Sandman Blog

SandmanRomantasy

FEB 15, 2024. PUNTA GORDA, FL.

During the Victorian era, calling a book a "romance" had a different connotation. In those days, a romance was an adventure story: full of swashbuckling pirates, mistaken identity, revenge - and yes, a certain amount of happily ever after on the relationship front. The newest trend in fantasy literature is known by the portmanteau "romantasy" (a blend of romance and fantasy). Epic quests, dragons, and handsome villains harken back to those old "romance" novels, where thrilling adventure and selfless bravery were just as important to the plot as true love.


SandmanFebruary 2024 Indie Booksellers Reccommend

JAN 31, 2024. PUNTA GORDA, FL.

"Independent booksellers' debut picks of the season."


SandmanWinter 2024 Book Club Ideas

JAN 25, 2024. PUNTA GORDA, FL.

"Indie booksellers' latest suggestions for your group of booklovers!"


Saugatuck Corner BooksHappy News 

DEC 1, 2023. SAUGATUCK, MI. by Sandman

"Visit Sandman in Michigan at our new satellite location in the Saugatuck Antique Mall!"


SandmanSad News 

JAN 3, 2024. PUNTA GORDA, FL.

"After overseeing his fifth bookstore buildout, Kitty-Wan Kenobi departed for the Rainbow Bridge. He was 16. We miss him every day."


SaugatuckLakeshore Beach Reads 

JUN 13, 2023. SAUGATUCK, MI. by Heidi

"Reccommended Reading for fans of the Saugatuck, Michigan lakeshore area."


SandmanSandman is still "Best of Charlotte

MAY 11, 2023. FLORIDA WEEKLY.

"We’re of the ilk that the more bookstores there are in our community, the better. That’s why it was heartbreaking to see Sandman suffer the fury of Hurricane Ian. It has been a haven for cosplay fans, children’s readings, one of the biggest inventories in all of South Florida, the famous book arch — not to mention delightful owners Heidi Lange and Scott Hill. While Sandman is still available online, we can only hope for its physical return soon."


TarotTarot 

FEB 13, 2023. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi

"We’re of the ilk that the more bookstores there are in our community, the better. That’s why it was heartbreaking to see Sandman suffer the fury of Hurricane Ian. It has been a haven for cosplay fans, children’s readings, one of the biggest inventories in all of South Florida, the famous book arch — not to mention delightful owners Heidi Lange and Scott Hill. While Sandman is still available online, we can only hope for its physical return soon."/p>


2023Big News 

JAN 3, 2023. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi

We have been in the news THREE times this week...


2023Staff Picks 

DEC 22, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by KTA

Check out some shiny new titles selected by our resident bookseller, Kathy.


Book SaleReally Really Really Ridiculously Good Book Sale

DEC 11, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Unexpectedly, we have to pack up the bookshop and move EVERYTHING out of the building so they can proceed with repairs. What that means for you: A HUGE BOOK SALE! Everything in the shop is steeply discounted; we'd rather sell to you guys than put it in storage. 

 


Bookstore HurricaneWhen It Rains It Pours

NOV 12, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

3 STORMS in six weeks. Wondering why we haven't been as chatty as usual on our emails? It's because we have been doing storm cleanup and water remediation after the shop was damaged by Hurricane Ian (which removed our roof), a smaller (but just as wet) storm on November 2nd, and Tropical Storm Nicole on November 10th.

 


Bookstore HurricaneHurricane Ian

OCT 1, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Yup. We had a bit of a blustery day. But we've hit the ground running...

 


Banned Books WeekBanned Books Week 2022

SEP 20, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

It's that time of year again! Banned Books Week is here and (once again) the list of titles is overwhelming and horrifying...

 


Faye FaulknerAn Interview with Ted Naifeh

SEP 17, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

New York Times bestselling author and artist Ted Naifeh was kind enough to carve some time out of his schedule for me to answer a few questions (and we spent, I kid you not, six weeks deciding what questions to ask him, so I really hope you like them)...

 


It's the End of the World As We Know ItIt's the End of the World As We Know It

SEP 12, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Dystopian novels form a huge part of science-fiction literature. Here, I've compiled a list of some of the best-loved titles, arranged by year of publication. If your favorite is missing, send me a note; I'd love to add it...

 


National Black Cat Appreciation DayNational Black Cat Appreciation Day

AUG 17, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Every day is Caturday... but August 17th is a great day for a profile on Kitty-Wan Kenobi, our resident cat.

 


Enter SandmanEnter Sandman

SEP 10, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Six days ago, The Sandman came to life on screen, with a big budget, under the close and careful management of its creator Neil Gaiman. It's no secret that Sandman is dear to my heart...

 


Beatrix PotterHappy Birthday, Beatrix Potter!

JULY 28, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

On this day in 1866, Beatrix Potter was born. Her charming stories, and the beautiful illustrations she created for them, would go on to inspire and comfort generations of children and adults...

 


Best New Sci Fi & Fantasy100 Classic SciFi and Fantasy Novels

JULY 23, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

In 2011, NPR ran a massive book survey to determine the most loved books in the sci-fi and fantasy genre. 60,000 readers voted in the finals, ranking their favorite 100 novels. Let's take a look at the original list of 100 reader favorites.

 


Best New Sci Fi & Fantasy50 Best New Sci-Fi & Fantasy

JULY 21, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Ten years after they compiled a list of the most loved books in Science Fiction and Fantasy, NPR revisited the topic and selected the top fifty books from new authors (who didn't exist during the first survey). 

 


BookTokA Big Fat TikTok Book List

JULY 20, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

57 titles #BookTok loves (and 3 from me!). Nostalgic, excited, romantic, curious, terrified - whatever you want to feel, this list has you covered.

 


Video Game DayVideo Game Day is July 8th

JULY 6, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

National Video Game Day happens on July 8! Why does a bookseller care about video games, you ask? There's a lot of crossover between these two art forms. There are obvious relevancies, such as the wildly popular Witcher games (based on Andrzej Sapkowski's epic book series); and the less obvious ones, like spinoff novels and art books. And (by this time you probably know) we love sci-fi, much of which deals with what-ifs about how video games can impact our lives now, and in the possible future. From classics like Ender's Game to more recent hits like Ready Player One, video games have been fascinating writers ever since they were first a thing... 

 


Gothic Home-MakingGothic Home-Making: Fabric Wallpaper

JUNE 28, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

My bookshop is decorated in a Dark Maximalist steampunk style that I like to think of as "industrial Atlantis." I have a bad case of champagne taste on a beer budget (bookselling is not a famously well-paid profession) so I do a lot of DIY stuff when I have decor ideas that I want to embrace. This is how I installed fancy damask wallpaper in my sci-fi & fantasy nook, on a budget...

 


Southern GothicA Season for Southern Gothic

JUNE 22, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

I can't believe it's been six years since we refreshed our Southern Gothic reading list! The genre has grown so much since then, and I'm quite excited about this update. The classics are still here too, but I have a number of fresh titles from exciting new authors to share with you...

 


100 Best Novel100 Best Novelss

JUNE 14, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.

If you want a list of the "best 100 novels ever written," there are a lot of them out there. Personally, I love the 2018 list from PBS, because it was curated by readers (not critics or academics). That means it's truly a list of fan favorites...

 


Florida7 Books About The Florida Highwaymen

JUNE 10, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

If you've been in Florida for much time at all, you've probably heard of these twenty-six African American landscape painters. These midcentury artists were known as "The Highwaymen" because they sold their work on the weekends, hitting the road like old-fashioned traveling salesmen. At the time, their vibrant depictions of Florida scenery sold for about $25 a painting (now, they fetch thousands at auction). Books about these artists can also be quite rare... 

 


Warhammer FAQThe 5 Pillars of Warhammer

MAY 25, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Warhammer is a tabletop war game designed for two or more players (it's not a computer game; you play at a table with your friends). It's also a grimdark book series. It's also a line of miniature models, which you can paint to your own taste (or leave undecorated). The entire thing is set in a fictional postapocalypic universe 40,000 years in our future...

 


Florida Historical NovelsFlorida Historical Novels

MAY 20, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

8 books to try if you loved A Land Remembered...

 


CookbooksCook-Books for Book Lovers

MAY 13, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

One of my favorite things about working in a bookshop is that I can enjoy seeing, handling, and admiring a great number of books I would never meet otherwise...

 


Bridgerton7 Bright Romantic Fantasies

MAY 5, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Suddenly, everyone is interested in Regency romance again! It’s no mystery that Bridgerton captured our imaginations with its lush sets, opulent costumes, and lavish soundtrack. The film adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance series hit just the right note, and we’re hungry for more...

 


FloridaFlorida's Fabulous Field Guides

MAY 3, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

This is one of my favorite natural history series! The vibrant, detailed illustrations really bring the flora and fauna of the Sunshine state to life - and the series includes oft-overlooked topics like...

 


Rare BookIndependent Bookstore Day

APR 30, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

If you're visiting our brick and mortar shop today ask about indie bookstore day specials, including BOGO romance, free shirts and more...

 


Rare BookDark Victorian Fantasy Reading List

APR 29, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

One of the hardest questions to answer (for me) is when someone requests "a book like the Night Circus." Here are some other Victorian novels which evoke a similar Dark Fantasy aesthetic...

 


Rare BookRare Book Thursdays

APR 28, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi.                                           

Today we're taking a close-up look at the second oldest book on our shelves: a Dutch bible from 1730.

 


Night Circus Themed BallgownsNight Circus Ball Gowns

APR 27, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi (Chimera Costumes).                                           

In 2018, Morgan Katsarelas and I made a pair of costumes inspired by the Night Circus and its dark Victorian fantasy aesthetic.

 


Book Corset worn by Amber at Sandman Books WeddingBook themed clothing inspired by Art Sculpture

APR 26, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Heidi (Chimera Costumes).                                           

This week I made a custom corset with Amber, who dearly loves The Hobbit. What do you wear when books are life? A corset covered in books of course...

 


Book Arch How-to Instructions for Wedding, Engagement and Senior PhotosHow-To Build A Wedding Book Arch

APR 10, 2022. PUNTA GORDA. by Scott.                                           

I created beautiful book arch reminiscent of an old roman aqueduct... it's perfect for weddings and senior portraits

 


Coming Soon

#BannedBooks · #BookToFilm · #BIPOC · #StaffPick · #Dragons · #Dystopia · #Fae · #FirstInSeries · #KingArthur · #MagicalRealism · #Mermaids · #Mythology · #Neurodivergent · #Steampunk