Life As An Independent Bookstore Owner!!

 

I really enjoyed watching this video on YouTube featuring a couple who purchased an independent bookstore in Washington state. It's sort of behind the scenes look at their lives as business owners and their personal lives.

My Dream Bookstore - If I Owned a Bookstore Tag

Earlier today, I was watching a video on YouTube from one of my favorite BookTube channels, Criminolly, where Olly made a video about his dream bookstore based on the "If I Owned a Bookstore Tag" going around right now.

I decided to participate in the "If I Owned a Bookstore Tag". Below are my answers to ten different questions.

The Questions Are As Follows:

1) What are the hours of operation?

Monday: 12pm-5pm

Tuesday: 11am-8pm

Wednesday: 11am-8pm

Thursday: 11am-8pm

Friday:11am-8pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

Sunday: 12pm-5pm 

2) Is there ambient music? What kind? 

Yes, there will be ambient music!! Instrumental music only though, like soft jazz, classical, or perhaps guitar or piano music.

3) Is there a coffee bar? Do you serve alcohol? 

Yes, there will be coffee and tea bar! Maybe a few other beverages like cider, lemonade, hot cocoa, etc. No, on alcohol though.

4) Are patrons encouraged to linger? Are there comfortable chairs? What kind of lighting? Are there tables? Are there areas for group gatherings? 

Yes, patrons will be encouraged to linger in my bookstore! I want to create a cozy, welcoming vibe where the community can come together to read. I'd offer comfortable chairs to sit in during one's visit and a table surrounded by chairs for monthly book club groups to sit and discuss there current book club selection. Bright lighting throughout the store will be available to make it easier for people to read during their visit.

5) Is there live entertainment (poetry readings, author’s reading from their current works, lectures in literature)? 

Yes, to live entertainment in the form of author's speaking events.

Plus, monthly book club groups/meet-ups where readers collect to discuss the books they've read for !!

6) Where is your bookstore located? In the busy heart of large city? In a neighborhood of a large city? In a suburban strip mall? In a small town? In a rural area? 

A medium sized bookstore set in a strip mall near where I live.

7) How does your bookstore look from the outside? Sleek and modern? Dark and brooding? 

I want a vintage vibe for my bookstore. Hardwood floors, area rugs, black and white photos of authors, books, exterior shots of indie bookstores hanging on walls, etc... Plus, potted plants, and a bookstore cat or two!

8) What’s your specialty? Used books? New? New and used? Only fiction? Only non-fiction? Fiction and non-fiction? Does your bookstore specialize in a particular genre? 

I think a used bookstore filled with gently used fiction and nonfiction books would be perfect. 

I'd also like to have a used book buying/trade-in program as well.

9) What’s the name of your bookstore? 

The Bookstore of Second Chances

10) Tag some friends.

I won't tag any other book bloggers for this book tag. Feel free to tag yourself if you'd like to  participate.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Book and Bed in Tokyo, Japan!!

I adore independent bookstores, especially unique indie bookstores. I've read about bookstores with cafes inside them, book bars, outdoor bookstores and more. I've even been to a few unique indie bookstores over the years myself.

I've recently read about a bookstore in Tokyo, Japan called Book and Bed, that is both a bookstore and a hostel! This place sounds/looks interesting and I would even like to visit Book and Bed sometime down the road.

Below is a short, 75 second video I watched via YouTube about Book and Bed. Enjoy!

I also discovered the online images below of the interior of Book and Bed for those that don't want to watch the above video.

Book and Bed looks like an interesting place to visit! As a book lover, would you stay there overnight for the fun of it? I think I'd stay for a single night at Book and Bed simply for the unique experience.

SecondSale ~ New to Me Online Used Bookstore

I'm always on the look out for new places to purchase books. So, I recently heard about SecondSale.com, an online used bookstore/bookseller, which offers free shipping for orders over $10 and book prices starting @ $3.78 per book.

Has anyone purchased used books from this online bookstore/bookseller? If so, what was your experience like?

Beers Books in downtown Sacramento, California!

Last weekend, my husband and I spent four days in Sacramento, California (Friday through Monday) to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. We had a blast checking out several tourist sights in the downtown area of Sacramento. 

Of course, in my opinion, no trip would be complete without visiting an independent bookstore. We visited Beers Books in downtown Sacramento, which sells both new and used books. They are open daily from 10am to 8pm. Beers Books started selling new and used books around 1936.

So how did Beers Books get its unusual name? 

Many people often ask how old our shop is and wonder how we got our unusual name. In some form or another, Beers has been selling new and used books in Sacramento since about 1936. Through four different owners and several locations, it has evolved into its present incarnation at 915 “S” Street. The history of Beers Books began around 1936-37 when our namesake, Mrs. Nellie Beer, worked as a clerk for L.H. Mytinger Books at 1125 8th Street in Sacramento. Her name appears as one of the charter members of the Sacramento Book Collectors Club in 1939. At some point this store on 8th Street changed its name to "Beers Book Store," for we have a circular advertising books-for-sale under this name at this location.

To read more about Beers Books history, check out their about page.

I was impressed with how large the interior of Beers Books was during our visit! They have a good selection of books for sale and places to sit and read during one's visit. The staff members were warm and welcoming.

I've had the goal of not buying books during the year of 2019 as I currently have way too many books to read! However, I could not resist buying three used paperback books for the grand total of $1.63! 

One of the books I purchased was Diane Ackerman's nonfiction book, A Natural History of the Senses. I loved reading Diane Ackerman's book The Zookeeper's Wife and have always wanted to read another one of her books since then.

More bookish related posts from our trip to Sacramento to come. Until then, happy reading!!

The Traveling Bookstore Couple!

It would be a blast to see this bookstore in real life. It's also a great concept for a bookstore.

Traveler Food & Books Restaurant in Union, Connecticut

I think I've found my next book related destination in Union, Connecticut, USA!! 

It's called Traveler Food and Books. It's a restaurant and a bookstore. When you order and eat a meal at their restaurant, you may choose three used books to take with you for free!! How cool and exciting is that??

Traveler Food and Books has been open for business since 1970. They also have a bookstore located in their basement with more books for sale as well.

Check out the video above for more information.

The Book Store & Vinyl Cafe in Fort Bragg, California!!

Last weekend, my hubby and I visited Fort Bragg California for our 16th wedding anniversary! The first two days of our trip were rainy and cold, which lead us to spend more time indoors. 

We visited The Book Store & Vinyl Cafe located in downtown Fort Bragg, California. This independent used bookstore and vinyl record store is small, charming, and filled with character! I loved visiting this indie bookstore quite a bit as it had a lot of great books available for purchase. Plus, we enjoyed listening to vintage music during our visit to The Book Store & Vinyl Cafe.

The one staff member on hand was friendly and helpful. I received some great book recommendations and came away with a used edition of The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. I haven't read anything written by David Grann before, so I look forward to reading it down the road.

Supporting independent bookstores is a good thing!

Amazon Books Storefront in Walnut Creek, California

My Hubby Outside Amazon Books!!

I've been hearing that Amazon has planned to open several bookstores around the USA for a long time now. So, I was excited to learn that one opened in Walnut Creek, California and another one in San Jose, California. Both locations are close to where I live, but the Walnut Creek Amazon storefront is closer to my home.

This past weekend, my husband and I visited the newly opened Amazon brick and mortar bookstore in Walnut Creek, California. We visited Amazon Books out of sheer curiosity to see what an Amazon bookstore would look like in person. Boy, was this bookstore packed with people, their children, and quite a few pet dogs too the day we made our visit!

We enjoyed our experience visiting Amazon Books in Walnut Creek. There was a greeter at the entrance as well as a Peet's Coffee onsite selling beverages and treats to eat and drink during one's visit. 

Plenty of books from nearly every genre are for sale with all the covers facing outward for readers to view easily. There are even tags below each book telling potential buyers how well the book is liked by Amazon readers/reviewers. 

Additionally, other Amazon products like the Amazon Echo and the Amazon Kindle are also for sale at their retail location. 

I enjoyed the size and layout of Amazon Books in Walnut Creek... It's a large bookstore without being overwhelmingly HUGE.

The staff members we encountered during our visit were friendly and helpful.

We weren't initially planning on making a purchase during our visit to the Amazon Books storefront as I already have way too many books that need to be read before buying more of them and my husband isn't an avid reader like me. I seem to acquire books much faster than I can read them... I'm sure other readers have the same problem I do with acquiring books and not being able to read them quickly enough to keep up with purchases. 

At any rate, my plans quickly fell by the wayside when I noticed upon entering Amazon Books that they had autographed copies of John Green's new novel, Turtles All The Way Down, for sale. I want to read this novel, so I decided to purchase John Green's new novel. 

Checkout was fast and easy at the Amazon Books cash wrap... Plus, we were able to purchase the latest John Green novel for the discounted price as seen on Amazon's website (40% off the cover price), which was awesome!

As cool as it was to visit a brick and mortar Amazon Books storefront, I think I'll be skipping on a return visit to their physical bookstore in the future. 

My husband and I already have an Amazon Prime Membership and we find it much more convenient to shop on Amazon's website day or night in the comfort of our own home. And with our Amazon Prime Membership, we receive free 2 day shipping regardless of the dollar amount spent... Because of these factors, it is less appealing to shop Amazon's physical storefront in my opinion, especially when we purchase more than books from Amazon. In fact, I tend to purchase/acquire books from many sources aside from Amazon (Indie Bookstores, Used Bookstores, FOL Used Bookstores, Little Free Libraries and Bookcrossers, Netgalley, InKitt, Goodreads Giveaways, etc.)

So, have you had the opportunity to visit an Amazon Books storefront? What was your experience like during your visit?

Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore in Berkeley, California!

I love visiting independent bookstores and supporting small businesses! So, on Sunday, May 21, 2017 (which just so happened to be my birthday), my hubby and I visited Mrs. Dalloway's independent bookstore in Berkeley, California.

I love the layout of Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore. This bookstore has a very cozy and inviting space to enjoy browsing and reading books... I could definitely envision myself sitting quietly and reading a new book while visiting this bookstore. 

I also thought the in store displays at Mrs. Dalloway were wonderful and offered a wide selection of books for varied interests. The staff on hand were friendly and efficient. 

I also enjoy the fact that Mrs. Dalloway's has many author events in their bookstore!

My hubby purchased two books for me for my birthday from Mrs. Dalloway's that I want to read; Quirky Berkeley by Tom Dalzwell and a signed copy of The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti.

Below is a little bit more about Mrs. Dalloway's bookstore from their website:

Mrs. Dalloway’s is a vibrant, full-service, independent neighborhood bookstore located in the beautiful, historic Elmwood District of Berkeley. The store was founded in 2004 when longtime friends and residents of the Elmwood, Marion Abbott and Ann Leyhe, decided to pool their passions, talents, and resources.

The store’s name derives from the first line of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel, Mrs. Dalloway: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”

Spacious and inviting, Mrs. Dalloway’s offers an exciting and diverse selection of titles—both comprehensive and contemporary— and is renowned for its skillfully curated fiction, non-fiction, poetry, garden book and children’s book sections, all of which feature a remarkable and relevant variety of rare and innovative small presses, including handmade selections from Another Book Room, curated by Lucy Childs.

From the day we opened our doors, our bookstore fostered a sense of community. Today, Mrs. Dalloway’s hosts over 150 stellar in-store author events each year, serving as a dynamic cultural center and resource for its neighborhood, its ever-expanding and devoted customer base, and as an outreach to the San Francisco Bay Area literary community.

Mrs. Dalloway’s outgoing and talented booksellers are passionate about reading, love to share their eclectic tastes with illuminating staff picks, and are most happy when engaged in book talk.

Have you visited any independent bookstores lately???

Amy Stewart Author Signing Event @ Rakestraw Books for Lady Cop Makes Trouble

Amy Stewart is standing on the far left!

Since moving to Northern California, I've had the opportunity to see numerous authors at either local bookstores or at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California.

Last night, my hubby and I saw author, Amy Stewart, for the third time since moving to Northern California at Rakestraw Books. I've been a fan of Amy Stewart's nonfiction writing and books for quite awhile now. I am looking forward to reading her two novels; Girl Waits With Gun & Lady Cop Makes Trouble. Both novels are part of the Kopp Sisters series, so I am happy to have both hardback novels signed by Ms. Stewart. 

Ms. Stewart is always an engaging speaker to hear talk about her books and their inspiration. So, I was happy to hear her speak about her latest novel, Lady Cop Makes Trouble, and about the Kopp sisters in general.

Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky ~ Author Signing Event at Rakestraw Books in Danville, CA

Shalane Flanagan (left), Me, & Elyse Kopecky (right)

Last night, I attended an author speaking and signing event at Rakestraw Books in Danville, California. World class marathoner and 4-time Olympian, Shalane Flanagan, and chef, Elyse Kopecky, have recently published a cookbook titled Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes, which has become a bestseller since its publication last month. Both women were present at Rakestraw Books from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 to discuss their new cookbook, answer questions from attendees, and sign copies of their new cookbook.

I had a blast listening to both Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky speak at Rakestraw Books. I learned from attending the event, that Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky have been friends for 16 years and had become friends during their college years. Both women were runners in college, but it wasn't until three years ago that they decided to write a cookbook together. I like that the emphasis of their cookbook is on eating whole, fresh, locally sourced and seasonally grown foods. Counting calories and weight loss are not emphasized, which I find to be refreshing as well when it comes to cookbooks and eating in general. I also like that eating sources of good fat are promoted!

I'm normally not a buyer of cookbooks. I love the beautiful, hardback design of Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky, the fabulous layout, the delicious sounding recipes, and the gorgeous pictures of some of the dishes made from the recipes from their cookbook look mouthwatering! I now look forward to making and enjoying several of the recipes from Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky. 

I spoke with one of attendees who had purchased Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky in advance. She said that she had already tried a few of the recipes and they were really good. She had especially liked the Garden Gazpacho recipe.

I'm also not an athlete, but I am into eating healthy meals. I look forward to reading Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky cover to cover. I've only thumbed through it so far and like how well it's organized. I also like that each recipe doesn't require tons of ingredients to make it.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Orinda Books in Orinda, California

This past weekend, my husband and I visited an independent bookstore in Orinda, California called Orinda Books. Orinda Books has been in business for 40 years!! It was our first visit to Orinda Books and hopefully it won't be our last visit. 

We enjoyed our time spent browsing Orinda Books. I liked the open layout of their storefront. It's very inviting. I also enjoyed the comfy chairs to sit in during one's visit to Orinda Books. I liked seeing a rather large display filled with staff recommended books and also another section devoted to books written by local authors.

Orinda Books does host several Book Clubs each month at their store, which is awesome as there is (hopefully) a book club to suit different readers needs/interests.

Orinda Books also offers various in store events. They also sell cups of coffee and tea to patrons as well.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Rakestraw Books in Danville, California

I first visited the independent bookstore Rakestraw Books in Danville, California back in September 2014. They've since moved their storefront to a new location in Danville, California!! 

The new location of the Rakestraw Books is light and bright. I enjoy the new layout of their storefront. The staff at Rakestraw Books is friendly. Rakestraw Books hosts many author events and book signings throughout the year and a book club/reading group as well. 

As much as I do like their new storefront, I have a minor complaint about the current location... Rakestraw Books is located in a busy shopping center that's easy to find and offers free parking. However, I've noticed at peak hours of the day, like around noon on weekdays, parking is difficult to obtain. Normally, I would avoid visiting Rakestraw Books during this time frame to avoid the lunchtime crowd that visits this particular shopping center during weekdays. But last week, I wanted to attend the Arturo Perez-Reverte author/book signing event that began at noon at Rakestraw Books. Attempting to find parking was difficult and it took me 15-20 minutes of circling the very busy parking lot to find a spot to park my car for the event. Yikes, I almost missed the start of the event. Otherwise, I like the new location of Rakestraw Books.

Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport

Bookstore at The San Diego International Airport ~ Terminal 2

Being a book lover and avid reader, I truly enjoy visiting independent bookstores!! 

I recently flew down to San Diego to visit my parents for two weeks to celebrate Mother's Day, my mom's birthday, and my birthday with my parents. While waiting around to board the airplane for my return flight home, I had time to visit Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport in Terminal Two before my return flight home. Warwick's has had a bookstore located in downtown La Jolla for ages, so was surprised to discover that they now have a location at the San Diego International Airport.

Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport is a typical bookstore filled with the latest book releases for avid readers to enjoy reading while waiting to board their flights... And of course, read while on their flight to their desired destination.

I also enjoyed seeing the buy two books, get one book free special at Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore. Being an avid reader, it was difficult to pass up this deal even if this book special was only a select group of book titles!

Next time you fly to or from San Diego, I hope you'll visit Warwick's of La Jolla Bookstore at the San Diego International Airport in Terminal Two.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Canetti's Bookshop in Orinda, California

Earlier today, my hubby and I enjoyed visiting an independent bookstore in Orinda, California called Canetti's Bookshop. Canetti's Bookshop is a cute and charming used bookstore filled with a wonderful selection of books for sale.

We encountered a friendly staff member on hand during our visit... Plus, we saw a very cute cat sleeping inside Canetti'e Bookshop!! This must mean that Canetti's has a cute cat for a mascot. Gotta love animal mascots at bookstores for sure. I look forward to a return visit to Canetti's Bookshop for my book needs.

Have you visited any good independent bookstores lately?

Until my next post, happy reading!

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore

During our visit to San Diego to see my parents for Christmas this year, my husband and I made a visit to the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore!! I've wanted to make a visit to this independent bookstore for almost two years now. I am glad that we finally made the trek to this lovely, indie bookstore that specializes in the horror, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy genres.

The Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore is well laid out, has friendly staff members, plenty of wonderful books in stock for purchase, signed books, and plenty of author events!! I also loved the t-shirts for sale on hand and other wonderful book themed items for sale.

I only wished we lived closer to the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, so that I could visit it more frequently.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Books Inc.

Periodicals Galore @ Books Inc

Last week, my husband and I visited Alameda, California for the afternoon and evening. During our visit to Alameda, California, one of the many places we visited was a bookstore called Books Inc.

Books Inc is a beautiful bookstore! It's nice in size, friendly staff, and I love the layout of the displays. They carry a large number of newly releases books and bestsellers. Plus, there is a periodical section, sale section, and other book related knick knacks located throughout the store. 

Plenty of Books for Children, Tweens, & Young Adults @ Books Inc

Somehow or another, we escaped Books Inc without buying a single item during our visit. I'm not quire sure how that happened as I saw many books and magazines that are on my reading wishlist inside their store for purchase. 

Even More Books on Display @ Books Inc

Which bookstores have you recently visited? Have you found any new favorite bookstores to shop at or do you tend to shop at tried and true books you've been going to for years?

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Amazon Opens It's Very First Brick & Mortar Bookstore in Seattle, Washington

Last night, I came across an article on the Huffington Post titled 
'Amazon Books' Debuts In Seattle, The Company's First Actual Bookstore and learned that Amazon will be opening its first brick and mortar bookstore today in Seattle, Washington. In the article, I read the following:

"Amazon Books is a physical extension of Amazon.com," company vice president Jennifer Cast wrote in a statement published Monday. "We’ve applied 20 years of online bookselling experience to build a store that integrates the benefits of offline and online book shopping. The books in our store are selected based on Amazon.com customer ratings, pre-orders, sales, popularity on Goodreads, and our curators’ assessments."

I remember reading a few years ago that Amazon had intended to open a brick and mortar store at some point. I'd be interested in visiting Amazon's new brick and mortar bookstore in Seattle, just for the experience alone.

Until my next post, happy reading!!