Caroline Scutt I was straightening things up at the store and looking forward to a few days of vacation before jumping into a new year when our last customer of the day walked through the door. “I want to sign up for two of your classes,” she announced as she swung her chic wrap over her shoulder … Read more
The holiday shopping frenzy is coming to an end and this shopkeeper is officially exhausted! This is my second Christmas as a bookseller and I am pleased to announce that every special order came in on time and we did a much better job keeping popular books and other items in stock this time around. … Read more
Tis the season for holiday celebrations, and when we have time to breathe, reflection on the year that is whirling toward its end. Last week I inadvertently insulted a friend-of-a-friend when I said I wasn’t in it [bookselling] for the money. We were at a holiday party and our conversation may have been slightly impaired … Read more
The sound of the door chimes sends Katie scurrying to the front of the store. Before visitors even make it through the entryway she is already sitting in wait to greet new and familiar faces. “Oh my gosh! Look we have a greeter!” most of our new visitors exclaim. Katie stands in anticipation of loves, … Read more
The holidays are here and while most people are bustling about trying to find the perfect gift for that friend, teacher, sister and mother, retailers are scrambling to make sure they have that perfect gift for friend, teach, sister and mother. When people dream about owning a quaint bookshop in a small town they don’t … Read more
I have a confession to make – I never participated in a book club before becoming a bookseller. I wasn’t opposed to them but I didn’t see the point of being part of an organized group created with the sole purpose of discussing books. Book discussions should just happen organically, shouldn’t they? I also felt … Read more
An important part of being a community bookstore is hosting authors – emerging and established, and all of us in between. Playing host or hostess can be a great deal of fun. It also can be exhausting and often stressful. We plan these events to hopefully bring more people into the store. More importantly, I … Read more
I woke up at 2:30am the other night and couldn’t fall back asleep. This happens every once in a while when I have too much on my mind. I used to toss and turn and get frustrated, angry – sometimes blaming my husband as he would lie there dreaming. He’d taken the blankets or elbowed … Read more
