In a nutshell: a couple stakes all their economic hopes on turning an old house in a small town into a used book store. After initial tension (will they find enough stock to make all the new shelves look less pathetically empty?) it works out for them. They make friends. There are cats. Tea and coffee are served. Homemade gifts are exchanged. Books are sold. Customers are interesting--humorous, moving, difficult.
As one who is collecting stock (antiquarian and out of print children's books) for her own bookstore, I appreciated the practical side of things very much. As a lover of bookstores, I appreciated it even more.
Quibble: I wish Wendy Welch had put in a map, showing how to get to her store!
This book is on my to-read pile. To find out why, log into facebook, go to my timeline and scroll down to my post of Feb. 14th.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I hope you like it.
DeleteSounds interesting - and good luck with your bookstore plans.
ReplyDeleteThanks--it will be many more years yet, but a girl can dream....
DeleteAny chance said bookstore will be in Arlington? I would be your best customer.
ReplyDeleteArlington certainly needs a good used bookstore (by which I mean, one full of books I want at prices I can afford), but I dunno if I could afford the rent. I'm thinking it will probably be New England. You might actually not be my ideal customer, because I would be happy to lend you all the books from my stock that I think you'd want to read...
DeleteYou temptress, you! I've been trying so hard to stay on-task, but it can be so hard when I am actually NOT a 12-year-old boy! As for the book store, I don't know whether I would buy more books from you or send you my collection of 1950s teen romances to sell! It is good to have a dream.
ReplyDeleteCoincidently, the book I read just after this one was a 1961 teen romance (ish)-- a nice Janet Lambert (Forever and Ever), discarded from the library. I would be happy to give you store credit for yours...
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