaw and PJ Heller have been working their way through Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn as of late, but decided to spice things up with an episode covering the romance genre.

“That’s right, this week we’re tackling the ROMANCE Genre, and attacking it with as much panache as possible. Kross is joined by an incredible group of guests who really want to get your gears turning, and help you understand why the Romance Genre is as big and as important as it is.”

Those guests include a host of hard-core romance readers (including Catcall Editor-in-Chief Kelcie McKenney—hi!) who cover everything from soft and sweet YA and historical romance to, *cough*, well, monster fucking. So strap in and strip down for this two-parter romance ride (with Part 2 dropping later today!).

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