Countdown! Three Day ‘Til Christmas

It’s the final push for shoppers this week, looking for the perfect gift to put under the tree for that special someone. Retail has been a roller coaster ride this year, and bookstores have not stayed out of that amusement park. But, it seems this morning that more people are looking for books in the store than have in the last week.

My own Christmas shopping is not done (I haven’t really even started- I know, I know, give me grief later when I have time for it). But, one of the things that made me feel really good was that each of my kids specifically requested books this Christmas, and not just a book, but books. Multiple. More than one. I think I can accommodate that!

“Tales of Beedle the Bard” which started out slowly has continually picked up steam. I may just sell nearly all what I brought in for the store. I may even buy one.

The reissues of the Ian Flemining’s James Bond books in the pulp fiction covers are suddenly catching some attention, along with the James Bond Encyclopedia.

Local author, and friend of the bookstore, Brandon Sanderson has written the Mistborn series which had helped our Sci-Fi/Fantasy section to have the best month we’ve ever had. And, we can’t forget Brandon Mull, another local author who has parents coming to the store to find copies of his Fablehaven series. One of my daughters has been begging me for book four in the series (sorry, dear, it doesn’t come out until March, and I don’t think I’ll be getting an advanced reading copy).

I’m almost out of the complete, 4 volume Twilight boxed set. Stephanie Meyers vampires are still hot (in the book and on the movie screen) and are still selling well. Even the reissued, hardcover, slipcased, collectors edition of “Twilight” is selling- most likely to all those Twilight fans who have already read the book.

One of our personal favorites around the store has been Monkton’s “The Penguin of Death.” This little gift-sized hardcover book is not only hilarious, “he can kill you in any 1 of 412 different ways,” but is “One of the most bizarre and engaging stories ever written. This has been one of our favorites books to handsell to customers, mainly because it sells itself.

Well, here’s to hoping you get all of your shopping done, especially you guys out there (yeah, it’s always the guys, I know, I’m right there with you) and that you get to all your destinations safely.

Countdown! Nine Days ‘Til Christmas

Here are a few of my observations with nine days to go until Christmas:

While the economy may be bad and book sales aren’t where we’d like them to be, things could be worse. Customers are still buying, but are being judicious, weighing their purchasing decisions carefully. I am seeing far more paperbacks purchased as gifts this year than hardcover books.

Sadly, the books that are doing well in hardcover are the most difficult to get.

Hachette Book Group, where art thou? Only the hottest series since Harry Potter said farewell to his own children at platform 9 3/4, and both “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” are missing in action. With “Twilight” being released as a movie, you’d think that the publisher would expect a little more attention to all the books in the series. If you can find a copy of these books out there right now, buy them and auction them off. They are worth their weight in gold.

O.K., I’m not trying to pick on Hachette, but this is getting crazy. “Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World,” is no where to be seen either (just like a cat, isn’t it?). People are asking constantly for this one as well, but, it too is hard to find. Fortunately, I found a small, secret stash and I should have more copies shortly. But, once those are gone, I only hope Hachette has some more ready to ship.

One book that has been doing well here, and we still are able to get more of, is “Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals.” This postcard book has a picture of the most adorable baby animals you’ll find anywhere, imprinted with some of the worst news you can break to anyone. That cute, puppy dog, telling you that “Grandma’s Dead,” or the baby bunny letting you know “The Meteor Can’t Be Stopped.” It gets better. This is an absolutely hilarious book that’s had us rolling in the aisles and customers picking them up for stocking stuffers.

One thing that seems to be lacking is one or two real “breakout” books (maybe the “Twilight” or “Dewey” books if we could get them). “Tales of Beedle the Bard” by J.K. Rowling while having steady sales, has been mostly underwhelming. Is it because Scholastic failed to promote it properly, or does everyone just have Harry Potter burnout?

With the lack of one or two big titles really taking off this year, it gives me the chance to handsell some of my favorite books. I love talking to people about books, so in a year like this, when customers are asking for suggestions, I love being there to help.

I’m suggesting several mystery authors that I have “discovered” and really enjoyed. Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series and Sandi Ault’s Jamaica Wild series have been two of my favorites this year. I love the characters, the settings in the West, and most of all, I love the writing. These are two talented authors who know, not only how to tell a story, but how to write really well.

I am still telling everyone about one of my favorite books from last year- now out in paperback. “The Meaning of Night” by Michael Cox has been described as Victorian mystery noir. It is historical, set in 1850′s England. It is almost Dickensian. It is dark and brooding. It has everything; love, hate, murder, revenge, deceit, retribution, and then, it gets good. It is like “The Princess Bride,” except everyone is bad and has an ulterior motive, oh, and its not so funny.

It hasn’t been a great Christmas season so far, but it hasnt’ been terrible either. It’s just made me look a little harder to match great books to great customers.

I’ve Been Googled. Is That A Bad Thing?

One of the things I love about my job is the fact that I constantly get advanced reading copies of books sent to me. Now, I ‘m not complaining, but I get so many of these books sent to me, I can’t read them all. So every month or so, I put them out in the employee break room and watch the book free-for-all that ensues.

I did this yesterday, mainly to get rid of the books that had been piling up in my office and that I didn’t have time to read, and partially just for the entertainment value of watching people dig through the pile of books. Letting a greased pig go couldn’t have been as much fun.

At the end of the day, few books remained on the table. There were some children’s books left behind, which, I really can’t blame anyone for not taking, as I wouldn’t let my own children read a few of the titles. Not because of offensive content, but just because after a cursory look, the book was so badly written, I wouldn’t want them subject to such poor writing.

One book that remained behind was a book that I had glanced at earlier, but put on the table because I just didn’t feel I had the time to read it. Apparently, no one else wanted this book either. Just before leaving the store in the evening. I picked it up one more time, browsed the table of contents, flipped through a couple of chapters, then put it in my book bag. Yes, I have a book bag. What else am I supposed to carry my books in?

I ride the train to and from work each day, so I take the time to read and write, rather than stare out the windows at all the graffiti. I opened up this book and began to read. Wow.

Hand-selling Books

Today’s blog post is written by our buyer, Josh Clemens. You can also read his regular blog postings at J.A. Clemens.

Like Steve Carell’s character in “Dan in Real Life”, bookstore employees pride themselves on hand-selling books. Unlike Dan they do it for a living, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude romantic entanglements similar to the one that made the movie so enjoyable. The nature of hand-selling is getting to know the customer’s preferences and introducing them to a book they can fall in love with, after all! Sales reps from publishers provide the same service to bookstore employees, making recommendations based upon each store’s unique clientele. This requires developing a personal relationship that goes far beyond ad copy in a catalog. Some of our reps have forged those candid relationships with us, only to have them sundered by the current retail climate. Henry Hubert, the independent rep who shared with me The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr, was forced into another line of work when his expenses exceeded his income. It’s not just the independent reps who are cutting back, however. Scholastic cut Dawn Kehret’s position when they couldn’t get enough volunteers for early retirement. Larry Yoder was forced to retire a year early by MacMillan. We will get new reps who may be every bit as enthusiastic and capable as Henry, Dawn, and Yoder, but they won’t have the same rapport with us. They won’t have as much time to develop that relationship, either, now that they will have larger territories to cover. We still have John T. Lake as our Pearson rep, but he is now responsible for every account west of Chicago as a result of restructuring. This does not bode well for the publishing industry. Books need publishers, so the houses must be fiscally responsible, but bookselling needs the personal touch, too. Hand-selling books is absolutely critical in lean times, at every level. We’ll miss you, Henry, Dawn, and Yoder!

Christmas is for Children

As I was thinking about Christmases past the other night, some of the best memories I have are of receiving books and I still have nearly every book I ever got as a present. Over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, I’ll be making some recommendations on some great books to give for Christmas this year- books that will entertain, teach, and hopefully, be around for a lifetime.

We’ve all heard that famous saying, “Christmas is for children.” This week, I’ve put together some of my favorite books for Middle Readers (ages 8-12) from this year. Hopefully, these suggestions might help you with some ideas for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or even the paperboy.

Click here to see the books in a slide show presentation- I hope you like them.

The True Value of a Book

Indiebound

I was driving home this evening and saw some one’s yard lit up with tiny lights on their trees and bushes. Believe it or not, it’s that time of year once again, the Holiday Season.

It’s the middle of November and here in Utah (home of the “Greatest Snow on Earth”) the temperature was in the low 50′s today and there is no snow on the ground. Thanksgiving (falling late in the month this year) is less than two weeks away. Christmas is close on its heels.

The stock market took another downturn today, retail sales figures for October were released showing the worst sales decline in 40 years. One company filed for bankruptcy and another warned its investors that sales in November and December will be dismal. Everyone wants a piece of the $700 billion bailout package and the government doesn’t seem to have a clue as to what to do with it.

It COULD be a gloomy holiday season- but, it doesn’t HAVE to be.

There will be no cars or boats in the driveway of my house on Christmas morning. The latest MP3 player or 56″ flat panel LCD television may not be lying under the tree wrapped in festive paper. Appliances and jewelry may not find a place under those green boughs either. But, one thing certainly will.

Books. And that dispels the gloom.

As long as I can remember Christmas in my 39 years, there have always been books. Picture books when I was young, science fiction and adventure books when I was a teen, and mystery, history and biography as an adult. Those gifts from so long ago are with me now as I write this, surrounding me on my library shelves.

“The Hole Book,” one of my favorites from the time my parents read it to me was given for Christmas when I was eight. I was thirteen when Santa slipped “Have Space Suit, Will Travel” into my stocking. Fourteen when I received “Dune.” A autographed copy of “The Sign of the Book” came to me just a few years ago.

Yet, as I look around me, many things from those Christmases past are missing- clothes, piles and piles of them; the hand-held electronic football, basketball and hockey games long since went to the landfill; my Sony Walkman was tossed when cassette tapes became obsolete. Shoes have worn out, game pieces have been lost (or eaten by the dog), chocolates and hard candies quickly disappeared within days. But, books. My books remain with me.

No matter the economic times, good or bad, books are always a part of my Christmas. They are as valuable to me now, and more so, as when I unwrapped them on those cold winter mornings. They are some of the few presents that have come with me through my childhood, into the teen years, and on to marriage and children. They have helped define me, educate me, and entertain me. Year after year. Try getting that from a pair of socks or an iPod.

There is no assembly required late into the night on Christmas Eve. No batteries to be forgotten. No pieces to go missing. No “next generation” to make them go obsolete.

In times like these, when we watch every penny, books make the greatest gifts, because for every penny you invest in a book your dividends are years of joy and appreciation.

I Raise My Glass to Tony Hillerman

I woke to some sad news this morning- Tony Hillerman had died on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at age 83.

Hillerman’s name was synonymous with fiction of the American Southwest. For many of us, his were the first mystery novels we’d read which were set in this beautiful, wild, and yes, mysterious place. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Hillerman, I probably wouldn’t have picked up other authors who wrote about the same general geographic area- Van Gieson, McGarrity, Jance, and Ault, just to name a few. I’d even be willing to bet that these authors would acknowledge a debt to Tony Hillerman for creating a readership in southwestern mysteries.

When you find an author who does just one of three things, 1) creates fascinating, complex characters, 2) tells a great story, and 3) writes beautifully, you read everything they write. When you find an author that can combine two of those traits, you read, relish, and read it again. When you find an author that does all three, well, you know you have found one of those rare jewels. There can’t be enough books written to satisfy your cravings for more.

Hillerman did all three, every time, in every book.

That’s why I always wanted more.

I think that’s one of the highest compliments you can pay an author.

So, Tony, I raise my glass to you and say, “I’ll always want more, but, I’m extremely grateful for what I got. Thank you and Godspeed.”

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Oh, yeah! The great and wonderful elementary school writing project.

“Write me an essay about what you did on your summer vacation; one page, single spaced,” the teacher would say.

I dreaded that essay- yes, I wrote several over the years and I’m sure many of you did as well. One year I tried to fill the page by writing my essay in letters that were three inches high-

What I did during my summer vacation-
I WATCHED TELEVISION.

I didn’t receive a grade, just a short phone call to my parents informing them I’d need to do the assignment over again.

So, I listed every TV show I watched. I got a C.

Now, that I do exciting things over the summer, no one every asks me to write a summer vacation essay. Since such is the case, I am going to take it upon myself to write one for all of you:

What I Did During My Summer Vacation

During the summer of 2008 I traveled around the United States and to several areas in Europe and Africa. Despite high airfares and flight delays, my travels went off without a hitch.

I began with a short trip (from Utah) to Wyoming and spent a few days there. Then it was off to Chicago, North Carolina, Philadelphia, then across the pond to England and Ireland. From there, I headed to Africa- Botswana and South Africa (I’ve visited there once or twice before). Once finished there, I headed back to New York. I finished my summer vacation in the Hushlands.

I know, it seems a disjointed and eclectic trip, and no doubt you are now asking yourselves, “Where are the Hushlands?” Well, since I need to fill one full page, singled spaced for this essay, let me explain. I didn’t fly, drive or walk to any of the aforementioned places. But, I did read some really great books that took me there.

Wyoming: “Another Man’s Moccasins” by Craig Johnson
Chicago: “Chasing Vermeer,” “The Wright 3,” and “The Calder Game” by Blue Balliett
North Carolina: “Down River” by John Hart
Philadelphia: “Bitter Truth” and “Fatal Flaw” by William Lashner
England: “The Glass of Time” by Michael Cox
Ireland: “In The Woods” by Tana French
Africa: “Twenty Chickens for a Saddle” by Robyn Scott
New York: “The Hunter” by Richard Stark
The Hushlands: “Alcatraz vs. the Scrivener’s Bones” by Brandon Sanderson

I even attempted a few side trips that were stopped short due to boring places, bland people and bad writing. Once or twice a new place to visit was suggested, but I had to put them on my list for future travel due to a full travel schedule. It was a great summer filled with intriguing people, amazing places and great books. And, I must say, it was far better than my childhood vacations to Televisionland.

Is that one page?

Why Bother Going To A Bookstore?

I go to a bookstore everyday- but, then, I’m strange like that. I work at a bookstore.

When I leave work, I go to different bookstores for fun- but, then, I’m strange like that. I love books.

I recently read a report that stated 70% of adults in the United States haven’t been in a bookstore in the last five years. Are books boring? Are bookstores boring?

Books, like any commodity, have increased in price over the years. Does the price keep us from buying books?

If you do buy books, you are able to sit in your underwear at home, on the computer and buy books from the Internet. Is that more appealing than getting dressed and going to a bookstore? Is this convenience or laziness?

Many bookstores have built cafes and now serve food and coffee. Are books interesting only if they come with food and drink? Are bookstores now just coffee houses with a few books to sell?

Would more people come to bookstores if there were video games to play, movies to watch, roller coasters to ride? If these things were available at the bookstore, would the bookstore be a bookstore anymore?

I’ve been thinking about these questions quite a lot lately. I can’t imagine my life without bookstores. To me, they are exciting places where I can buy books about nearly any subject imaginable. The books themselves are entertainment.

I realize there are many things vying for our time and attention these days- I too feel the pressures of the modern world. But, I make time to go to bookstores. I make time to read. I do it for work. I do it to learn. I do it for pleasure. But, then, I’m strange like that.

What then, would make bookstores exciting places? What would make you make time to visit a bookstore? An author signing their new book? A book club discussion group? A movie night?

What would make a bookstore THE place to be for you? Share your comments with us. Inquiring minds would like to know what YOU think about bookstores and what would make them more interesting, vibrant and fun places to be.

While you think about this, I’ll be at the bookstore. But, then again, I’m strange like that.

The Demise of the OED?

An article in the New York Times Magazine this week lamented the decision of Oxford University Press to not print another edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, at least for the foreseeable future. To be sure, the editors at Oxford continue to research out and add new words to this most venerable dictionary, but they are doing so online only. In my mind, this is a good use of technology, but also gives me a dire sense of foreboding.

The object of the OED has always been to gather together the words of the English language into one place and give them not only a definition, but a history. There are many words whose definitions have completely changed since their initial usage, and newly created words that are just being added to the official keeper of the language- the OED. They are not erased when the definitions change or the word falls out of use. They are recorded there for eternity- which creates a problem.

At one time, I owned my own copy of the OED, being the book junkie that I am. That collection of words came in 12 heavy volumes. I am sure that an entire tree was used in the production of that one set. Which brings me to a proper use of technology.

Oxford University Press continues to update the OED, but only online. This allows the dictionary to be revised and updated on-the-fly. In waiting for a print edition to be revised and printed, ever more words may be added to the language and definitions and usage may have changed. And, you don’t have to kill a tree (or many trees) to print a new edition. This is a wonderful way in which technology is being used in publishing.

My lament is this. How many people go to the OED.com versus Wikipedia or Dictionary.com? My guess is, far fewer than you might suspect. The OED online requires a subscription fee that is the equivalent of a car payment, whereas Wikipedia or Dictionary.com are free. But, we have all heard of the problems that plague Wikipedia. Dictionary.com offers definitions, but there have been instances where I’ve tried to find a definition that I know belongs to a word, but Dictionary.com only offers the most current definition, not the most complete definition and I can’t find what I’m looking for.

Are we dumbing down the language, allowing the general public to define meaning without any scholarly research, or by providing only the most recent and popular usage of a word? If the OED can slip quietly into the ether of the Internet, what is next? Webster’s? Elements of Style? Charlotte’s Web? Are we headed down the slippery slope beginning at the bastion of the English language? If the OED no longer has physical presence in our libraries or homes do all books have the same fate? Then what of our libraries, our educational system, our children, our future?

While the demise of the printed OED may not have the impact of, say, global warming, it may ultimately have a devastating effect on the future of our literacy.