We are in full holiday swing at Micawber's. Today at work, the phone started ringing before we even opened and rarely stopped. There was a steady flow of people all day. And UPS delivered eight big boxes of special order books. It may be too soon to tell, but so far this holiday season seems busier than the last two years.
Are people feeling more fiscally confident? Are they just sick of not buying stuff? Or are people realizing how excellent books are as gifts? Whatever the reason, I am very happy that our little bookstore is busy.
The biggest seller so far is The Autobiography of Mark Twain, vol. 1, which we actually have in stock (for the moment), but they are going fast!! This is followed closely by Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff.
I love helping people find good books for gifts. Since I'm the "children's book person" at the store, I usually get questions like, "What's a good book for a 7 year old girl who is a good reader?" or "What's a good book for a boy who loved The Lightening Thief?"
But today I had a new challenge. A woman came in needing to buy five books for a gift exchange. This is the information she gave me:
- Man, 60's, likes military and mysteries
- Woman, 60's, doesn't read much
- Woman, 40's, eccentric
- Woman, 30's, interested in child psych
- Woman, 30's, likes Oprah books
I love a challenge! We walked around the store, I pulled out books, and we had a pile within 10 minutes. It was a lot of fun.
Here are our matches:
- Monuments Men by Robert Edsel
- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
- Room by Emma Donoghue
- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
On the kid's side of things, today I recommended The Last Apprentice series, The Book of Three, Otis, The Alchemyst, Ivy and Bean, Best Pet of All, and The Carrot Seed, among many others.
If you need book recommendations, we are your people. We'll have your gift list taken care of in no time. Happy Holidays!
