Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books, Author at The Source

Celebrate the Power of Books and Bookstores on Independent Bookstore Day

Roundabout Books celebrates its 10-year anniversary on April 25

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books April 22, 2026April 28, 2026

I travelled to Phoenix last week and my seven-year-old niece was so excited to tell me about the book she’s reading in school: “The Trumpet of the Swan.” Then she sat down and read a book with me, swapping pages back and forth. The last time I saw her she wasn’t reading fluently, yet there […]

Culture Features

In Conversation with David Guterson

Guterson discusses his new book, “Evelyn in Transit”

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books January 16, 2026January 15, 2026

“’Self’ appears to be a gathering of body, thoughts, perceptions, awareness, and sensations, yet we experience ourselves as something else.” David Guterson grew up near a Tibetan diaspora family in his Seattle neighborhood, befriending the boys in the family who were his age and spending time with them in their home. Even as a child, […]

Culture

Books to Inspire Your Next Gathering

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books November 21, 2025November 25, 2025

I’ve been making my Thanksgiving turkey the same exact way for over 20 years. As a young mom in my 20s, I had no idea how to even start a turkey, so I went to the only expert I knew: Martha Stewart. Martha’s Perfect Roast Turkey recipe, from brine to cheesecloth, is one of the […]

Culture

Book Censorship Is So 1984

“Every dictator gets rid of the artist first… They burn the books and execute the artist first… Art might do something. It’s dangerous.” ~Toni Morrison

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books September 26, 2025September 26, 2025

In 1949, George Orwell published a little book called “1984,” a dystopian novel about a totalitarian state under the constant watch of Big Brother. It proceeded to become the most banned book of all time. Why? The most commonly challenged reasons include inappropriate sexual content and controversial social and political themes. This year, Banned Books […]

Culture

Fall Preview of Books

A selective list of new books coming out this fall

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books September 23, 2025September 22, 2025

As many of the most anticipated books of the year start to fill our shelves, I’d like to share a Fall Preview of all the great reading this season. With more than 800 books to talk about, I’m compelled to offer you a highly selective list. The good news is local booksellers can give more […]

Culture

Why We Celebrate Indie Bookstores

Shop locally, but read globally

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books and Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books & Cafe April 23, 2025July 8, 2025

More than any other time in Roundabout Books’ eight-year history, our customers are asking us to match the prices of books they see on Amazon. It may surprise you that I am heartened by these requests, as I think it is a sign of greater general awareness of the damage monopolistic companies like Amazon have […]

Culture

“How To” Ideas for Authentic, Sustainable, Civic Engagement

Topical books encourage readers to stay involved

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books and Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books & Cafe October 30, 2024November 13, 2024

One of the questions I always get asked as a bookstore owner is some version of, “What surprises you about running a bookstore?” I’m continually surprised by the connections we form as a third place – a place to spend time beyond home and work. Sharing a bookstore space with our community means we talk […]

Culture

Summer Reading, Central Oregon Style

In the deep exhale of summer, add some bucket-list books to your repertoire

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books and Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books & Cafe July 24, 2024April 7, 2025

It’s almost August, the deep exhale of summer. Heated days rest heavily on our shoulders and demand a slower pace, an unwinding, a pause before the bustle of autumn. It is the perfect time to read. One of my great pleasures of summer is to wake up early, pour a cup of coffee, sit on […]

Culture

The Long History of Queer Literature

It's here, it's always been here, get used to it

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books and Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books & Cafe June 26, 2024July 31, 2025

T.J. Klune, New York Times Bestselling author of queer fiction such as “The House in the Cerulean Sea” and “In the Lives of Puppets,” recently visited Bend as part of the Season of Nonviolence Speaker Series at Central Oregon Community College. While prejudice of LGBTQ+ authors still persists, it’s heartening that Klune could come and […]

Culture

A Conversation with Best-Selling Author Lisa See

Talking inspiration, history and more ahead of the author’s visit to Bend June 26

by Cassie Clemans, Owner of Roundabout Books and Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books & Cafe May 29, 2024May 10, 2025

One day in October, seven months into COVID lockdown, Lisa See was wandering her Brentwood home, feeling the isolation and gloom of not being able to do the thing that drives her historical fiction writing: the research. The libraries, the archives, the countries were all closed. But on this day, she glanced at her wall […]

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