The holiday season was busy at Annie Bloom’s Books. A steady stream of customers flowed in, which was good. What’s not so good is when too many people are ready to make their purchases at the same time. The traffic of commerce starts backing up and shoppers are forced to stand in line. Line formation …
I am not, by nature, a joiner. Do I have to? is my gut reaction when the word “community” is bruited about. Maybe it has to do with being a writer. I think most deeply and live most fully when I’m alone with the screen and keyboard. Community has always struck me as a distraction. I …
Merry Christmas, from nwbooklovers.org and the independent booksellers of the Pacific Northwest. Now, what are you doing on the computer? If you have the day off, you should be reading a book! Wishing you the happiest of holidays…
The Holidays can make the strangest of bedfellows, no? And here I don’t mean that awkward combination of cousins in Grandma’s guest room, but rather gifts, givers, and books. One of the deep mysteries of working the retail Season, as it were, has always been the unlikely and unpredictable popularity of this or that title …
Holidays are a mixed bag for me. On the negative side, the hours are long, my feet are sore, and I wake up most nights worried about stupid stuff. On the bright side, I like to watch people shop. It’s fascinating, really. Everyone approaches it so differently. It can be so revealing of one’s inner psyche. …
I don’t know a single person in retail who likes Christmas carols. Booksellers are no exception. Having Bing Crosby piped into their ears year after year tends to to turn them a little grinchy, I suppose. And that’s not all they have to deal with. Take the longest, most exhausting shopping day you can imagine—hours …
