Robin Dill There’s something comforting about the colder weather arriving. Days spent in front of a wood stove, curled up on the couch with a comfy blanket, immersed in a good book. Trips to the bookstore are necessary this time of year in that no matter how good the search engine on your computer or phone is, … Read more
One of the more rewarding moments for booksellers is getting the perfect book to its perfect reader. Sometimes this can be done months before the book is actually released when the book buyer is pouring over the catalogues filled with hundreds or even thousands of titles from multiple publishers. Choosing the books for your store … Read more
Every September as school buses refuel and become a fixture on the roads again, retail stores have “back to school sales,” and routines become the norm for families with kids in school. Another annual ritual is gearing up. Libraries and bookstores begin promoting Banned Book Week, an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library … Read more
My path to owning a bookstore was more like a ramble in the woods. There was no clear path, no imagined destination, or even the possibility that it could be. I graduated with an English: Writing Option degree just shy of my 30th birthday. It took me a while, but I did it and I … Read more
I read a lot as a child. Books were my entertainment and my refuge from being shy and yet innately curious about the world. Books allowed me to engage with the world from the safety of my solitude and yet fully engaged in a story at the same time. Charlotte’s Web The first book I … Read more
Readers are curious people, often with wild imaginations. The writer creates a world on the pages and the reader conjures it up in their mind. It is up to the reader to engage, see it, and understand it. Readers tend to be patient people. How often does it take to be “all-in” on a book? … Read more
There’s a thrill when you bump into a celebrity when you least expect it. I’ve had many experiences working in bookstores and owning my own bookstore where I got the pleasure of speaking to and in some cases forming a friendly acquaintance with celebrity customers. First Celebrity Customer – Sharon Stone I remember working my … Read more
Summer is a time to slow down your pace and enjoy the lazy hot days at the beach or the park or the pool. When I was a kid, my favorite spot to read was sitting under my grandmother’s crabapple trees. We’d go there to swim in her pool and have lunch on the deck, … Read more
