...
Bookshop worker George Orwell used to live in fear of the little old lady who would appear on a busy Saturday morning asking for the "novel that came out a few years ago with the green cover, about the man, who was doing all those things." At Readings St. Kilda I believe they would find you that book because they love literature and they pride themselves on being well read. Contra Farhad Manjoo bookshops are a sign of high civilization and any town or large city district without one isn't really partaking of the culture at all. Readings is a notch above your average bookshop with a terrific children's section and (I love this) separate sections for Penguin Books, Faber, the New York Review of Books Press, Dalkey Archive Press and other terrific independent or smaller quality labels.
...
Sometimes Australian books can be a little bit pricey so when I do buy a novel I want it to be excellent before I lay down my cash. At Readings they don't mind if you read for a while before purchasing. For the last week or so I've been checking out Chad Harbach's The Art of Fielding and I'm now at page 30 and it's pretty good - so I think I'm going to buy it, unless the Melbourne Age sends me a free copy which I don't think they will because they already reviewed it.
...
Another good thing about Readings is that they don't serve coffee, muffins, biscotti, tea, herbal tea or anything that you can eat or drink. The only reason to enter the shop is to buy a book, or, admittedly one of the vinyl records at the back. I'm not knocking desperate book shop owners who've had to convert their shops into cafes to get the punters in, but its nice in Readings not to hear the annoying hiss of the espresso machine or to find muffin crumbs on the floor. What you might hear however is some eclectic music. Last week I was pleasantly surprised to get the Blade Runner soundtrack album which I've never heard in another bookshop, ever.
...
Ok that's that. If you're in Sydney check out Jon Page's wonderful bookshop (see previous post). If you're in St. Kilda do check out Readings. (I have nothing to gain from this if you do. They have no idea who I am and I don't even know if they stock my books as I avoid the crime section.) And the cake shops across the street are pretty damn good too. Oh and if you're looking for the only place that sells Ruddles County or Marston's Pedigree in Australia try Acland Cellars also just across the street.
58 comments:
During High school and right after I worked in a video store. At least once a month we would have someone come in and say "Do you have that movie? With that guy? You know, the one who was on TV last week and in that other movie."
It was a small mom and pop video store and we all knew our movies so we had a pretty good success rate in figuring out what they were talking about. And this was in the pre-internet, IMDB days.
Re: THE BLADERUNNER SOUNDTRACK
Last night we watched the movie again (the 30th Anniversary Marathon on AMC), first time I'd seen it in years, truly a masterpiece.
In the sad scene where Sean Young and Harrison Ford are in his apartment, where her replica-ness is revealed, the soundtrack lulls to a solo sax in the background, doing what seems to me to be a riff on "You're just too good to be true, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."
The lyrics of that 1967 Frankie Valli song would seem to fit, dealing with surreality and love and uncertainty, but it is not included in the soundtrack, even the three disc soundtrack. Some of the customers at Amazon seem to complain about this.
The song appears in many other movies, including "Conspiracy Theory," which included it with several other nice touches including the Catcher In The Rye references.
Anyway, I'm not entirely sure it was a conscious riff on "I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" in Bladerunner. It might have been improv, which would explain its omission from the soundtrack.
Word is that Ridley Scott, by the way, has been named the director of the new Cormac McCarthy movie--THE COUNSOLER. I liked his early work--BLADERUNNER and THE DUELISTS and ALIEN--so he is certainly capable of doing a good job of it, if he will.
George Orwell did not have Google, which can make you look like a genius when you're a bookseller nowadays.
People are often impressed by our skills at knowing what they're talking about, not realizing that it's the same book everyone else is asking for that day, due to NPR or Jon Stewart or whatever.
A few days ago it was The End of Illness. Yesterday it was The Science of Yoga.
I think people don't realize how important a bookstore is as a semi-public space until they lose them. Yesterday,for example, a group of local writers came in and wrote Valentine's Day poems or letters for people who described the person they wanted it for. This didn't benefit the bookstore in any way, and in fact was slightly annoying to deal with, but it was apparently fun for people, and one of the things I heard several times as I walked through was the pair of people saying it's been very nice to meet you,and sounding like they meant it.
HB
I'm completely opposed to a Bladerunner sequel or prequel. I think the film ended perfectly and anything else would ruin the mythology the way they ruined the mythology of the Matrix. Blade Runner was lightning in a bottle and an attempt to recapture that will be doomed to failure.
Brian
I remember once when I was working in Barnes and Noble on the Upper West Side a lady said that she was after the "book about the planes". I gave her Catch 22 and it was the one she was after.
Richard
I think you're right that could have been improvised. Its interesting about that soundtrack. It was written before or while the film was being made and Ridley Scott used to play the soundtrack on set to enhance the mood (just like Sergio Leone). So the film and the music really do go together.
Seana
What's funny is how much NPR, The Daily Show etc. set the cultural agenda of the country. In the UK its the same: one or two big radio and TV outlets are basically in charge of deciding what everyone's going to read or talk about.
Sure there are other outlets, authors blogs etc. but they're all essentially meaningless in the face of big media.
It's depressing, actually. I think there is another half of the country that never hears that media, but I don't know what they read. Although there are various conservative and Christian books that we are hardly ever asked for.
Oprah may actually have been the overlap between the two groups, come to think of it.
I really envy you having a good, independent bookstore nearby. I especially like the idea of sections devoted to smaller publishers. In Canada the Chapters chain has crushed most independents, but lately it seems Chapters is moving more towards selling gifty things (candles, picture frames, etc.) rather than books. There's probably a niche there for independents to exploit.
If the indie I work for is any indication, and I think it is, most bookstores are moving toward bringing in more 'sidelines',simply as a strategy to keep afloat. The gifty items have a much higher mark up and also don't have the prices printed on them, so you can charge what the market will bear in a different way than books. I think in our store, a lot of people come in to buy cards and use the bathroom and we can only hope they get snagged buy a book along the way.
I forgot if we've discussed this from Type Books in Toronto:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYcSrIkVpzM&sns=em
of course, Type don't stock my books, not hipster enough, I guess.
I'd like to see more stories set in the Blade Runner world.
John
They dont have your books but they have a lot of copies of that ghastly Julian Barnes novel that won the Booker Prize of which the only thing to say is that its better than the beyond horrible novel that won the Booker the year before.
Nice video though.
Seana
You should sell fountain soda. From my year working at McDonalds we were constantly told that fountain soda was the biggest mark up. In fact I think plain hamburgers and cheeseburgers were a loss leader.
In a meeting about rearranging the store yet again, I learned a surprising statistic from Barnes and Noble that purported that a third of all books sold through them were books about the place the store was in. Local interest, broadly speaking. That seems very odd to me.
I think it's probably wise not to be too aware of how your local bookstore sells your books, because my experience is that people are invariably disappointed.
Well, there was one guy one time who wasn't.
Forgot to say that I think I'd heard about that video clip but hadn't seen it. So thanks for that, John.
I don't have a local Indie bookshop that I'm aware of closer than 2 hours, but when I do manage to get to one occasionally, I love te feel of it. Much nicer than Barnes and Nobles or Half Price books.
Oh yeah, they have all the award winners. And nominees. And that pretty much fills up the bookstore.
Indie bookstores, at least in Toronto, are the opposite of what indie record stores used to be.
I love my local bookstore. The people are great; they just shake their heads when I buy yet more books. There is an interesting thing happening for me. I can't afford the hardcovers, so when a book comes out in a trade paper
edition-like CCG, Amazon's price is not so much cheaper because they charge for shipping. So my local bar-um-bookstore gets my business. My bookstore is happy to order anything they can get for me, or I order from England. I have a kindle but I use that for special authors or cheapies. So I would like to know what benefits an author more-ebooks or tree books. My wish is to please people, not Amazon. Corporations are not people.
Lil, I believe you said you were up in Northern California somewhere. What's your bookstore? And is it a bar? Because maybe that's something we should try...
good stuff mate...I was down there this morning and the staff bent over backwards trying to find a rare Appalachian field recording of banjo and mandolin music for me (I shit you not)....though they could not find it the effort was there...I love the place and its comfortable without being homey and fake...a great place and a great review :)
Glenna
Two hours is a long way to drive to get a book. I dont think I could cope with that. I'd probably cave and just go to Amazon.
Lil
Well there's always the Book Depository. I've never used them but I'm told its free shipping worldwide. Dont know how they do that really but apparently they do.
Seana
Fountain soda. Believe me.
Dan
Yeah I was skeptical of the whole records section but I have to admit its pretty cool and they have a good music books section too.
Ok for people who stick out the comment threads:
WIN ONE OF TWENTY FIVE COPIES OF THE THE COLD COLD GROUND HERE
And I believe they'll ship it to you. Gratis.
Adrian, that's normally what I do.
And thanks for the top on the drawing. I sent mine in.
Seana-I live in Half Moon Bay, and the bookstore is the Bay Book Company. It does not have a bar; it doesn't even have the ambience. It just has some very nice people who will do anything they can to please you. Even have conversations about the state of the world, and who the nice authors are, etc. The reason I call it my local is I am totally addicted to books, and since I've been reading Irish and Scottish noir, I've been adopting the language. I've never really walked around Santa Cruz. Just gone to the beach, and driving through to Carmel and Big Sur. I get Adrian's books from The Book Depository or abe books when the BD sends them their whole inventory. It is really hard to get away from Amazon.
argh to live in the uk would be to win a copy of CCG....however ethically i prefer to hand over the dough to you Adrian...well to your publisher and then to you...unless i see you walking down the street and you have a copy on you and i have a lazy (insert amount here)
I remember thinking that that idiot Farhad Manjoo might not believe what he was writing, but rather made a desperate attempt to stick his head above the crowd.
Oh, and this post reminds me of Philadelphia’s Whodunit Books. It’s a secondhand shop, and you’ll guess from its name what sorts of books it specialized in. But it’s packed with nothing but books, and one can occasionally hear selections from a co-owner’s jazz collection. And the staff will jabber with you all day about the reading, writing, publishing, and selling of crime books. It’s worth a visit if you’re up (or down) this way.
As for my part of town, I'm not sure South Philadelphia has ever had a bookshop. But there are a few funeral parlors within walking distance.
================================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Seana, I was interested in what you had to say about local interest. My nearest Barnes and Noble has long has a shelf of local-interest books up near the front of the store, at did the nearest Borders.
I like Readings because my soon-to-be-10-year-old thinks of it as a playground with books and will sit happily browsing for half an hour or more.
Also good are the Grumpy Swimmer in Elwood and the Coventry Bookshop in South Melbourne.
Dang it. Didn't see the part about UK residents only...
Adrian, I'm trying to post that book offer on Twitter, which, however, is proving it's worth every cent I paid for it, and is not letting me make any tweets. I'll try again later! *^&%^&%@ Twitter.
Lil, I've only been through Half Moon Bay as well, but I have heard about the bookshop culture there. I haven't ever figured out if there is or was more than one bookstore there, but I do know there was one store that hand sold staggering amounts of science fiction.
Adrian, I believe you about the fountain drinks, but it won't fly. We have enough trouble getting people to keep the lids on their coffee cups as they stroll through.
Thanks Adrian. Please drop by the shop if or when you are in Sydney!
Seana-We have at least 4 shops which is surprising since it really is a small town. Bay Book has a lot of signings, and yes, they almost specialize in mystery and science fiction, and they manage to get pretty big writers. They even had John Connolly "drop in" and sign books because it was on his way. Elizabeth George was just here. They never had Val McDermid and her scotch, though. BTW, the owner is Irish but I am more up on Irish writers than he is 'cause of the blogs, Declan Burke's in particular. So I order books. It's an interesting store because it looks like it carries mostly best sellers, but then they have those sections...HMB is a strange town anyway.
Thanks, Lil, that was my impression from what people have told me, mostly sales reps.
Declan is responsible for a lot of us knowing a great deal more about Irish crime writing than we would otherwise.
Although I have to say that I picked up The Bloomsday Dead on my own.
Declan Burke is directly or indirectly responsible for introducing me to every Irish crime writer I've read with the possible exception of Ken Bruen.
==================================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Seana-What is the name of your shop?
It's Bookshop Santa Cruz. I hasten to say that I just work there, though I have worked there for a very, very long time.
I also want to open a bookstore in my hometown and then I'll read books I like every day and can support my family at the same time. But I've no idea on how to start and I don’t' have enough money now.
flipbook creator
I worked in a book store in the late seventies. I mostly loved it, but life was very different here. Just a small sleepy town. Things have changed. Top secret stuff, from here. Bay Book has a frequent buyer program. They are in heavy competition with Amazon, and I try to support them.
siar, I think what you have to do is become a bestselling novelist like Ann Patchett or Larry McMurtry and then fund the whole operation with your mad money.
Otherwise, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
I'm sorry Adrian, have we hijacked your blog?
I think the late seventies were probably the heyday of the indies. It was a very different atmosphere, from what people tell me, and I've noticed the slide towards a different model. We all complain a lot. But I have to say that it is a great community of people to work with. And the heartening thing is that I find the same sort of idiosyncratic personality even in the new young people coming in. Books are a great binding force, it turns out.
We always hijack his blog. He's said he doesn't mind. Less work for him, after all.
Siar, you might enjoy this fictional bookstore. ====================================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Lil, Seana
I don't mind at all. I havent really much to add though except that I went surfing once in Pacifica which is only a hop skip and a jump from half moon bay.
Peter
When I lived in NYC there used to be bookshops in the West Village that were open until two or three in the morning. I dont know if any of them still exist though. I once saw David Mamet in one of them (my friend Scott spotted him) in one of them well after 1.00 am.
Jon
I'll definitely drop if and when I'm next in Sydney. Actually I'm kinda disappointed not to be doing a reading in Sydney or anywhere actually but thems the breaks.
Dan, Glenna
Sorry did not know about the UK thing. Foiled again.
David,
Yeah those two comfy seats at the back are pretty nice although I'm not such a fan of that circular sofa.
Siar
Dont open a bookshop unless you have a lot of capital and/or are prepared to work incredibly hard.
Our store is open till ten or eleven every night. Night shift and day shift have always seemed like different worlds to me. I used to work night shift but after I started doing some of the buying it made my schedule too crazy. I liked it, though. For the most part.
I quite like The Paperback in Melbourne, also Abbey's and the Gleebooks in Sydney. Have been to that Readings in your neighbourhood a few times but I find the cake shops across the road more interesting ...
Post a Comment