Politics...Discuss? Or sell?

About a week ago, a woman was standing at one of the tables by the cash registers. She looked to be in her late 60's or so, short blond/grey hair, wearing a light blue sweater. She was holding four copies of Bill O'Reilly's new (hardcover) book, KILLING KENNEDY. She was looking at O'Reilly's previous book on a presidential assasination, KILLING LINCOLN. She looked up and caught my eye.

"I'm wondering whether or not to get his first one," she mused. "These right here," she gestured to the books she was holding, "are for gifts, and I might want to give a copy of this to someone too. Have you read this?", she asked.

"I haven't," I said, not telling her that I disagree with Bill O'Reilly's politics and that I have no plans to read any of his books.

"He makes history so easy to understand," she said. "I think everyone should read this. I learned so much."

"That's great," I said. There was part of me that wanted to actually discuss the book and the author. But the bookseller in me won out. If she wants to buy five Bill O'Reilly books, all hardcovers, then that is good for business.

We are out of the country today, on Election Day. We've met people from Canada and Holland as well as from the U.S., all of whom have opinions about U.S. politics. We'll be watching election results tonight in a restaurant or bar, somewhere where a lot of diverse people will be gathering. We've been enjoying the lively discussions!

We hope you vote today. You can send us email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. You can also subscribe directly to this blog right here on the page. Thanks for stopping by!

Vacation Reading...and Releasing!

Before the holiday crunch really hits (it's already started for me a little bit, I work in a bookstore), we are taking a badly needed vacation.

And of course, we will be reading.

Some books we'll be reading digitally, and some we'll be reading and releasing in the wild.

Are you familiar with Bookcrossing?

Say you have some books that you've read. You don't want to keep them, necessarily, you've decided that you are done with them. You can register the books at Bookcrossing. (www.bookcrossing.com) Each book is assigned a unique ID#, which is written on the book (usually the inside front cover). The book can then be released "in the wild" - at a coffee shop, on a park bench, in a bar...in some public place where someone else can find it. Hopefully that someone else will take it home and journal that they found it online (you don't have to join Bookcrossing to journal that you found a book!). Then they can also read it and release it, either to someone they know (a "controlled release") or back in the wild. You, as the original registerer of the book, through email updates, can see where the the book goes on its Bookcrossing journey. It's pretty brilliant.

Therapist and I have been Bookcrossers for years. In fact, we met through Bookcrossing. (awww) We have had books that we've released travel around the world. We are excited to start some books on their journey, as well venture on our own.

You can see my Bookcrossing profile here:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/2of3Rs/

And you can find out more about Bookcrossing here:
www.bookcrossing.com

Digitally on our trip (and obviously not releasing) we'll be enjoying Justin Cronin's THE TWELVE, the second in his series he started in THE PASSAGE. We'll also be reading DEATH OF SWEET MISTER, by Daniel Woodrell.

As hard copy books (or "book books", as I sometimes call them), I'm taking Tana French's THE LIKENESS to read and release, also THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky and IF I STAY by Gayle Forman.

Other books we're taking to release are:
I AM THE CHEESE by Robert Cormier
PAPER TOWNS by John Green
LIVE BY NIGHT by Dennis Lehane
NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman
AGE OF MIRACLES by Karen Thompson Walker

                              

As for taking books on a trip? Yes, we know books are heavy. AND, after releasing them, we will have more room in our luggage for souvenirs.

Clicking on the book covers will take you to Amazon's web page for the book. Clicking on the underlined book title may take you to Barnes and Noble's web page for the book (it's been glitchy, but it's worth a try!). Purchasing books through these links helps support the blog. You can send us email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Happy reading!

Customers 36

A mom and her grown son approached the counter. She was wearing a pink sweater and jeans, he was wearing a white t-shirt and grey shorts.

The mom put a copy of 50 SHADES OF GREY on the counter next to the register.

"Is everyone and their mother buying this?", asked the son.

"Well, not everyone and their mother," I replied. "It's pretty..." I hesitated.

"...hot and heavy?", the mother said, finishing my sentence.

"Yes." I said.

The son replied, "You're getting my wife hooked on crack, Mom," the son said, blushing.

The mom's face turned as pink as her sweater. "Yes, well," she said, and grabbed the book, handed it to her son, and said, "I just think she should read it." The son, still blushing, shook his head as they walked out.

"Have a good day," I said.

*******************************

I answered the phone at the bookstore...

"How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a book? I can give you the author? The author's first name is Leo, the first name is Leo. The last name is, um, here, I'll spell it for you..."

My first thought was Leo Buscaglia, not being an easy name to pronounce.

"So the first name is Leo, and the last name...it's T, as in Tom, O - L - S, as in Sam, - T, as in Tom, O - Y. Tolstoy? And the title of the book is, um, Anna, um..." She trailed off.

"Karenina?", I finished for her.

"Yes! You know it? Oh, that's great!"

"Yes, I do know it. We have several different versions in the store. It's published by many different publishers and has different formats and different translators, translating it from the Russian."

"Different translators? Oh, I didn't know...I don't know which one I need. It's for my book group."

"They all tell the same story, and usually book groups aren't particular about having the same exact version. Classes for school often require a specific version."

"I don't know what they want. Oh dear. I'll have to get more information from the group. Oh, thank you for your help! I'll have to call you back!"

"Sure, good luck!"

*****************************

A customer called and asked for the book, NIGHT WEASEL. The book he wanted was NIGHT, by Eli Wiesel.

Several of us from the store where I used to work are on a weekly trivia team. Each team has a name. We are the Night Weasels.

Thanks for stopping by the blog! You can "like" us on our facebook page, NOT The New York Times Book Review. You can also send us email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore

        

Recommended by a former co-worker, (highly recommended!), I think I would have been interested in MR. PENUMBRA'S 24 HOUR BOOKSTORE
even if I'd come across it on my own.

I see the title, and I'm loving it already. Mr. Penumbra is a mysterious and intriguing name. And there's a bookstore? That's open 24 hours? Excellent.

Clay Jannon is a thirty-ish man who finds himself working in Mr. Penumbra's bookstore. From the outside, and part of the inside, it looks like a normal bookstore. Clay finds that things are not what they seem to be.

First of all, the customers. They are (mostly) older and a little eccentric. They don't come to buy books, they come to check them out, like a library. The books they check out are not from the front of the store where the books are for sale, but from the back, from what Clay calls the "Waybacklist". Clay is instructed not to note only what books are checked out, but also the customers' demeanor when they come in, as well as what they were wearing, down to what kind of buttons were on their coats.

Why? Why this attention to seemingly trivial detail? What kinds of books are these?

I can't tell any more without spoiling it (and I can't tell all anyway, as I'm not finished with it yet. This is a book I am savoring). This book is delectable; funny, yet also touching on things like immortality and evolution; it has mystery, computers, puzzles, great characters, and of course, books.

And a bonus? The cover glows in the dark.

I'm loving this.

Clicking on the books cover will take you to Amazon's web page for the book. Clicking on the underlined title may take you to Barnes and Noble's web page for the book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog. You can send us email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thank you for reading!