A Bookstore Tour of Brooklyn

Is there a city that can boast a higher concentration of bookstores than dear old New York? My guess is no, though I don't have the data to back up that claim; when I asked Twitter for recommendations on not-to-be-missed stores in NYC in preparation for my most recent visit to the city that never stops reading, I was inundated with suggestions.

The Strand is an obvious choice, but a store I frequented when I lived in NYC (considering that I walked past the store's entrance on my way to and from class every day, it is astounding that I couldn't boast 13 miles of books myself before my move). Housing Works was already on the list, and though I can't rightly use the word "frequent" to describe my relationship with the place, I have been there--which is more than I could say, sadly, for any of the indies in Brooklyn.

And oh my, how many there are in that fine borough! In an effort to visit as much as possible in just one day, I focused on three that could be tackled in one afternoon on foot: Book Court, Greenlight, and Community. Armed with the conversation of a good friend (and her handy-dandy ability to always know where she is and how to get where she is going without a map), a cup of coffee, and an empty tote bag, I set off to explore Brooklyn's indie bookstores--which did not disappoint.

The three stores are remarkably different; Book Court feels open and spacious, with shelves pressed against perfectly reasonable, rectangular rooms. Greenlight is well-lit by a bank of windows in the front, but unlike Book Court, oddly placed shelves in the middle of the room turn an evenly-shaped space into an odd one. Community is dark and long, with black bookcases instead of white and a yawning bookstore cat to top it off. All three are alive with the hum of books well-loved, shelves well-stocked, and booksellers well-read.

How is it that the promising shelf of bestsellers at Book Court can lead us to believe that print is anything but alive and well? Or that we can face the shelves of Europa editions and NYRB titles at Community without feeling that our own collections of these darling books are insufficient? How can we see the children's room tucked into the back of Greenlight and wonder if our next generations will grow to love books as much as we do?

It is easy to sit behind a computer screen and ponder the death of the book, predict the rise of the e-reader, and bemoan the loss of our local bookstores. But in the heart of Brooklyn, where three bookstores thrive within a three-mile radius, "books" and "dead" can scarcely be used in the same sentence, unless it be to discuss The Book of Dead Philosophers. 

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Books purchased:

Object Lessons, a collection of short stories from The Paris Review

Birds of a Lesser Paradise, by Megan Mayhew Bergman

Stoner, by John Williams

The Tenth of December, by George Saunders  

#IndieThursday: The Garden District Bookshop

I ventured down to New Orleans this past weekend for a bachelorette party for a very dear friend of mine. We took a one-day hike over to the Garden District to visit the famous (infamous?) Commander's Palace; after a several-mile walk, we were devastated to discover that the place was closed due to the lingering effects of Isaac (no power, no flour).

But all was not lost! We discovered The Garden District Bookshop, which did have power, and the three bookworms in the group promptly set off for a bookish adventure:

Blurry shot... but look at all the books!

The Garden District Bookshop is small, but well-stocked; whoever does their ordering has figured out how to balance a selection of local titles with an offering of lesser-known novels with a variety of well-known and high-selling authors. There's also a whole bookshelf full of signed editions...

Eagerly poring over pretty pages.

I left with a copy of Gourmet Rhapsody, a companion novel to the lovely Elegance of the Hedgehog (which I loved); a dose of good bookish conversation with the bookseller (who hopefully will read The Illumination soon, because it is excellent); a recommendation to give David Foster Wallace's new book a try even though I've never been a huge DFW fan; and comfort in the knowledge that indie bookstores are persisting across the country, even in storm-ravaged New Orleans. If you ever find yourself in the city, it's worth the hike over to the Garden District to check out this shop (yes, even if the trolleys aren't running!). And hopefully you'd be able to stop at Commander's Palace for a martini and a snack, too.

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Check out The Garden District Bookshop at their website or on Facebook.

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Indie Thursday is a weekly Twitter event that celebrates Indie bookstores on - you guessed it! - Thursdays. The event was started by Jenn of Jenn's Bookshelves last year to help readers everywhere truly embrace their local, independent bookstores. To participate, simply tweet about a recent purchase at your indie bookstore using the hashtag #indiethursday. Oh, and also follow @IndieThursday on le Twitter.

Ann Patchett on The Colbert Report: Indies, Book Sales, and Online Recommendation Algorithms

In which Ann Patchett holds her own with Stephen Colbert on last night's episode of The Colbert Report, talking independent bookstores, book sales, and the problems with online recommendation algorithms ("People who bought this book also bought a socket wrench set!"):

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Ann Patchett
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

And my favorite part? When Ann throws down the gauntlet and invites Colbert to her bookstore, Parnassus Books, for a book signing party (with a shout-out to Patterson House, the best cocktail lounge I've ever been to)... then tells him that the next week, he can go to Amazon's warehouse, cut the boxes open, sign his book, and let her know which he liked better.

I visited Parnassus in January with good friend and fellow-booklover Emily, and can't recommend it enough.

P.S. You can buy signed copies of Ann Patchett's books directly from Parnassus Books here, without even traveling to Nashville!

#IndieThursday: Spotlight on The Annapolis Bookstore

#IndieThursday is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves, in which participants tweet/blog about recent purchases made at an independent bookstore. 


There are certain bookstores that will forever have my heart in their hands. Titcomb's, on Cape Cod. And Shakespeare and Co, in Paris. And of course, Strand, in New York. I've been fortunate enough to travel around the world, and have discovered bookstores in every town I've visited.

But there is something even more special about bookstores at home, a shop to which you can return, over and over again, each time finding some new treasure, some new delight. For me, that has recently become The Annapolis Bookstore, located in its (relatively) new location on Maryland Avenue, in the heart of downtown Annapolis. Nestled on a road of antique shops, coffee houses and gift boutiques, The Annapolis Bookstore is the perfect draw for any booklover, with a collection of new, used and antique titles.

The beauty of this store lies in its imperfections, in its oddities, in the miscellany of its mismatched shelves, out-of-place piano (with sheet music for sale across its stand), its lavishly decorated children's section (with a sign for Ollivander's, a lit tree, and a giant stuffed lion atop its shelves).

The disarrayed shelves are a browser's delight. The cozy chairs, including some in miniature for the little ones, are an invitation to stay awhile. So is the coffee shop in the back. 

I'm not sure how I lived in Annapolis for as many years as I did without truly appreciating the splendor of this place, and how lucky I am to have access to such a spot. But I do know that from now on, all my #IndieThursday purchases -- hell, all my Indie purchases -- will be made here. Unless, that is, I'm travelling again, in which case I'll be on the lookout for the next great shelved nook.

   

To find an independent bookstore near you, check out Indiebound. 

The Literary Tastes of Book Thieves

According to an article in The Guardian last week, book thieves not only account for a large chunk of cash lost by booksellers each year, but they have distinguished tastes, too.

Bookseller Anna Goodall of Britain observes that in her store, book thefts tend toward the intellectual end of the spectrum, citing The Paris Review Interviews Vol. 2 and Crime and Punishment as a particularly high-brow haul. According to her, New York booksellers report a trend toward beat authors as prime theft targets: Bukowski, Kerouac, Burroughs.

At first site, I found these results rather astounding. Like Goodall, I didn't really consider book theft as a major part of a bookstore's operations. Sure, I'm not naive enough to believe it didn't happen, but to such an extent? At Hard Bean, we had mirrors posted above the shelves so employees could "keep an eye" on customers in the back of the store from behind the computer, but in reality, we rarely, if ever, looked in the mirrors (except to catch some kids making out in the bio section). I don't really recall any major book thefts - chocolate bars from next to the register were a much larger target.

But given the fact that bookstores do suffer from regular thefts - a sad fact, but apparently a true one - maybe it isn't so surprising that it's the intellectual high-brow lit that gets swiped. After all, who but a true booklover would take the time to steal from a bookstore? Aren't there easier - and more profitable - targets? These people can't be stealing for monetary gain; there just isn't enough of a high-profit market for gently used books. So if they are stealing for themselves - either because they can't afford the books, don't think they should have to pay (that seems to ring well with the Beat-theft trend) or are getting a thrill from the theft itself - I can almost wrap my mind around the fact that Penguin Classics and Paris Review titles go before the Jodi Picoults and Nicholas Sparks of the world.

Now, my sleep-deprived and over-worked mind is trying to figure out if there is a link between the fact that most classics are public domain, and therefore available for free (especially electronically) or very cheap (i.e. B&N Editions) and the fact that these same books are the ones disappearing from the shelves. Thoughts?

Book Marc?

According to Forbes article last week, Marc Jacobs is a closet bookworm. Rumor has it he is now throwing his retail-savvy behind a new venture: a bookstore located in the West Village, across from Magnolia Bakery. Here's the picture Forbes featured of the potential-future storefront:


The official word from the Marc Jacobs company confirms and denies nothing useful; ""We are indeed opening a new store, but do not have details--even a name--to share at this time," a representative said. Still, it sounds like an interesting venture, and it will be neat to see how fashion-guru Jacobs merges his style sense with book sales.

Sadly, I won't be a resident of New York by the time it opens - but I'll definitely add it to my to-visit list when I return!

Book Browsing - A Personal History

The other day, I ran into the Barnes and Noble on Union Square to grab a book I'd been eying. Though I went in with a mission, but I had a half an hour or so to kill before meeting a friend, so I spent some time browsing. Much to my surprise, as I perused the various offerings of the second floor, a perfect stranger came up and asked me where I was from. He explained that I reminded him of a girl he'd gone to high school with, and she laughed like a horse, so he would make fun of her, and the long and short of it was that if I was that girl, he wanted to apologize. (Note: I'm not that girl, and I don't laugh like a horse)

Ok, I get that it is New York, and there are a lot of crazy people here. And even if I believed this guy's story (which I didn't), it's a strange thing to ask someone in the middle of a bookstore. But what annoyed me most about it was that he interrupted my otherwise peaceful and enjoyable book-browsing experience. After five minutes of explaining that I wasn't her, I wasn't from LA, and answering a series of other bizarre questions, I just walked away. And straight to the register and then out of the store.

Human Nature (Quote of the Day)

"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?" - Henry Ward Beecher

... the answer? Nowhere. I've had to abstain from bookstores completely. I literally cannot go in one without purchasing. Does anyone else have that problem?

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This week, stay tuned for a review of Ragtime and (if I can read fast enough) Let the Great World Spin (2009 National Book Award). There will also be a review of Bones of Betrayal coming up on Bookgasm...

Early Holiday Shopping?

I promised myself I wouldn't post anything about the holidays until after Thanksgiving, but this one was good enough to sneak through the embargo.

From today's Shelf Awareness, a link to a bookstore's blog on eight good reasons to get your holiday shopping done at their store early this year. Most apply to bookstores across the board - enjoy!

1. We have not yet started playing Christmas music.

2. That feeling of self-righteousness over starting so early translates into treating yourself to something as well.

3. You can make a list of all the things you want, so that you can hint liberally at Thanksgiving.

4. If there’s a hardcover you’ve been eyeing, you have time to read the whole thing before giving it away.

5. We have free gift wrapping. By Christmas, you’ll forget what it was you bought. Aren’t surprises great?

6. It’s much easier to stick to your budget when we aren’t serving you eggnog like we do the week before Christmas.

7. All versions of The Night Before Christmas are still in stock. You won’t have to settle for that one weird one left over on Christmas Eve.

8. You’ll bring smiles and joy and a twinkle to the eye of your favorite local, indie bookseller.

Tomorrow is National Bookstore Day

Saturday, Nov 7th marks the first annual National Bookstore Day. The goal is to drive both new and returning customers back to brick-and-mortar stores (at least for a day). It's not too late for bookstores to participate, or for customers to start planning their bookstore excursions for the weekend!

For more information National Bookstore Day, visit the Publisher's Weekly site here.

To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit Indiebound or Delocator.

"What the heck is Indiebound?"

Those of you who click the links on my blog dutifully, as blog readers should (wink, wink), will notice that I link to titles on Indiebound as often as possible. Those of you who do not click said links, or perhaps even those who do, might ask the same question as a recent customer in the Next Chapter Bookshop in Mequon, WI: "What the heck is Indiebound?"

Here's my best answer: it's an alternative to Amazon for book searching, recommendations and links. When I want to link to a book - and we all know that is quite often - I can link to the book on Indiebound rather than Amazon, and because Indiebound has this nifty feature that allows you to type in your zip code to local an independent bookseller near you that carries the book, I am supporting local, independent bookshops instead of the Monsterzon. Phew, that was a long-winded, one-sentence answer to that question.

But wait, there's more. Indiebound allows bookstores to register themselves, and book buyers and bookshop owners can input their book recommendations for new and exciting reads, which in turn are compiled into the Indie Next List. There is also a Children's Next List, because, as in all publishing, adult books and children's books are considered separate markets (some, such as myself, might claim that the children's book market is missing out on parents, as well as kids that like to read above their 'level' and adults that like to read below it, but that's another story, really).

Next Chapter's blog post on the question explains better than I could how the site is viewed from a bookseller's point of view - give it a glance over, at least. They also add that you can use the site to find independent bookstores just about anywhere, so we all know what I'll be doing before my next vacation.

I'm off to peruse the Next List myself, to see if there's anything on there I just have to read. Wait, damn. I promised I'd read what I already own...

Books on Books

This past weekend, I made my first trip to the relatively famous and absolutely wonderful Titcomb's Bookshop in East Sandwich, Mass (out on Cape Cod). First off, it's worth the trip to the Cape for the shop alone. Three stories of new, used, and rare, collectable antique books will keep any casual browser or book-obsessed shopper content for hours on end. From time to time, they have author signings and book readings as well (most recently Richard Russo reading from his latest release, That Old Cape Magic).

What really caught my notice, though, was the entire shelving unit downstairs titled "Books on Books." Talk about a booklover's paradise. Antique editions of ALA listings, books on the world of publishing, and (my personal favorite and almost-purchase) the top 100 listings of the top 100 books of all time (from 1947). Kind of a neat classic, that, but overpriced for something I'd most likely never read.

When I own a bookstore (one day), I think I will continue this "Books on Books" concept -after all, it is us booklovers and fanatics and obsessive collectors that will be keeping the publishing business afloat as the world struggles to understand how ebooks will change the written word as we know it.

I will add to it, however, that fine collection of memoirs and fiction dedicated to booklovers as well - most notably Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading (the memoirs of NPR's book reviewer, Maureen Corrigan, and the perfect early birthday birthday present from my mom), Books (the life and thoughts of Larry McMurtry, bookstore owner, writer, publisher).

There's a whole host of new titles on booklovers coming out this fall, but that's probably enough for a second post. Stay tuned!

The Latest Health Craze - Book Shopping

We all know that healthcare is the hot topic of the day. Or week. Or month. Whatever. Now, from the (very pink) blog Book Exposure comes a shocking new development - reading is not only good for your mind, it's good for your body. Here's Jessica James' five ways that bookshopping can improve one's health and provide ample exercise:

1. A book specialist can help you find just the right book – with no co-pay.

2. You don’t have to pay a deductible at a bookstore, and the value is unbeatable.

3. Bending over, standing up, crouching down to look at the bottom shelf is good exercise. (Repeat as necessary).

4. Carrying a large stack of books to your car is great for cardio and muscle-building.

5. Books provide entertainment, promote a sense of wellbeing, and insure you will have something to read in the waiting room.

The bottom line: Get shopping, get broke, get happy, get healthy.

How Cool Is Your City?

A quote from Shelf Awareness, July 31st:

Judging a City's 'Level of Coolness' by its Bookshops

"A good way to judge whether a city has the desired level of 'coolness' is to look at its bookshops. If there is more than one bookshop selling books in foreign languages on an extensive range of topics, from cookery to philosophy, if one can find what one is looking for there and, furthermore, if one is allowed to stroll through the books while having a sip of coffee from the bookshop's café, it is an ultimate plus for the intellectual outlook of the city, enticing for anyone considering moving to that city. Bookshops, with their design, their smell, their location and their staff are among the important visitor's attractions of a city, although not many people think about bookshops as 'places to visit.'"--From Today's Zaman, an English-language newspaper in Turkey.

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I don't know about not thinking of bookshops as "places to visit" - I absolutely do - but there's something to be said for local (independent) bookshops as a gauge of a city's "cool factor." If not cool factor, then local character at least. Annapolis stands true to herself with The Annapolis Bookstore, a small used bookstore run by (I recently discovered) one of my neighbors. The town's real gem of a store is Hard Bean, though, with its eclectic mix of military history books (the history section is easily twice the size of the fiction row), bargain books, odd tsotchkes (woven blankets of Naval Academy goats displayed next to a shelf of overpriced hand cream, for example), an ice cream section, café and full-blown sandwich and pastry bar. Oh, and now they serve booze - the ultimate test of an Annapolis establishment.

These are the only two bookstores in walking distance of Ego Alley and true downtown Annapolis, and together, they represent the best of the town: a used, slightly worn but appreciated sense of history and the antique, coupled with a desire to please, sail, boat, fish, crab, host midshipmen, satisfy a sweet tooth, and, you guessed it, get a bit drunk at times. I salute Zaman for a bit of excellent insight and Annapolis for two spaces that will forever be a part of the city.