There's Going to Be a Baby--and a picture book giveaway!

John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury are beloved British children's book authors and illustrators who happen to be married. Over the course of their marriage, however, they have never collaborated on a book--until now. There's Going to Be a Baby, which Burningham wrote and Oxenbury illustrated, is a narrative of the wait for a new baby to be born. A mother and son carry on a conversation over the months before his new brother or sister arrives, as both wonder what the baby might be like. Will it be a chef? A banker? Will it make messes on the rug? Imagining all sorts of scenarios, the little boy wonders if he might not want a new baby after all. When the time comes to see the baby for the first time, though, he is full of excitement and curiosity. The old-fashioned color palette and funny illustrations of the baby performing in various imagined careers make this a special book to share with all expectant families.

Now, it just so happens that there IS going to be a baby at The Galaxy Bookshop! For those of you who haven't heard yet, Sandy is expecting a baby in March. After taking some time off to spend at home, she plans to be back with baby in tow.

In honor of this announcement (and thanks to Candlewick Publishers--one of our favorite children's publishers) we have a copy  of There's Going to Be a Baby to give away! To enter to win, leave a comment on this post--we'll choose a winner at random next Friday, November 5.

Read a Q&A with Burningham and Oxenbury.

2010 Read-a-Thon!

A night of reading, among readers--it's time again for Read-a-Thon!
In its first year, The Galaxy Bookshop's Read-a-Thon raised over $800 for Hardwick Head Start and Early Head Start. Last year, we doubled that figure and brought in $1,660--money that went towards supplying books to students in the early education programs.

[caption id="attachment_993" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Readers get comfortable and settle in with some good books for the night."][/caption]

This year's Read-a-Thon is an overnight event, running from 5 p.m. on Friday, November 5 through 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 6. Participants spend the night at The Galaxy Bookshop, where they will have hours to read, plus have the option to participate in a variety of book related activities.

Not sure what Read-a-Thon is all about? Just like any fundraising marathon, Read-a-Thon participants sign up in advance to receive a form for collecting pledges that will go to Hardwick Head Start and Early Head Start. Donors can choose to sponsor a reader by the hour, by the page, or with a set donation.

We are looking for participants and for volunteers to assist with setup, food donation, overnight supervision, activities, and cleanup.
Click on the links below to download forms to register as a participant or to be a volunteer.

Forms are due back at The Galaxy Bookshop Friday, October 29.

2010 Registration Packet


2010 Volunteer form

Books, books everywhere, and not a minute to read--the NEIBA trade show (part 2)

(Sorry for the delay on this post. I was held up by the fact that I kept forgetting to upload the remainder of my photos from my camera. ~S)

So, there were lots of great learning opportunities at NEIBA, but there was also plenty of social time, which is often just as important. You might think that all of these bookstores would be in competition with one another, but we often think of one another as collaborators. Trade shows and conferences allow us to put our heads together to share ideas--what's worked, what hasn't--and work out solutions to problems that face all of us, whether it's staffing, inventory management, or understanding new technologies. For example, one idea that I brought back from this show was to host a reception for some of the local authors we haven't been able to schedule for readings during the summer. (That will be happening November 16--stay tuned for details!)

 

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Our friend Hiata, from Bridgeside Books in Waterbury, shows off some of her swag."][/caption]

 

Of course, one of the big draws of any trade show are the freebies, right? There are two types of booksellers at these shows: the ones who admit up front that they're going to pick up too many books, and the ones who claim they're going to show some restraint, then take home a lot more books than they were planning, even knowing that there are stacks of ARCs already waiting back at the store. (I'm in the latter category.)

It starts at the lunches, dinners, and breakfasts, where the featured author's books are given away to attendees. It continues at the author reception, which this year featured 16 New England authors, including our own Rowan Jacobsen. Long lines formed as booksellers awaited a chance to talk to some of their favorite authors and get autographed books. The reception took place on the trade show floor, so booksellers were able to take a peek at publisher displays before the official opening of the show.

After the reception, Linda headed off for a bicycling adventure, and I made plans for dinner with Claire and Jane from Bear Pond Books, Barb from White Birch Books, and Hiata from Bridgeside Books. We had an absolutely delicious meal at Red Stripe, then walked next door to Books on the Square, where the staff was hosting a reception for all of the NEIBA booksellers. For most booksellers, a visit to another bookstore is irresistible, even on vacation. It's a treat to see familiar books in a new setting, discover new books, and geekily "ooh and ahh" over things like signage and display racks.

The next day was Trade Show day, which meant dropping off orders with various sales reps, more socializing, and the inevitable gathering of many pounds of books--I can tell you that trade shows are a real work out. I would guess I walked out of there with at least fifteen pounds of books hanging from each shoulder, and that's a relatively modest amount.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="384" caption="One bookseller organizes her book collection before going to pick up more."][/caption]

 

 

The NEIBA show is pretty manageable and, in my opinion, more enjoyable than BEA (Book Expo America, the national show), which can be a sensory overload. Still, even at the smaller show, there is a lot to take in. Publishers know this and try to lure tired booksellers in with everything from lollipops to homemade cookies. Of course, they also have plenty of bookish bait, as well. Racks and stacks of books of all kinds are on every side. One of my favorite tables was Random House, where they had a "staff picks" section, just like you might find at the bookstore. Each book had a handwritten recommendation from one of the reps or publicists to let you know why you would love it. It's a nice personal touch that helped showcase their books. I received plenty of great recommendations from reps at other publishers, too. I'm currently enjoying Cecil Castellucci's new YA novel, Rose Sees Red, which Nikki at Scholastic raved about (Cecil was at the show to sign bookplates--it would have been books, but the shipment was waylaid--and I got to meet her and tell her how much I've loved her books); and I'm looking forward to reading Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (an IndieBound pick this month), and Scarlett Thomas's Our Tragic Universe among many other intriguing titles stacked next to my night stand.

Finally, it was time to head back to Vermont with Hiata, who had generously offered to drive to and from Providence. The valets at our hotel were fairly kind in not giving us a hard time over the 15 bags (mostly books) they helped us load into the car.

For some other perspectives on NEIBA, check out Publisher's Weekly, Shelf Talker, Shelf Awareness, and Boston Bibliophile.

Where Were Linda and Sandy? A look at the NEIBA trade show (Part 1)

Last week, Linda and I traveled to Providence, RI, to attend the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) trade show. I've been to a few of these shows, while Linda has seen about 20 or so during her life as a bookseller. This is the regional trade show--as opposed to Book Expo America (BEA), which is the national trade show that takes place in late May--tailored to bookstores across New England. Though there are certainly larger urban bookstores among us, many of us share similar experiences as small stores in rural areas. At the trade show, we get together to discuss challenges and successes; exchange ideas for merchandising, marketing, and events; and most of all, to talk about books.

Like many conferences, NEIBA is a place where you find yourself among your People, the ones who get excited about the same things that you do, who really get you, and give you permission to embrace your inner nerd. Our favorite authors and illustrators get to feel like rock stars as we gush over their work and ask for autographs. (My favorite souvenir of the weekend: City Dog, Country Frog, personally signed by Jon Muth!)

The three day event started out with the New England Booksellers Awards Luncheon, to honor the winners of said awards. These authors and their books were chosen democratically, with NEIBA members sending in nominations, then voting on the top choices in each category.

Gail Caldwell, whose memoir Let's Take the Long Way Home has received national attention, was awarded the prize for non-fiction. She spoke movingly about the opportunity that writing this book gave her to spend two years with the friend she'd lost.



The children's award winner was the aforementioned City Dog, Country Frog, written by Mo Willems and illustrated by Jon Muth. Since Willems wasn't able to attend, Muth accepted for both of them, as well as for Willems' dog Nelson, who had prepared a very funny acceptance speech for the occasion.

Finally, Lily King accepted the award for fiction, given to her novel Father of the Rain. She spoke of her passion for writing--spurred at an early age by a Judy Blume book her mother bought for her--and gave encouragement to any aspiring writer, saying that she wrote her novel at an average of two pages a day, and that is something that anyone can accomplish. She also shared some funny stories from her days as a bookseller, which were greatly appreciated by this crowd. (Example: "Do you have War and Peace by Tolstoy?" "No, I'm sorry, we're out." "Oh. Do you have it by anyone else?")

Our trade organizations, NEIBA and the American Bookseller's Association (ABA) both work year round to put together great educational sessions for trade shows and other events. This year, I attended panel discussions on Large Scale Events (though I may never organize an event that draws over 500 people, there were still great tips on communicating with publicists and putting together event proposals), We Love Our Reps! (more tips on effective communication, this time with your sales reps, and on how to use the online catalogs that more publishers are beginning to use), More Than a Bookstore (how to branch out your business, whether through digital media or by adding new products and services), and a presentation on Google Editions (the e-book format that we hope will be available to our customers through galaxybookshop.com before Christmas!) As always, I got more information out of some sessions than others, but the discussions generated during and after each were valuable.

To Be Continued...

Next post: More awards, more authors, more booksellers, and the Actual Trade Show.

"A Sense of Place": Second Annual Wallace Stegner Weekend at Highland Lodge

[EVENT CANCELLED]

The Galaxy Bookshop is pleased to be a part of the Highland Lodge's Second Annual Wallace Stegner Weekend, coming up September 24-26.

[EVENT CANCELLED]

Please Note: Registration deadline for this event is SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. The Highland Lodge needs a minimum of 20 registrants for "all meals and events" in order to cover the costs of hosting this special weekend event. Currently, registration has not reached that number, but we hope to receive enough of a response over the next few days that we will be able to carry on with the event as planned.

Please call Anne Hanson at 802-533-2647 to register!

With speakers, discussions and events, the Highland Lodge in Greensboro, Vermont will host its second annual literary weekend inspired by the life and writings of former Greensboro resident, Wallace Stegner, from Friday, September 24 through Sunday, September 26. Distinguished guest speakers include Natalie Kinsey Warnock, author  of multiple children’s and young adult books including the Vermont Humanities Council 2006 “Vermont Reads” selection  As Long As There Are Mountains; Leland Kinsey, Northeast Kingdom poet  whose poems have been featured on Garrison Keillor’s  The Writer’s Almanac; Charlie Morrissey, author, editor,  oral history expert and former director of the Vermont Historical Society; and Jay Craven, acclaimed filmmaker, film professor, screen writer and founder of Catamount Arts and co-founder of Kingdom County Productions. Though the durable power of his writing won Stegner the Pulitzer Prize in 1972, his genius in crafting compelling characters and stories of place won him a dedicated audience. “Sense of Place” is a theme that links this great American Artist with the artists invited to present at the Highland Lodge weekend. All are rooted in and inspired by the place of the Northeast Kingdom.

For information on the weekend visit www.highlandlodge.com, or contact Anne at the Highland Lodge at 802-533-2647.

Full Schedule

Speaker Bios

Farewell, Summer Visitors

Now that school is back in session in Vermont and kids in many other states will be going back next week, it's really the end of the summer season here at the bookstore. This is not to say that we're throwing in the towel on summer--there's still a lot of nice weather ahead, plus the calendar says we've got until September 23 to revel in the last few weeks of the season!

Still, it's the end of one of the busiest times of the year for us. Each year, it's a treat to welcome back the summer "regulars." Some of them are here all summer, and we see them several times before they head south again. Others are here for a shorter time but make sure to stop at the bookstore at least once while they're in town. It's fun to catch up with all of them, exchange book recommendations, and send them off with a good vacation read.

[caption id="attachment_933" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="This photo was taken and sent by a lovely gentleman from Canada who stops at the bookstore each summer when he and his family go to New Brunswick for vacation. Just one of our many wonderful summer visitors!"][/caption]

Of course, we also love welcoming new visitors, and this year we've had quite a few--some were checking us out for the first time after seeing the profile of the bookstore on WCAX, others were visiting Hardwick to find out more about this little town they'd been reading about in magazine articles and in Ben Hewitt's book on our local agricultural economy. Still others were simply traveling through and happy to find a bookstore to browse. It was a lot of fun to talk to these travelers about our community and the positive steps that people are taking to give Hardwick a brighter future.

Now, when I reach the end of a season, I'm always curious to find out what our bestsellers have been. You get a general idea, selling books day after day, but there can still be some surprises. For example, this summer, my personal pick Little Bee actually came out ahead of Steig Larsen's "Girl Who..." books! Here's The Galaxy Bookshop's Top Ten Summer Bestseller List:

1. The Town That Food Saved: No surprise here--the book about Hardwick is the number one bestseller here in Hardwick!

2. Eaarth: Bill McKibben's visit to the bookstore, along with his many supporters in the area, helped push his latest book to the top of the list.

3. Mockingjay (Book 3 of The Hunger Games): The eagerly anticipated conclusion to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy needed only a week to become one of the summer's hottest books.

4. Little Bee: As mentioned above, this was my favorite book of the summer, and I'm excited to see it here on the list!

5. If the Church Were Christian: This provocative title was read and discussed by a book group at the Greensboro United Church.

6. The Girl Who Played with Fire: Fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo were excited to dive into the sequel, out in paperback.

7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: There are still a lot of readers discovering Steig Larsen's books for the first time; I expect this will be on bestseller lists for a while, yet.

8. From Dawn Till Dusk: One of our all-time favorite Vermont picture books, from Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. The story of a year on a Vermont farm, accompanied by Mary Azarian's beautiful illustrations, is a perfect gift to take home to grandkids, nieces, and nephews as a souvenir of a trip to the Northeast Kingdom.

9. Imperfect Endings: Another book supported by an author visit, Zoe Fitzgerald Carter's memoir of her mother's decision to die and of her own struggle for acceptance is an intimate and honest look at the end of life choices we all, eventually, must face.

10. Cutting for Stone: A bestseller in hardcover, Abraham Verghese's epic novel of two brothers, spanning decades and continents, received an extra boost in paperback.

Literary Funnies

I'll admit I've always been the type to go first for the comics section of the Sunday paper. When those strips start getting a little stale, though, there is a vast universe of webcomics to explore. With the ease and affordability of publishing anything online, many artists have gained cult followings for their serialized comics online, whether they are three or four panel "funny page" style, illustrated blog-like chronicles of day to day life, or superhero adventure stories. Some have found their way into print, thanks to their large online fanbases.

My current favorites are the webcomics with a literary bent. Probably the best one out there is Hark! A Vagrant, by Kate Beaton. This Canadian artist takes historical and literary figures and infuses them with her own wry brand of humor. I love her Holmes and Watson stories, which poke fun at the ways in which those characters have been retooled for pop culture over the years. She's also done some great strips on the Brontes and Canadian literature, among many others. Check out her archives to catch up--it's all good.

Among the librarian and bookseller set, Unshelved is probably the most widely read webcomic (and it also has a great line of merchandise! I happen to be quite fond of my own "Will Work for Books" tee...) In addition to their funny observations about library patrons and administrators, the Unshelved crew offers great reviews of all sorts of books, from graphic novels to political biographies.

A fairly recent addition to the literary webcomic genre is Lit Brick, which is an interesting exercise in getting creator John Troutman through the Norton Anthology of English Literature. As it turns out, there are a lot of naughty bits in Old English lit--or, at least, Troutman is good at highlighting those points. This comic is often NSFW, but also fairly entertaining. If your curiosity is piqued, I suggest you start at the beginning.

Comically Vintage does not feature original work, but instead is a collection of panels, taken out of context from vintage comic books. From gender politics to Yankee pride, every day brings a slew of unintentionally hilarious comic excerpts that probably won't make you long for the "good old days."

For just a bit more silliness, enjoy Winnie the Pooh goes Hulk (via Fuse #8) and the search engine you've been waiting for--find any Calvin and Hobbes strip ever published (via Bookshelves of Doom).