bookshops — Page 4

Day One Hundred Forty-One

August 1, 2020 at 9:30 am by Claudia

Beautiful morning out there, and so far, not too humid. Don and I had yet another stimulating conversation on the porch glider while sipping our second cup of coffee. I want to take advantage of these coolish mornings on the porch while I can. Now he’s off to recycle.

Yesterday, I received an email from The Mysterious Bookshop, one of my all-time favorite bookshops, which is located in Manhattan. This is a world-famous bookshop, packed to the very high ceilings with mysteries as well as a splendid Sherlock Holmes collection. I’ve written about it before on this blog, devoting more than one post to its riches.

I’m on their mailing list and yesterday’s weekly email pulled me up short. I’m going to quote from part of the message from Otto Penzler, the owner. After wishing everyone well, he says:

…a grateful shout-out to our many customers who were so supportive while we were forced to close our doors. The kindness and generosity shown by long-time friends of the store, as well as by newer ones, has warmed my heart.

We are not out of the woods. A large percentage of New York’s population remains nervous about taking public transportation so we are seeing virtually no foot traffic. We have been a tourist destination for many years but there are no tourists. We have a sign on the door that limits the number of customers to six at a time, which is hilarious as we don’t have six browsers a day, much less at one time.

A recent report indicates that 76,000 of approximately 350,000 small businesses in New York will never reopen because of COVID-19. We are the last mystery bookstore in New York (there once were six) and are determined to be here for a long time.

We know you have many choices when it comes to where you purchase your books. But while many superstores do not depend on book sales, we do. That is why we are asking you to remember us for your book purchasing needs. If you cannot come to our store, we are happy to help you over the phone, email, or through our Mysterious Bookshop website. We are grateful to be the store you turn to when looking for that perfect mystery or unique gift and hope to continue that tradition for years to come.

I was alarmed. The bookshop is located in Tribeca and most people would have to take public transport to get there. It isn’t in Midtown. It isn’t on the Upper West Side. It’s way down in Tribeca. Unless you live nearby, you have to take the subway. Or a cab. Or an Uber, etc. All of which involve contact with other people, which leaves most people understandably wary.

They don’t even get 6 browsers a day. That’s what really shook me.

I love this bookshop. So I decided to order two books from them, right away. I’ve been wanting to order Michael Connelly’s newest and of course I want Louise Penny’s newest, which will be published on September 1st. Now, I looked them up on Amazon. I could save close to $15.00 on the Connelly if I ordered it from them, and I’ve got free shipping because I have Amazon Prime. And I would save on the Louise Penny, as well – close to $10.00. That’s what Amazon can do and that’s why they are a threat to independent bookshops, always, but especially during this time. They can slash prices when independent bookshops cannot.

But we need to support independent bookshops. They are struggling during this pandemic. The Mysterious Bookshop has been around for years. I can’t imagine New York without it. I can’t imagine my world without it. So, despite the temptation from Amazon wafting off the screen, I called the shop and ordered both books. It’s most likely a drop in the bucket in the big picture, but I hope more people read that message and decided to do the same. If we all do that, we’ll help save our beloved bookshops. I’m as guilty as the next person, you know. I sometimes order from Amazon because I need something quickly. But I’m determined to change that behavior, to think first of ordering from an independent bookshop.

The people that work at The Mysterious Bookshop are incredibly knowledgeable. I’ve stood there perusing books while listening to conversations between the staff and customers, many of which centered around, “Could you recommend a book that…?” The replies from staff were astonishing in their breadth of knowledge and their willingness to find just the right book for that customer. Can Barnes and Noble do that? No, not by a long shot. Can Amazon do that? No. You’ll get some recommendations but they’re driven by an algorithm. They’re faceless; without nuance, without subtlety.

I’ve found the same kind of response at Oblong Books. And at Faulkner House Books in New Orleans. And at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. And, with a staff that has an extraordinary knowledge of literature, at John Sandoe Books in London.

They’ve all suffered great losses during this pandemic. Shakespeare and Company is open again, as is John Sandoe. Our bookshops here, if open, are operating with restrictions in place that often include no browsing. So we need to step up and order from them. We need to call them and have the same conversation we would have if we were there in person: “What do you recommend?”

I realize I’m preaching to the choir, but yesterday’s email from The Mysterious Bookshop shook me. Our means are very modest, but surely I can order something from them and say I’m fine with it costing full price and I’m fine with paying for shipping. They deserve it. They deserve my business.

Also, I want to recommend a documentary that just came out called The Booksellers. It’s all about the world of rare books and those who sell them and it is absolutely wonderful. You can rent it on Amazon Prime and on YouTube and probably elsewhere. I recommend it highly.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Seventy-One

May 23, 2020 at 9:56 am by Claudia

Yesterday was a busy day – 80 degrees and very humid. We tag-team mowed the front lawn, then dragged four tarps-full of debris across the property to that place near the shed that I never photograph. Then we donned masks, etc., and drove to the post office where I had two packages to pick up – dear friends who sent me packages, I now have them, though I haven’t opened them yet as I usually wait a couple of days to open them in these times. Then we drove to Lowes where I had to pick up an online order of a new watering can and two pruners. Lowes was incredibly busy; in fact, I heard an employee say it was the busiest it has been since lockdown started. Then we drove to the shop where we order chocolates – slightly decadent, though to us, an essential item. The only sweet I eat is this shop’s sugar-free chocolates. We had ordered via the phone. When you arrive, you call them and let them know you’re outside and they put the bag on a bench outside the door. No contact.

The only snag was this. There is only one person allowed in the counter area of our post office at a time. Somehow, though I was initially the only person in the post office box area which is a separate room, there ended up being three of us in there at one time. Thankfully, we were all masked and the brief moment when we numbered three was just that, about two seconds. Our little post office is incredibly small as this is a very small town. That’s why I avoid going there for long periods of time during this lockdown. Still and all, everyone in Lowes was wearing a mask. Everyone at the post office was wearing a mask. I did see some young idiots walking around town maskless, and – get this – a young father pushing a stroller down the street and neither father or child were wearing masks. But the vast majority of people I saw were wearing masks.

Anyway, at the end of it all we were exhausted; physically because of the outdoor work, emotionally because of the stress involved with running any kind of errand these days. Once again, washing hands, disinfecting doorknobs and purchases, washing hands again, showering.

Today it is supposed to rain and we’re staying home. Unfortunately, Don has just talked me in to cutting his hair with a pair of clippers he is borrowing from Rick. I told him he can’t blame me for whatever the end result is. The exchange? He will trim my hair – and by that I mean whack about four inches off – when I order a pair of hair cutting scissors. I cannot abide how long my hair is!

Let’s hope this doesn’t send us to Divorce Court.

Okay. This arrived the other day:

One of my bookseller contacts (via Instagram) has a bookshop in Ironbridge, Shropshire, England, and she sells a lot of vintage Penguins. I knew there was a vintage Penguin edition of To Kill a Mockingbird that was issued within a a few years of its first publication in 1960 and I asked her to keep an eye out for it. Sure enough, a copy came into her hands and she messaged me. And here it is! This fits in two collections, my collection of various editions of my favorite novel and in my Penguin collection, as well!

Then, another bookseller – Maureen of Fine Preservers Books in Ithaca, NY – sent me a message. She remembered that I had asked her to let me know of any Tri Band Penguin editions of P. G. Wodehouse that might come into her possession. Sure enough, one had. And here it is:

Wodehouse is truly the funniest writer that ever lived. Don and I sat on the sofa this morning and I read a few pages aloud and we couldn’t stop laughing. Don knows far more about Wodehouse than I do, but I’m going to remedy that.

Wish me luck on the – gulp – haircut.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Thirty-One

April 13, 2020 at 9:59 am by Claudia

A very rainy day with high wind warnings. This weather event has hit a lot of people, some with snow, others with deadly tornadoes, and some – like us – with heavy rain and high winds. I hope you’re all safe. Heaven knows we don’t need this on top of everything else.

I’ll be glad when it’s over.

We had a quiet day yesterday. For us, there was really no difference in our Easter from last year to this year. We’re used to being far away from our families. It’s been that way for decades. We most likely would have spent some time with Rick and Doug. We miss them and we miss Sam, too. But otherwise, it’s usually just us.

Don managed to get a walk in this morning during a break in the rain.

Let’s see, what else? I’m still reading The Lost Pianos of Siberia. I got two packages in the mail on Saturday – one that I haven’t opened yet, from a bookseller on Etsy, and one from John Sandoe Books in London. You might remember how thrilled I was when I ordered a book from them last year. I was determined to order something from them during this crisis, as I’m trying to place orders with the independent bookshops that I know and love. The more we support them the better, especially now.

Unlike last time, however, I couldn’t bring the entire box inside and take pictures of the unveiling. I left the outer box on the porch and opened the books inside.

These are books that haven’t been published here in the States – although the Jarman may have been.

Modern Nature by Derek Jarman. I just read the book he wrote about his garden, so I’m eager to read this.

A Bite of the Apple by Lennie Goodings. All about her time working for Virago Press. I love books about books and publishing, and I have read many Virago editions over the years. Sounds fascinating to me.

Square Haunting by Francesca Wade. All about five writers who lived in London’s Mecklenburgh Square during the war; modernist poet H.D., detective novelist Dorothy L. Sayers, classicist Jane Harrison, economic historian Eileen Power, and author and publisher Virginia Woolf.

Looking forward to all three of these, which I learned about on IG. It really is a treasure trove of information about books, reading, and publishing, especially those books that are published across the pond.

We watched Annie Hall.

And that’s it for today. Wish us well. We’d rather not have our power go out as we have food in the freezer that we can’t immediately replace, nor do we have the funds to replace them.

Happy Monday.

Day One Hundred Forty-One

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