This January, we're working hard at Next Chapter to make sure that our inventory is accurate so that we can go right to the book you so desperately want to read. To facilitate this, the store will be closed all day on Monday, January 30th. We will be open regular hours on the 29th and and the 31st, so come in those days to satisfy all of your book needs.
Tra la la ... what to read next?
The biggest challenge/ most fun part of working in a bookstore is the ever present reality of all the books that have been published and yet to be published that I haven't read. So that I don't get overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of books unread, I've developed a set of self-guidelines for my reading. It's a helpful, constantly evolving list that I frequently throw out the window when I'm unexpectedly caught by a book.
Hannah's Rules for Reading
1. If I start a book and am not enjoying it by page 50, I stop reading, there's just too many books to waste my time with a boring one. Anne's rule is that if she's ready to give up, she'll read the end of the book. If the end is intriguing enough, she'll keep reading to see how the plot progresses to that point.
2. I alternate reading a book that I want to read and one that I think I should read for self-edification purposes.
3. My new rule for 2012 is that I am going to read a book by a Wisconsin author every month; we're a local bookstore, I should read local authors.
4. Just because someone else read it and loved it doesn't mean I have to.
5. I do judge books by their covers. I've found many a good book, based on excellent cover design, that's not been recommended to me. I've found many a bad book that way too, but then I go back to Rule #1 and waste a minimal amount of time.
What are your rules? I'd love to hear them in the comments section.
And now some books:
I picked up Glaciers by Alexis Smith for its cover and was won over by its quiet beauty. It's a day in the life of a 20 something who revels in the stories of old postcards, clothes, and furniture. This day is the day she, who is so caught up in memories, must make a move for her future. So far everyone I've given this to has felt the same kind of wonder at the impact of this slim novel. And at $10.95, there's no reason not to buy it.
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje is an adventure story and a coming of age tale. Three boys explore every inch of the ship on which they are traveling from Colombo to England. As they befriend their fellow members of the outcast table, the cat's table, in the dining room, they learn secrets that pique their curiosity and hear stories that change their limited understandings of adulthood. The story builds to a lingering mystery that is only solved years later. Perfect for fans of tales full of boyhood rambunctiosness.
Happy Reading,
Hannah
Hannah, your rules are great and precisely what any good bookseller (and reader, for that matter) should learn as soon as possible if they want to really get the most out of reading when there's such an ongoing avalanche of books to read in the world.
ReplyDeleteWith rules like that, it's no wonder when someone asks me, "what have you read lately that's good", my response is "everything I read is good."
Hear Hear Stacie! I sometimes get overwhelmed by that question because I don't know where to start, there's so much that's good, even great. Plus, it doesn't mean the customer will like what I think is great, so we have to start at the beginning regardless. Do you have any different rules? You've been in the business longer than me.
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