JBTCbookstore

10/03/2026

Fridays are for book picks! 🙂‍↕️

Check out this selection by Ryan from pagemasterbookclub perfect for Banned Books Week 📚 Have you read 1984? 👀 Let us know which Banned Book needs to be read ASAP!

10/01/2026

This sign is going on our door soon 🎃💜

Missed us in the store today? Swing by BLACK INC to check out the incredible curated Halloween themed art show and get some candy. It’s Spooky Season! 🍭👻

We’ll be back on-store tomorrow from 12pm - 7pm. 📦 Excuse our mess while we prep for LitHop Fresno if you see a giant stack of boxes hiding in the corner, no you didn’t. 😉

10/01/2026

We're popping up!

We're out of the store two days this week. Here's where you can find us...

10/01 ART HOP POP-UP AT BLACK INK:
🎃 Join us at Black Ink’s Trunk-or-Treat Art Hop! We’ll be popping up with a special selection of books for littles, so stop by, say hi, and find something fun for your favorite little reader.

All books will be 10% off at the pop-up. Don’t miss out!

10/03 LIT HOP:
📚 We’re celebrating LitHop’s 10th anniversary! Find us all day in front of Tower Yoga as Fresno’s literary community takes over the Tower District.

If you’ve never experienced LitHop before, this is the year to check it out. More than 100 readers from across the country will perform at venues throughout the Tower District.

Come find us, discover your next favorite book, and celebrate 10 years of LitHop!

Click here for an update from Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore!

09/30/2026

Never a dull moment in Tower. 🤣 Did someone leave behind their baby? 👀

09/25/2026

In honor of Dolly Day, consider donating to our Give a Book fund 📚💜. $10 adds one book to our giveaway cart or to My Homies Kitchen free little library.

In the past three years, our Give a Book fund has helped us give free books to students on field trips, customers at pop-ups, and resource titles to various mutual aid groups and nonprofits.

Spread the book love! 💖 It’s what Dolly would have done!

09/23/2026

We’re back this week! Come in and shop local and Latino-owned this Latino Heritage month. 📚💜

09/15/2026

“I have too many books!”

Honestly? We love to hear it. 😂

If your shelves are overflowing, there are plenty of ways to turn those extra books and your everyday shopping habits into support for Judging by the Cover and the communities we serve.

📚 Donate Your Books

We’re currently accepting used books in good condition for two community projects:

Our Free Book Cart:
We’ll accept all kinds of titles for our free book cart, which helps us get books into the hands of folks who might not otherwise be able to buy them.

The My Homies Kitchen Free Library:
We’re also building a curated free library at My Homies Kitchen, focused on BIPOC voices, Indigenous history, food justice, and social justice.

Have books you're ready to pass along? Bring them to JBTC during open hours!

🏪 Become a Member or Sponsor

Want to support the bookstore regularly? There are a few ways to do it:

Sponsor a Shelf: Get a shout-out right on the shelf you're helping support.

Sponsor the Store: Store sponsors receive recognition on our website plus yearly perks.

Become a Monthly Member: Members get 10% off in-store purchases and one free book (up to $25) every month.

Your support helps us keep the doors open, bring in authors and artists, and make space for the kinds of books and events that don't always have a home elsewhere.

👕 The Annual JBTC T-Shirt Is Back!

Our annual t-shirt just dropped, and this year we moved to Bonfire to offer more styles, colors, and sizes. Sizes range from Youth XS through Adult 5X, so there's something for just about everybody.

Order yours today, and you'll be able to rep your favorite little radical bookstore in time for LitHop!

📖 Shop With Us on Bookshop.org

Can't make it into the store? You can still support JBTC when you shop online.

Visit our Bookshop.org page through the link on our website or choose Judging by the Cover as your bookstore. Look for our logo in the top left corner. When you shop and know that we receive 40% of the affiliate earnings from your purchase at no extra cost to you.

So if you're already buying books online, you might as well make those purchases support your local bookstore!

🎧 Switch to Libro.fm

Switch from Audible to Libro.fm and choose Judging by the Cover as your bookstore. You can purchase individual audiobooks or credits through us, helping support the bookstore while you listen.

Keep an eye out for monthly perks and free books when you choose a monthly credit bundle!

On a strict budget? No worries!

You don't have to spend money to support us.

Leave us a review. Recommend us to a friend. Share one of our posts. Tell your coworker about us. Bring someone into the store. Invite a friend to an event. Tell your favorite author about Judging by the Cover. Tag us in the comments when someone asks for a recommendation.

Every bit of word-of-mouth support helps our tiny independent bookstore stay open. Thank you for continuing to show up for this little bookstore. We couldn't do it without you.

With love,
Ashley & Carlos

Click here for an update from Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore!

09/11/2026

Join us!

We're taking this show on the road every Thursday for the rest of this month. Check out our schedule below, and don't miss out on a chance to see us in our judging role while supporting our friends at My Homies Kitchen.

This Saturday Carlos will be stepping into the judging chair for Chef vs. Chef at My Homies Kitchen. Local chefs will compete for a $5000 grand prize with knock out style rounds and ticket sales support the work at My Homies Kitchen including free meals, food distribution, and community education.

Where to find us:

Thursday, Sept. 17th at 6 pm: We'll be closing early to pop up at the Music, Mic y Movimiento a MEChA de Fresno State event at St. Dulce (1445 N Van Nes Ave, Fresno). This free event is open to the community and features a special performance by Los Enchantments.

Thursday, Sept. 24th at 6 pm: Find us at the Fresno Poets' Association Amanda Hodes reading at Fresno State's Library (LIB 2206). Amanda Hodes is the 2024 winner of the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. We will have books available for purchase on site.

Thursday, Oct. 1st at 5 pm: Find us at Black Ink (1760 Broadway St) for a Halloween-themed art hop and trunk-or-treat. We'll judge the trunk contest and have a small selection of books and bookish goodies for sale.

Saturday, Oct. 3rd ALL DAY: Save the date for the 10th annual LitHop! We’re once again the official bookstore of LitHop, bringing in 20+ new titles from local authors and readers, including exclusive chapbooks you won’t find anywhere else.

Keep an eye out for more info about our LitHop pop-up and reading announcements!

Click here for an update from Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore!

09/09/2026

Get it here first!

We're so excited to be co-hosting Melissa Dalton-Bradford at Fresno City College tomorrow! Join us from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for an author talk and book signing in OAB 114. Dive deeper into the authoritarian leaders of yesterday and learn practical steps you can take today to build a better democratic society tomorrow, with past and present examples from around the world.

How do democracies die? We’re watching it happen in real time. Elected domestic and international leaders are undermining democratic institutions, weaponizing government agencies, and fueling dangerous polarization. Turn on the news—or scroll social media—and the result is everywhere: fear, anger, and a growing sense of helplessness as citizens wonder, I’m just one person. What can I possibly do?

More than simple analysis, How to Save Democracy: The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook empowers everyday citizens with practical, peaceful steps to turn anxiety into action and defend democratic institutions.

Can't make it? Want a signed copy? Order yours at the link below.

Click here for an update from Judging by the Cover: A Bookstore!