Christmas is over. Phew. The craziness of retail is exhausting. Not unpleasant, just whirlwind-busy with very little down-time. Unwinding at the end of a day was nearly impossible as even in my dreams I was ringing up customers and searching for books before I got to wake up and do it all again for real.
And really, it’s enjoyable. Most people are happy to be in a bookstore and that makes for good company. Customers exclaimed over and over again how nice it was to see the store so busy and I agreed. Other stores that sells clothing or towels usually just feel frantic and unbearable when they get crowded. A good atmosphere exists in our store because we sell BOOKS – books that inspire, excite, move — hell: that sometimes save us!
Most of the year, my position entails a lot of hours in my little back office and outside the store’s walls, working on sales to schools and companies. (Call me when you need to buy in bulk!) But during this time of year, it’s all-hands-on-deck, the ‘deck’ being out on the book floor. For me, being with customers looking for books is a treat. Of course, we sell a lot of other great and beautiful things, but it’s books that really jazz me.
After all of these years, the store feels a bit like my home – and when customers come in, I genuinely welcome them. My favorite is seeing a blank face – an obvious call for help in finding a book, or even better – making a suggestion. Best of all is when they are looking for a book for themselves. I ask questions: Are they taking a trip? Where to? What was the last book they loved? Together we wander the tables and shelves – a mix of gems, new and old. Of course, suggesting is particularly easy if we share the same taste, but if not, I still can connect them to other books that they’ll like based on the clues they give me. Or if it’s sci-fi (sorry, I’m lost then) I’ll introduce one of several of my colleagues who love that genre. Likewise, we have history buffs, mystery and of course, kid’s book experts.
Grandparents often seem stumped when it comes to finding books for grandchildren and I suggest they choose ones they loved as children rather than trying to figure out the hot new series and whether the kid will like it. This usually launches a great discussion about their lives as we ponder the selections together. (The Wind in the Willows anyone?) What beauties there are on those Children’s Classics shelves!
Hearing my customers’ stories while trying to find them a book is an honor and the connections made in the aisles of the store can be profound. I’ve shared tears with people struggling with addiction-fall-out, or grieving the death of a loved one. I’ve shared travel stories with customers planning trips across the globe, recipes and favorite cookbooks, dog stories in the pet section, garden joys and woes in the gardening section and every kind of story in fiction. You name it. The stuff of life, everyday.
When someone is nearby while I’m discussing books with one customer, sometimes I’ll see another listening in. That third person may pipe in too, making their own suggestions, unable to resist the urge to passionately gush about a book they loved – or hated – often going on to share their story. I love this infectious engagement, a beautiful face-to-face bonding over books made possible in our brick and mortar bookstore. Not available on Amazon.
I love this too. I was in a bookstore on Christmas Eve when a young man and his father came in looking for a book for Grandma. Being a grandma myself, I asked if she read novels and if she liked Jane Austen. Yes and yes, so I recommended Longbourn. Big hit! Hope she liked it..
As much as I love books, you, and B & N, I loved this post. I can well imagine the stories you’ve heard, those moments in the stacks where mention of a book spawns a memory, a story, tears or laughs. It’s not for nothing that most conversations include “have you read a book you love lately?” Once on the ferry to BI, I sat next to a woman who was reading “The DaVinci Code.” We wound up chatting about the concepts in the book for the whole ride. her little boy was with her and at journey’s end, he said, “How can you become friends because of a book?” And there it is….
XXOO Lea
And there it is, indeed! How many friends I can count because of books…
This all sounds so lovely….and very different from a UK book shop!
Really? I’ve had some nice experiences there too. Maybe it’s just I usually open my big American mouth to gab! It’s the years of living in countries where I didn’t speak the language and the bookstores were useless to me, I guess. How are the cows? (and you?!)