Check Out This Collingswood Romance Bookshop

Kiss & Tale / Photograph courtesy of Kiss & Tale

Lip Service

The second day Kiss & Tale was open for business, a customer wandered into the Collingswood romance bookshop and spent $600, clearing nearly­ an entire shelf. That’s when owner and South Jersey native Katie Cunningham, a fan of the genre since she was a young adult, knew that her instinct to take a step back from the bagel shop she ran with her husband and open such a space had been spot on. “These bookshops kept popping up in other major cities,­ and I knew that if I decided to do it, it had to be quick so I could be the first in New Jersey,” says Cunningham, who launched Kiss & Tale in October after less than 10 months of planning and with plenty of time to settle in before Valentine’s Day, which she refers to as her Super Bowl. But even an ordinary Wednesday feels like a special event for the suburban retailer: “Talking about books every day for work is a dream come true.” 688 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood.

Genre Buzz

Binding Agents, a cookbook shop in the Italian Market / Photograph by Catie Gainor

As the post-pandemic indie bookstore boom continues — the number of openings has more than doubled since 2016, according to the Associated Press — savvy sellers are catering to niche interests. Philadelphia is home to at least two such concepts, which both opened in October: Chestnut Hill’s 50 Watts Books centers on unusual, coffee table-worthy art and design books with an emphasis on Japanese titles, and the Italian Market’s Binding Agents (above) is a mandatory stop for essential cookbooks from Philly’s most influential chefs. 15 West Highland Avenue, Chestnut Hill; 908 Christian Street, Bella Vista.

Reading List

Local women are leaving their imprint on the independent bookshop concept in the burbs. At the nearly year-old Mavey Books, owner Nadia Alawa stocks diverse and inclusive titles and maintains a packed calendar of release parties and author signings and multiple book clubs in her sunny Ardmore storefront. Skippack’s Pages and Parchment, the recently opened passion project of breast cancer survivor Becky Fuhry, carries new and used books as part of a trade-in program: Bring in your gently used reads and you’ll receive a store credit for your next purchase. 8 Cricket Avenue, Ardmore; 4010 West Skippack Pike, Skippack.

Right Notes

/ Photograph courtesy of Love, Jour

With her new biz, Love, Jour, Jordan Lee Cook of Queen Village scent and floral bar Loomen Labs has created fragrances inspired by her poetry. Here, three pairings.

• 228 eau de Parfum
  Cook recalls early summer mornings buying flowers alongside her mom with a potion of rose and neroli.
• 14 eau de Parfum
  A curious mix of lilac, lemon verbena, cashmere musk, and spearmint speaks to the eternal struggle of love and lust.
• 6 eau de Parfum
  Intoxicating, earthy scents like sandalwood, cannabis, and patchouli represent the long-awaited feeling of finding love.