It's a shame that sarcasm is harder to detect in a venue such as this one, but the title is in fact dripping with it. It's hard to maintain holiday cheer when working in retail and there is little heart for those of us who work in retail because for the most part we choose to. There is some truth in that. I do choose to work in a bookstore. I choose to serve you in that manner. When you enter my store it is my job to help you and I do for 40 hours of my week. But there is something that I think that a lot of shoppers don't realize. I am not out to get you because I don't have the obscure picture book on mushrooms from around the world that you wanted. Contrary to what you think I am not there to ruin your Christmas. In fact I want you to spend tons on money when you walk in that door, but as a shopper you need to think before you shop. Do a little research before you walk in my door asking for something that hasn't been in print for 25 years or that you aren't even sure if it exists (this happens more than you know: "I'm looking for a book on antique porch furniture"). I am good at my job and can probably locate a title or two to order for you but we cannot possibly carry every book that was ever published, it's impossible.
It's the time of year when I put on what I like to call my airline stewardess face/voice. My normal octave gets a little higher and my smile get super close to being obnoxious, but I do it because I like it crappy customers an all. I do it because despite all the crap there are some days that are just awesome. Yesterday I had the two most amazing customers ever right in a row. The first, a nice gentleman who needed help finding a couple of thing, sure no problem we've got that, nothing to out of the ordinary right. Wrong! When I greeted him hello and asked if I could help him find anything he replied, "Yes you can, and Merry Christmas." Okay, to the ordinary person that doesn't sound like it would be something to make an awesome customer, but in truth most customers can't even manage a hello or Hi for us, most are talking on their phone and we're trying to get out of them what they want. So someone wishing me a Merry Christmas made my day. At the end of our customer service experience he told me I had a beautiful smile, energetic spirit and hugged me. It put a bigger non-airline stewardess grin on my face. I get back to the computer and an older woman and her husband came up to the counter. "What can I help you find today?" I inquired. "I'm wondering where you keep your croshworrrr" followed by a very loud laugh. I laughed a little, not wanting to offend when her husband looked at me and said "You'll have to excuse her she had drinks with her dinner." I'll tell you it's the hardest I laughed with a customer in a long time. It was a good day, and it reaffirms that I like what I do. I need a day like that every now and then between the crappy ones.
So just remember it's Christmas time for everyone, not just you!! Take your time and don't always be in a rush to get in and get out. If you really want me to help you pick something out I'm not a magician, I will have to ask you questions. Have patience and try to enjoy the holiday a little. Merry Christmas from the Book Store Dork :)
P.S. I've read some killer books lately (mostly teen, but really addictive!!!)
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Teen Geek Out John Green Style
As I have said before I love the teen books. It's not always about some serious piece of fiction that may change the literary world. Sometimes it's just simply about reading a book, falling in love with the characters and just enjoying it. I have long been a follower of John Green, a YA author, a history video cast maker, a renaissance man if you will. And for a couple of hours I became a 13 year old girl when I read "The Fault in Our Stars". I read it about 5 or six months ago with a box of tissues. The word spread about this charming book and a movie was to be made. More importantly it was to be made in Pittsburgh. I was then approached during my bookstore dork daily life about filming in the store I manage. I went through the roof and I could feel my teen girl excitement growing. Filming a movie in my store was cool on it's own merit, but the fact that John Green himself had been showing up to filming around this city made me want to explode. So I went to work at 3 in the morning to let the crew set lights etc. It was like Christmas morning for me, will he come? will he show? will he sign my book? John Green did not disappoint, early that morning he walked into the store toward all the employees and my heart skipped a beat. I actually teen geeked out. That's right a 37 year old woman jumped in place and clapped her hands with excitement (yep that's me). Sure there were movies stars walking around my store but for me John Green was the movie star. And he was the nerdy, lovely guy I had hoped he would be. He took pictures with everyone (including me), signed all the books of his we had on our shelves (and there was a lot), and hung around and chatted with us. It was a day I won't soon forget. I met a favorite author of mine, got some signed books, talked with him and oh yeah I forgot Laura Dern and her kids came by to watch! So I may be in my late 30's but for one very long morning I became a teenage girl again, if only for a few minutes. So if you haven't been swept up in the local filming and buzz that's been floating around about this book, pick it up. It's a charming story about two kids with cancer who fall in love their own way. You will fall in love with John Green just as I have :)
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Ahhh Neil It's Been a While
There are very few contemporary authors out there that have such a diverse fan base. Neil Gaiman is one of those blessed people who have fans young and old. Truth. . . I hadn't read him until last week. He is one of those guys that is liked on principle. I've long admired him but never read him. Today I type as a fan. I read, I turned pages and I fell in love with his characters. I am no longer just a fan on principle.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fairy tale/ghost story. To tell you the truth I really wanted more. I wanted to dive further into the lives of several of his characters. The Hempstock women were older than time itself and charmed the hell out of me. They were not the focal point but they were mesmerizing. I don't know if they were witches or elders who have been around since the creation of the universe. I couldn't tell and I didn't care. He could easily write an entire book about them alone and I would buy it in a heart beat. As much as I did enjoy it, I felt a little empty when I was done. Something felt incomplete and I'm certain it was because it was so short. It was good enough to make me want to visit some of his other works, the question is: which one of his books do I go too?
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a fairy tale/ghost story. To tell you the truth I really wanted more. I wanted to dive further into the lives of several of his characters. The Hempstock women were older than time itself and charmed the hell out of me. They were not the focal point but they were mesmerizing. I don't know if they were witches or elders who have been around since the creation of the universe. I couldn't tell and I didn't care. He could easily write an entire book about them alone and I would buy it in a heart beat. As much as I did enjoy it, I felt a little empty when I was done. Something felt incomplete and I'm certain it was because it was so short. It was good enough to make me want to visit some of his other works, the question is: which one of his books do I go too?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Mea Culpa, Well Sort Of
As you know I've been stuck, crazy stuck, in my book reading. I think it was an overload of good new releases. Too much to read, too little time. I am reading 4 books right now and haven't finished a damn one. So I made a bold call. I decided to finish Fifty Shades of Grey. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. To put it mildly, I was not a fan. But damn it I needed to finish a book, good or not. Onto Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. I did it, in 4 days I read both. I even tried to hide it by reading them on my NOOK so that no one could tell. I read good books, I don't read that crap. But in 4 days I was done.
I felt dirty and ashamed that I bent down to the crush of non-readers who think this is one of the best books they've ever read. I thought I was better than that. Turns out I'm not. Now I've said it, I need to defend myself. I still think it's crap. I still think it's terribly written. It is truly fan fiction: not original, very predictable, and full of plot holes. That being said, it's readable if you can get past her over use of "inner goddess," "heady" and my favorite phrase, "he rubbed my sex." By the time I got halfway through book 2 I started to skip the sex scenes because they were almost all the same, this stymied me seeing as how this was supposed to be the big deal about it. As I have said before, I've read dirtier much better written. By book three I wanted to know more about the characters and less about the sex. The problem is everything that happened in the book wasn't built up to, it wasn't alluded to it just sort of conveniently occurred when she needed her story to turn. Something to throw off a flowing relationship let's drop in a pregnancy by running into your gynecologist on the street. . . . really? Need some drama no problem we'll throw in a kidnapping with a five million dollar ransom. But when it was all said and done I was ,for the most part, entertained.
Mea Culpa. . . . well sort of :)
I felt dirty and ashamed that I bent down to the crush of non-readers who think this is one of the best books they've ever read. I thought I was better than that. Turns out I'm not. Now I've said it, I need to defend myself. I still think it's crap. I still think it's terribly written. It is truly fan fiction: not original, very predictable, and full of plot holes. That being said, it's readable if you can get past her over use of "inner goddess," "heady" and my favorite phrase, "he rubbed my sex." By the time I got halfway through book 2 I started to skip the sex scenes because they were almost all the same, this stymied me seeing as how this was supposed to be the big deal about it. As I have said before, I've read dirtier much better written. By book three I wanted to know more about the characters and less about the sex. The problem is everything that happened in the book wasn't built up to, it wasn't alluded to it just sort of conveniently occurred when she needed her story to turn. Something to throw off a flowing relationship let's drop in a pregnancy by running into your gynecologist on the street. . . . really? Need some drama no problem we'll throw in a kidnapping with a five million dollar ransom. But when it was all said and done I was ,for the most part, entertained.
Mea Culpa. . . . well sort of :)
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Where are the Bookstores Going?
As you all probably know I manage a bookstore, I am a self proclaimed book guru. I love books and always have. Getting lost in a world someone else created is one of the greatest past times around. I know that I sound old fashioned and maybe I am but a good book can take you places that are imagined by someone else. In my opinion that's pretty cool. That being said my world is threatened. Bookstores, publishing, what we read and how are changing. I am no fuddy-duddy. I have a NOOK, in fact I have several as do the members of my family. I love being able to take hundreds of books with me wherever I go. I love not having to decide what 5 books to take on vacation with me. I love that I can read anywhere. But I also love walking in my front door and being surrounded by shelf after shelf of books, old and new. I love books whatever format they come in, and I have them all.
I get asked more times than I can count in a day "are you going out of business?" I want to scream out loud every single time I hear it. But the truth is no one knows. With some of the big box retailers that sell everything from toilet paper to windshield wipers trying to cash in on best sellers, selling them for several dollars cheaper, we lose business. That's fine if you only ever read the 10 most popular books. Where will you go when you want to look for a book? Where will you go when you want someone to help you pick out a book or recommend one? I'm fairly sure most employees as those big box will point you to their top ten display and tell you that those are good. This will have no impact on those who don't enjoy reading and I understand. To those of that do this is an uncertain time.
The changing business has also brought some wonderful perks. We now have a direct line to some of our favorite writers through on line forums, twitter, Facebook etc. You can drop one them a question and in most cases you'll get a response, it's awesome. It has given authors that wouldn't have been picked up by a traditional publisher the means to get their book out there, to be a published author. My point is, technology cannot replace all of the people who go into getting a book out there. The writer writes it, it's edited and edited again, it's printed, shipped, unpacked, stocked on shelves and talked up by a bookseller. There are hundreds of people that make a book happen. So shop in a bookstore, ask someone who works there to recommend you a book they liked and I almost guarantee you'll find something you love. The fortunate thing is, I'm not the only one who feels this way. John Green wrote a small article on www.shelf-awareness.com called "We built this together", you should read it.
I get asked more times than I can count in a day "are you going out of business?" I want to scream out loud every single time I hear it. But the truth is no one knows. With some of the big box retailers that sell everything from toilet paper to windshield wipers trying to cash in on best sellers, selling them for several dollars cheaper, we lose business. That's fine if you only ever read the 10 most popular books. Where will you go when you want to look for a book? Where will you go when you want someone to help you pick out a book or recommend one? I'm fairly sure most employees as those big box will point you to their top ten display and tell you that those are good. This will have no impact on those who don't enjoy reading and I understand. To those of that do this is an uncertain time.
The changing business has also brought some wonderful perks. We now have a direct line to some of our favorite writers through on line forums, twitter, Facebook etc. You can drop one them a question and in most cases you'll get a response, it's awesome. It has given authors that wouldn't have been picked up by a traditional publisher the means to get their book out there, to be a published author. My point is, technology cannot replace all of the people who go into getting a book out there. The writer writes it, it's edited and edited again, it's printed, shipped, unpacked, stocked on shelves and talked up by a bookseller. There are hundreds of people that make a book happen. So shop in a bookstore, ask someone who works there to recommend you a book they liked and I almost guarantee you'll find something you love. The fortunate thing is, I'm not the only one who feels this way. John Green wrote a small article on www.shelf-awareness.com called "We built this together", you should read it.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sinking Deeper
Okay, Fine! I still haven't finished a freaking book yet and just keep finding more. This madness needs to end. I've been so busy working and procrastinating that I just haven't made much headway. I've also shamefully gotten sucked into Candy Crush Saga and that is seriously cutting into my reading time. I'm in a drought and don't know how to get out. I'm stuck on a level and I can't read until I get out of it damn it! I know I've disappointed folks here choosing a game over a book, but I'm only human and easily sucked into games:)
And while I'm lost in my game black hole new books keep coming out. The new Dan Brown came out this week, and while he may not be a literary giant his books are entertaining so that one gets thrown on the pile too. I'm hoping the pile stops growing soon. One thing I do have going for me is the new releases from now until mid June are more History and Biography related for all the Daddy's out there. Since I'm not the target audience for this time of year I think I may be safe until mid June. Now if I could just get past level 147 I may be able to finish a damn book!
And while I'm lost in my game black hole new books keep coming out. The new Dan Brown came out this week, and while he may not be a literary giant his books are entertaining so that one gets thrown on the pile too. I'm hoping the pile stops growing soon. One thing I do have going for me is the new releases from now until mid June are more History and Biography related for all the Daddy's out there. Since I'm not the target audience for this time of year I think I may be safe until mid June. Now if I could just get past level 147 I may be able to finish a damn book!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Hit list #3 and 4. . . .Oops and #5 Too
The search continues. . . still reading a million books and mentally adding a million more titles I feel I have to read! There really is always something new that I want to put my hands on. But as promised I will continue with my immediate list.
Slot #3 goes to Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni. This book is apparently a series now, I had no idea. Her first book Angelology was first published several years ago and it was stand alone. Of course I was under the impression then that it was to be the only one. But as so many things go these days, the publishers wait to see how money the first one makes and then they go from there. Then several weeks ago I was surprised and a little excited to unbox a book I didn't even know was coming. So for me book number 2 is on the list but book one should be on yours. It has been several years since I read it but I remember really liking it and finishing it rather quickly. The highlights include a convent with a slightly mysterious past, a young girl with an ambiguous history, mystery, intrigue and the angels that fell from grace in the great battle. Truth be told the titles of both of these books suck, they sound cheesy and not at all interesting, please look past that and give it a try.
Slot #4 is won by Jo Jo Moyes. Her new novel Me Before You just came out a little over a month or so ago. Now, I've never read Jo Jo before and know nothing of this book or any of her other books for that matter. What I do know is that all my book store dork cohorts love it and were unable to put it down. Two of them finishing it in one night. Frankly, that's all I need to know to buy a book. Hopefully I'll love it as much as they have and it'll get it's own review here.
I believe that should keep me busy for a while. Oh wait . . . I've already found another to add to the list Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. Seems to be more of a chick book so men you might want to steer clear until I actually get to read it. I do have a feeling I'm going to need tissues for the reading! Enough chatting, I'm off to read. I have to finish at least one of these soon, right?
Slot #3 goes to Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni. This book is apparently a series now, I had no idea. Her first book Angelology was first published several years ago and it was stand alone. Of course I was under the impression then that it was to be the only one. But as so many things go these days, the publishers wait to see how money the first one makes and then they go from there. Then several weeks ago I was surprised and a little excited to unbox a book I didn't even know was coming. So for me book number 2 is on the list but book one should be on yours. It has been several years since I read it but I remember really liking it and finishing it rather quickly. The highlights include a convent with a slightly mysterious past, a young girl with an ambiguous history, mystery, intrigue and the angels that fell from grace in the great battle. Truth be told the titles of both of these books suck, they sound cheesy and not at all interesting, please look past that and give it a try.
Slot #4 is won by Jo Jo Moyes. Her new novel Me Before You just came out a little over a month or so ago. Now, I've never read Jo Jo before and know nothing of this book or any of her other books for that matter. What I do know is that all my book store dork cohorts love it and were unable to put it down. Two of them finishing it in one night. Frankly, that's all I need to know to buy a book. Hopefully I'll love it as much as they have and it'll get it's own review here.
I believe that should keep me busy for a while. Oh wait . . . I've already found another to add to the list Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. Seems to be more of a chick book so men you might want to steer clear until I actually get to read it. I do have a feeling I'm going to need tissues for the reading! Enough chatting, I'm off to read. I have to finish at least one of these soon, right?
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