Our writers have been around books for a long time and are never shy to share their opinions…
It’s not all doom and gloom for bookstores despite the news I woke up to Friday morning. I was awoken by CBC’s morning radio show host interviewing one of the co-owners of Flying Dragon Bookstore, an award-winning bookstore in Toronto, Canada. Saturday May 14, 2011 the Canadian Booksellers Association had named them Specialty Bookseller of … Read more
The Internet, the ebook, modern society in general, is changing the publishing industry in fundamental ways. I’m a librarian by training. Just as with every other industry touched by the publishing industry, like bookstores, the library is evolving; changing practices and methods of providing customer care. I’ve noticed an interesting trend in libraries in the past couple of … Read more
Book ordering is critically important in how customers view a store, stock is (if not the most important) one of the single reasons a customer will purchase in your store. But is there some stock which has a detrimental effect to how an indie store is viewed? Admittedly, this blog is more of a discussion … Read more
For those of you who have not experienced the thrill of an Edgar A. Poe banquet and awards ceremony, don’t think Oscars. But, don’t think Elks Club meeting or dentist convention either. The banquets I attended are from 1995 through perhaps 2000 or 2001. To be clear, I haven’t been to one for over a … Read more
Burning, destroying books for any reason is inexcusable. Burning them because of ‘religious beliefs’ is incomprehensible. Recently, in Colorado City Arizona, an old schoolhouse housing stacked boxes of donated books, was the site of a bonfire of containing some of those titles. At first, the organizers of the drive for a library in the area, … Read more
– Self Publishing, Print-on-Demand and How Bookstores Fit In Earlier today I finished an amazing book. The Best Laid Plans, by Terry Fallis, is a Canadian book about Canadian politics. Now I’m sure for most people this sounds boring, boring2, even. But it’s not, I assure you. The Best Laid Plans is an amazing book. … Read more
Attendees at the 2011 Left Coast Conference in Santa Fe voted for the following winners. The Lefty Award for the Best Humorous Mystery Novel: The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein—J. Michael Orenduff The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award for the Best Historical Mystery Novel, Events pre-1950–The Mapping of Love and Death–Jacqueline Winspear The Hillerman … Read more
I’ve never heard of someone demanding a bookseller remove an “offensive” book from their store before. I don’t think as a bookseller, I’ve ever encountered it. But some others have, and it begs the question, where does it end? The bookseller in the article questions his ordering practices–wondering if what he decides to purchase and … Read more
