Spelled Ink

10/09/2026

🕯️🦇 **A little peek behind the pages…**

Most days, you’ll find me surrounded by books, helping readers find their next favorite story, or keeping all the little pieces of Spelled Ink running. But every now and then, I get to step into another role: artist, creator, and maker of little bits of magic for the shop. 🖤

Right now, I’m working on some Halloween-inspired mini artwork with a Victorian gothic feel. Think old-world charm, a touch of darkness, and the kind of spooky details that feel as though they’ve wandered out of the pages of a forgotten storybook. 🕸️🕯️

Some of you already know that I create a lot of the art, displays, and little details you see around the shop, but I realized there are plenty of you who may not know just how much of Spelled Ink is made by hand, right here in our little bookish world.

So, I thought I’d share a little behind-the-scenes glimpse of what’s currently taking shape on my worktable. ✨

I can’t wait to find just the right little corners of the shop for these pieces when they’re finished!

Tell me… are you drawn to the **cozy, whimsical side of Halloween** or the **dark, Victorian gothic side**? Or, like me, do you love a little of both? 🖤🎃

10/08/2026

🕷️📖 The Spelled Ink Halloween Story Writing Contest is back! 🎃✍️

For the second year, we’re inviting our community to put their imaginations to work and write a Halloween story inspired by this year’s prompt:

📚 “The book that woke up on Halloween”

Where does the book come from?
What happens when it wakes up?
And, most importantly… what kind of trouble does it get into? 👀

We have three age categories — ages 8–12, 13–17, and 18+ — so whether you’re a young storyteller just discovering the magic of writing or a grown-up who has a spooky story waiting to be told, we want to read it!

📝 500 words minimum / 1,500 words maximum
🏆 One winner from each category will receive a $10 Spelled Ink gift certificate
📖 Selected stories will be published on our website
🎃 Deadline: October 31, 2026

So grab a notebook, open up a blank document, and let your imagination loose. You never know what might happen when a book wakes up on Halloween… 👻

See the flyer for full details, and send your entries to:
📧 [email protected]

We can’t wait to see what stories you conjure up this year! 🖤📚🕸️

10/08/2026

📚 **BANNED BOOKS WEEK: DID YOU KNOW?**

**TODAY from 12–4 PM**, come explore Spelled Ink during our **Banned Book Scavenger Hunt!**

And here's today's surprising fact:

# # # Did you know that **Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys** were once banned or excluded from some libraries?

Yep. Those beloved children's mysteries that generations have grown up reading!

Some libraries and educators considered the books **“trashy,” sensational, or lacking literary merit**, while others objected to stereotypes and other content in the original books. Nancy Drew was reportedly banned from many libraries, while the Hardy Boys were also excluded from some collections.

Think about that.

**Books kids loved simply for the fun of reading them were considered unsuitable for library shelves.**

That's one reason Banned Books Week matters. Censorship isn't always about books everyone agrees are outrageous. Sometimes it's about someone deciding that a book isn't appropriate, worthwhile, or acceptable **for someone else to read.**

Come see what you discover!

📚 **BANNED BOOK SCAVENGER HUNT**
🕛 **TODAY • 12–4 PM**
📍 **Spelled Ink**

**You don't have to love every book to believe in someone's right to read it.**

10/07/2026

📚✊ BANNED BOOKS WEEK REMINDER! ✊📚

TODAY at Spelled Ink: FREE Make & Take Banned Book Trading Cards! 🎨📖

But first, a question:

What do YOU think of when you hear “book banning”?

Maybe you picture a book with inappropriate material being kept away from children.

But a parent choosing what THEIR child reads is very different from removing a book so OTHER families can't choose it for theirs.

And book banning doesn't just affect children. It can affect public libraries, school libraries, bookstores, adults, and entire communities.

Books you might never expect have been challenged or removed — including Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, The BFG, and even the Bible.

And this isn't just history.

It's happening right now. PEN America recorded nearly 12,000 book bans in U.S. public schools during the 2025–26 school year — its highest number ever. Some states are also putting librarians and booksellers at risk of criminal penalties for providing materials deemed harmful to minors.

So here's the question:

Who gets to decide what YOU are allowed to read?

You don't have to love every book.
You don't have to agree with every idea.
You don't have to let your children read every book.

But shouldn't you get to make that choice for your family?

And shouldn't your neighbor get to make it for theirs?

That's what freedom to read means.

❤️ Come make a Banned Book Trading Card today and help us celebrate the freedom to choose, question, explore, and think for ourselves.

📍 Spelled Ink | 132 W. Main St., Orange
🎨 FREE Make & Take | TODAY!

You don't have to agree with a book to believe in someone's right to read it.

10/06/2026

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has officially launched the second phase of a public input survey to help guide the development of the 2026 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan.

The agency wants to hear from residents, businesses owners, community members and other travelers about what the future of rail in Virginia should look like.

The survey is available from now through early November, takes 5-10 minutes to complete and builds off the insights gathered from the first phase of surveys conducted in March and subsequent public and stakeholder meetings.

Respondents can also enter a raffle for free train tickets.

To take the survey and help drive the future of Virginia’s rail network, visit https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vih7iWENoCPFB4

10/06/2026

📚✊ **BANNED BOOK WEEK: READ IN WITH SPELLED INK** ✊📚

**Today! Tuesday, October 6 | 4–5 PM**

What better way to stand up for the freedom to read than by… **reading?** 📖

Join us at Spelled Ink this afternoon for our **Read In**, where we’ll gather together, settle in with our books, and make a little statement simply by showing up and reading.

And we’re not stopping there. ✊

🎨 **We’ll also be creating our own Book Banning Protest Art!**
Bring your creativity, your opinions, and your love of books. We’ll be making art that celebrates the freedom to read and speaks out against book bans.

🎧 **BONUS:** Everyone who attends will receive a **FREE audiobook from Libro.fm!** ❤️

So grab your current read, bring a friend, and come spend an hour with us standing up for books, readers, authors, and the freedom to choose what we read.

📍 **Spelled Ink**
132 W Main St., Orange, VA
⏰ **4–5 PM TODAY**

You don't have to make a speech.
You don't have to be an activist.
**Just come read.** 📚

Because sometimes the most powerful protest is simply refusing to stop reading.

10/06/2026

📚🚫 HAPPY ANTI-PRIME DAY! 🚫📚

Today and tomorrow, we’re asking our fellow book lovers to do something a little different:

Don’t let Jeff Bezos get your book money. Give it to an independent bookstore instead. 😉

Look, Jeff Bezos has done pretty well for himself. Between building Amazon, becoming one of the world's wealthiest people, and, you know… going to space 🚀, we’re pretty sure he doesn’t need your $12.99 book.

We do. ❤️

Small bookstores count on those little purchases. Every paperback. Every hardcover. Every “I only came in for one book…” purchase. 😂

Those dollars help pay the bills, keep the lights on, bring authors and artists into our communities, fund events, stock our shelves, and keep independent bookstores like Spelled Ink here for another day.

And today, we’re making it even easier:

🎉 OCTOBER 6–7 🎉
📦 FREE SHIPPING on orders through our Bookshop.org store!

Shop Spelled Ink online:
👉 https://bookshop.org/shop/spelledink

And the really beautiful part? You can shop online AND support an indie bookstore at the same time.

So this Anti-Prime Day, before you click that giant orange button, ask yourself:

Does Jeff Bezos really need another book sale?

Or would you rather help a small, independent bookstore keep doing what it does best? 📚❤️

We know which one we'd choose.

SHOP INDIE. SUPPORT LOCAL. KEEP BOOKSTORES ALIVE.

10/04/2026

Books worth talking about. Books worth questioning. Books worth reading.

Our Banned Books display is packed—and we mean packed—with stories from all kinds of genres, time periods, and perspectives.

Fantasy. Romance. Mystery. Young Adult. Classics. History. Contemporary fiction. Books for kids. Books for grown-ups. Books that made people laugh, cry, think, challenge an idea, or see the world a little differently.

And yes… many of them have been challenged or banned somewhere.

But we don't want Banned Books Week to be just about looking at a display. We want it to be about reading, conversation, creativity, and community. 💛

That's why we're planning several special activities and events throughout Banned Books Week—including opportunities to discover challenged books, talk about the stories that matter to us, and celebrate the freedom to read.

📖 Come browse the display.
💬 Come join the conversation.
🎨 Come take part in the activities.
☕ And, as always, come spend a little time in your favorite cozy bookstore.

Because books are meant to be read, discussed, questioned, and shared.

Keep an eye on our page for details about our upcoming Banned Books Week events! 👀📚

09/30/2026

✨ A little something new has arrived at Spelled Ink… ✨

We’ve always loved filling the shop with little things that make you stop, smile, and think, “Oh, I need that.” 📚✨

And now there’s a new resident in the shop…

👻🎃 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT MONSTERS 🎃👻

They’re bigger than our beloved Desk Pets, a little more monstrous, and absolutely ready to take on whatever October throws at you.

Pick the little monster who speaks to you, take them home, and let them sit on your desk, shelf, nightstand, or wherever you need a tiny bit of spooky-season companionship. 🖤

And while you’re here, take a peek at some of the other little displays and treasures tucked throughout the shop — like our mini art display featuring these tiny original paintings from a variety talented artists- just the right size to bring a little art home with you. 🎨

Because sometimes the best parts of a bookstore aren't the things you came looking for…

They're the little things you discover along the way. ✨

Come wander. Come browse. Come find your next little something.

Spelled Ink — where there’s always a little more magic hiding on the shelves. 🖤📚🍂

09/30/2026