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| Mitchell Kaplan | |
Congratulations to Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, with stores in South Florida and the Cayman Islands, for being recognized in two categories by Miami New Times for its Best of Miami 2020 awards.
Books & Books was named Best Bookstore, with New Times noting: "In a year as unpredictable as this one, we often long for the comfort of familiarity, and at a time when travel is extremely limited, we might turn to books to help us journey to faraway places. Miami's favorite bookstore didn't leave us hanging on either front when everything shut down. If there was any doubt of Books & Books' status as a local staple, the bookstore proved itself more than ever during the quarantine, continuing to fulfill orders online so we could fill our lonely days with reading, and keeping us connected to the literary community through its Virtual Author Series, which featured interviews with everyone from Carl Hiaasen to Edwidge Danticat to Madeleine Albright. Now that stores have reopened, we can once again enjoy the flagship location and all of its offshoots in person. Plus, the outdoor (and social distance-friendly) café at the store's center in Coral Gables is still one of the best places to grab coffee or lunch while you dive into one of your new books."
In addition, Kaplan topped the Best Podcast category for The Literary Life With Mitchell Kaplan. "In his welcoming baritone voice, Mitchell Kaplan explores the human condition and societal woes of the written word during his weekly podcast, The Literary Life With Mitchell Kaplan, which debuted in 2018 and is now more than 100 episodes in. Kaplan... releases a new episode every Friday comprising a good-natured discussion with writers, authors, and anyone with a story to tell."