Moving Day

It's hard to believe that we've been in our new space for a month already! So far, things are going very well. We continue to move and add things throughout the store, so keep coming by to see what's new since your last visit!

We had such an amazing show of support from our customers and neighbors in Hardwick throughout our moving process. Sadly, some of the photos taken during our move were lost in the bowels of a computer, but here are some wonderful images from the weekend before and day of the move to Main Street. Photos are by Diane Grenkow and Elena Gustavson.

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Moving On

By Sandy

Moving The Galaxy Bookshop has been a challenging and exciting process, but for me, it is also tinged with some sadness. I have never been good at dealing with changes--I will always remember crying over the loss of our brown and green plaid couch when my parents decided it was time to upgrade from the hand-me-down furniture from Great-Grandma's house. Though I am very pleased with our new space, both for its location and its features (beautiful hardwood flooring, vaulted ceiling, wonderful front window with stage area...), I miss the "old" Galaxy Bookshop.

It's natural, I suppose. That bank building was my second home for the past 10 years, and though many of you will remember former incarnations of the bookstore, I only have a vague recollection of visiting the shop as a kid when it was originally on Main Street. To me, The Galaxy Bookshop was the bank building, with its vault and "story teller" drive-through window and tin ceiling and marble floor and fiction shelved in the tall shelves--'A' through 'R' along one wall, with 'S' through 'Z' on the opposite wall--and children's books in the back room, the first books to welcome me to work each morning.

It didn't really hit me until the night before our book parade that this move was really, actually happening, and the bookstore that I had come to know as well as any friend was gone. Not--as I have been reminded--truly gone, but the physical store will never again be the same. When I drive into town to get to work, I now drive by the old store and feel a pang, wishing that I could turn into the parking lot, unlock the tricky back door, unlock the second door, and walk in to be greeted by the familiar smell and the shelves of books on adolescence and parenting issues.

There are a few things that cheer me very much when I begin to feel sad and nostalgic, though. One: The Galaxy Bookshop may look very different, but it's still here! Linda and I and Stella and Claire are here, along with Howard Mosher and Lydia Bastianich and Terry Pratchett and Jim Harrison and Charlotte Bronte and Eric Carle and a thousand other old friends on the shelves. Two: Standing in front of the crowd that showed up to our book moving day and seeing all of those friendly faces looking back, then witnessing the enthusiasm and excitement with which everyone pitched in to help us get set up in our new spot. Three: Greeting people as they walk through the door with wide eyes and words of congratulations. This is where the spirit of The Galaxy Bookshop lives, and no change of address or rearranging of shelves will change that.

Christmas for Two Kitties

One of the most difficult parts of our decision to move has been the understanding that we will not be able to bring our beloved cats, Scout and Jem, along with us. We have had them for over two years now, since they were six weeks old, and they have been wonderful additions to The Galaxy Bookshop. As much as we love them, we want them to have the very best home, and the smaller space on Main Street (which also does not have the extra barrier to the street that we have at the bank building) does not seem like the ideal place for two cats used to roaming upstairs and down at will.

On this Christmas Eve, the two kitties will be going to their new home, one where we are sure they will receive plenty of love and treats and all the tummy rubbing they require. This new home is with one of our customers, and we hope that we will receive updates from time to time on how Scout and Jem are doing. When we do, we'll be sure to share with all of you.

So, please join us in wishing our kitties and their new family well. They (and we) thank you for all of the love they've received from their many friends and fans during their time as bookshop cats.

Merry Christmas, from all of us ~ Linda, Sandy, Stella, Claire, Ivy, Scout, and Jem

Scenes from our Sirius Reader Party

We hope you enjoy this slideshow of scenes from our 23rd Anniversary celebration!

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Thank you for 23 years (and still counting!)

Thanks to everyone who came to the bookstore for our Sirius Reader Party! As always, it was a great pleasure to see so many friendly faces and spend time talking with everyone throughout the day. We had delicious food, including cheeses from the Cellars at Jasper Hill and from Bonnieview Farm, and even a visit from strolling musician Michael Kennedy. We'll be posting photos soon, as well as more information about our upcoming move, but for now, we'll leave you with our anniversary video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRjuL7kKM7k&feature=autoplay&list=HL1322960730&lf=mh_lolz&playnext=1

Video directed, edited, and produced by Claire Greene

Wake up, little blog!

Whew, it's been much too long since we've blogged here, but we're making a resolution to do better from now on. (Who says you can only make resolutions at New Year's?)

Thought 2011 is not over yet, the yearly lists are coming out now, and we'd like to share two of our favorites:

The New England Independent Booksellers Holiday Catalog is a list of some of the top choices of booksellers around our region.

The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) has also put out their annual catalog of Best Books for Children, and it must be said, there is a great crop of children's books this year.

Banned Books Virtual Read-Out!

Join Claire, Sandy, and hundreds of other readers across the country in a Banned Books Week Virtual Read Out. This year, Banned Books Week is September 24 - October 1, but you can celebrate early by recording yourself reading an excerpt from your favorite banned book and adding it to the Banned Books Week YouTube channel. If you need help with your video, feel free to stop by the store! We will have a camera available next week and the week after for recording banned book readings.

Here are our videos to give you a little motivation, because if we can do it, so can you!

Claire, reading from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMyPl8k7sYI

Sandy, reading from Sylvester and the Magic Pebble:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRSgKMVqKKM

The American Library Association list of Frequently Challenged Books.