Today we’d like to introduce you to Ky & Char Armstrong & F..
Ky & Char, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In January 2025, I (Ky) was introduced to Char through a mutual friend, and we first met at a café in San Diego. It quickly became apparent that we shared a mutual love for both cafés and books. I have been reviewing books since 2022 and have had the opportunity to collaborate with publishers and bookish merchandise brands; however, I had always envisioned creating something more expansive. Meeting Char opened the door to that possibility.
We began meeting weekly at different local cafés, bonding over our shared interests through Buddy Reads and detailed reflections on both the coffee shops we visited and the books we read. What started as a casual idea—joking about starting a blog—soon evolved into something real. Within two months, and while balancing our academic and work responsibilities, we developed the concept for Cafes and Covers, created a business email, and launched our social media accounts. Our first post featured a review of Selva Coffee House.
Since then, we’ve grown with the support of an enthusiastic and welcoming community. We now have the opportunity to review Advanced Reader Copies, spotlight locally owned businesses, and provide a trusted space for book and café recommendations. Cafes and Covers has become a creative outlet and a meaningful platform for connecting with fellow readers and coffee lovers alike.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Long story short, it’s been a bit of an adjustment and challenge to do all the things we want to do on top of our regular lives. As a growing platform, we are continually learning and refining our process, and naturally, we have encountered challenges along the way. We’re trying to post consistently, which means going to cafes and reading lots of books, and sometimes we fall behind because that’s life. As two individuals in our early twenties who are simultaneously managing academic and professional responsibilities, balancing our commitments with the demands of content creation has required intentional effort. We are learning how to effectively allocate time for designing graphics, writing in-depth reviews, expanding our social media presence, and navigating the technical aspects of website management. Even now compared to a month ago, we’re getting better and the process gets smoother every day. Currently Char is out of town a lot, so we call at least once a week (our max is 8 calls in one week) because both of us like to talk things out. Also, we have a multitude of shared notes, text threads, Canva edits, and update notes for our spreadsheets.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Char and I (Ky) are both currently in school pursuing an education in the legal field! Still exploring careers in the legal profession. On the fun side of work, Char just started the ARC (Advance Readers Copy Reviewing) process and she’s currently reviewed 4 so far, whereas Ky has been doing this for years. We’re trying to go to more book events, like signings and conventions to create content, while balancing education. We went to the LA Times Festival of Books this year, and we’re hoping as we grow, we’ll be able to help with those events in the future!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Char- In elementary/middle school, my friends and I would all be interested in the same books and we all went primarily to our school’s library, which only had 1-2 copies of books that all 5-7 of us wanted to read. So, one or two people would read, then pass the books like a relay so we could all finish and talk about the books as soon as possible. It would take like 3 weeks for the whole friend group to finish a book, and we kept going with the next books in a series or new series, just rotating. This is how I got into series like the Hunger Games, Divergent, A Series of Unfortunate Events, etc., and really sparked my love for reading and chatting about books with my friends. Now we just buddy read haha.
Ky- I am very grateful that my parents always said yes to getting any book I wanted. It furthered my love of reading and learning. One pivotal moment that really cemented the fact that I want to work in publishing/ the book industry one day was when my grandmother bought me my first book subscription box when I was 11 years old. This book subscription box was named OwlCrate and they would send a surprise new release with a bunch of goodies every month ( fun fact I still have my subscription to this day!). I would run to my front door when the box arrived and rip it open then and there. I loved that it introduced me to new books I might not have ever heard of or read without the subscription. I would bring that monthly book with me everywhere once I got it, it came with me to school, my sports practices, and social events; you could count on me reading if there was a spare moment. I have super fond memories of being that kid you could find reading and it makes me feel more connected to not only myself but also my grandmother. She fueled my love for special editions with the OwlCrate subscription and that love still continues even though she isn’t here physically with me anymore, her impact is forever.
Pricing:
- Book Release Graphics: $5 per graphic
- Content Idea List: $35 per book
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cafesandcovers.wixsite.com/cafesandcovers
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafesandcovers?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: cafesandcovers@gmail.com
Image Credits
Art Credit: @artinelysian – Custom commission portraits
