We’re Expanding!
April 28th, 2008 by Vanessa
Don’t get excited – we haven’t bought a shop unit on George Street so that we can go toe to toe with Waterstones and show them what Edinburgh needs in a bookshop, tempting as that is in my wilder (and richer!) dreams. However, we are adding another bookcase to the shop (bottom of the stairs next to “Confident Readers”, in case you’re interested) which will probably called “Books for Grown-Ups”.
The reason for this is that our typical customer is a mother with children aged from babies to about 11. As their children browse they often look for a book for themselves and often find something in the young adult section. However, talking to customers about books it has become clear that it would be good to offer a wider range for ‘grown-ups’ so later this week we’ll be adding a selection of books that we hope will appeal to our older customers – not just mothers, although they’re our largest demographic, but also grandparents and fathers and even people who aren’t looking for children’s books but want to browse our small (c.200 titles) but interesting selection of adult books.
We’re choosing books that we have read and loved or which sound interesting and which we’d like to read and there are plenty of backlist titles in there too. We’ve done plenty of market research by talking to customers about our idea and they have all been enthusiastic. When discussing what to stock most have begged us to avoid too much chicklit and the general preference has been for books that aren’t too trivial or too highbrow but interesting. One customer said that they would love it if our selection was like looking at a friend’s bookshelves – quite a few that you knew and loved, some that you had been wanting to read for a while, some new titles that you’d heard were good and a few unexpected surprises.
So, dear readers, tell me your recommendations. And any publishers who are reading who have forthcoming titles that they think might appeal to my customers do get in touch. We also plan to start reviewing a few more books here so that we can talk about the books that we’ve discovered or rediscovered.
Suggest you give consideration to my historical thrillers. Read the blurbs on wwwwallispeelbooks.com!!! Can be obtained from Gardners or amolibros@aol.com will suggest.
The chance to stock a bookshelf!! Well, I’d have Anne Tyler, lots of thrillers (Barbara Vine, Arnaldur Indridasson, Sophie Hannah…okay, okay, I’m biased) and writers like Anna Quindlen, William Maxwell, and Margaret Atwood. Will think of some more. Carol Shields. Marian Keyes. And all four Shardlake books by CJSansom. Zoe Heller. Claire Messud. Richard Ford…oh, I must stop. I could go on all day long.
How lovely – and another excuse to drop in when pottering in Bruntsfield! Are you tempted to try to find a theme to guide your selection? Maybe books that deserve to be (re)discovered, to tie in with Fidra’s own books (and avoiding competing with the 3 for 2s)?
I’d have a few of the lighter Persephones (The Far Cry, The Making of a Marchioness) perhaps. Then, I think an Austen or two, a Rumer Godden, an Edith Wharton for costumes. To finish, Adele Geras, Helen Tse, Jane Stevenson, Jenifer Vanderbes, Catherine Fox and Eva Ibbotson.
As soon as I finish ‘The Luxe’ (Anna Godberson), I’ll post. New proof and it’s beautiful.
Some William Maxwell please…
A few random favourites for your shelf (brilliant idea and I am longing to come to Edinburgh again to see what sounds like the perfect bookshop!) – Simon Brett (especially the Charles Paris series), Rose Tremain, Penelope Lively, Jane Gardam, Margaret Forster and Katherine Mansfield. By the way , I am so pleased you are publishing the ‘lost’ Elinor Lyon. I still remember last year’s conference with delight.
Oh, I love recommending books. :-) These are some of the ones that I *love* to see in independent shops:
Maragaret Atwood – Alias Grace
Barbara Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible
Marilynne Robinson – Gilead
Naomi Alderman – Disobedience
Vikram Chandra – Red Earth and Pouring Rain
Vikram Seth – A Suitable Boy
Karen Connelly – The Lizard Cage
Helen Dunmore – A Spell of Winter
Angela Carter – The Magic Toyshop
Pat Barker – The Regeneration Trilogy
Dorothy Dunnett – Anything by her (aha! A Scottish connection)
Olga Grushin – The Dream Life of Sukhanov
Kelly Link – Magic for Beginners
David Mitchell – Cloud Atlas/Black Swan Green
Patrick O’Brien – any or all!
Ali Smith – The Accidental
Edward St Aubyn – Mother’s Milk/Some Hope
Barry Unsworth – Sacred Hunger
Sarah Waters – Fingersmith
Hmmmm. I’ll stop there. :-)
Well obviously, Ian R and Alexander McC have to be there but what about Diana Wynne-Jones?
And, seriously, what about one of the books that introduces parents to a range of good children’s literature? Can’t think of a British one off the top of my head but there should be an up to date one.
Nobody mentioned Victoria Clayton yet? Try “Running Wild.” For a definitely different thriller, Eliot Pattison’s “The Skull Mantra,” set in present-day Tibet (with all that implies”.
Now what are you going to say when people come in to The Children’s Bookshop and say,
’so, do you just sell children’s books?’
Only joshin’, here’s my effort.
Fludd-Hilary Mantel
Nights at the Circus-Angela Carter
Persepolis
Still Life With Woodpecker-Tom Robbins
Scoop-Waugh
Conan Doyle is always good
Magnus Mills makes me laugh
Spongebob Squarepants?
The important thing is that it’s not obvious. People should be excited and surprised by the books in this section, in the same way that the children are excited and surprised by the books they discover in your wonderful shop.
Maybe try lesser known books by famous authors.
For esme eith love and squalor, by Salinger
Keep the aspidistra flying by orwell
the Subterraneams (spelling) by Kerouac
and keep it fresh, so your regulars are constantly interested.
I’ll go away now.
x
What about some really good crime that you don’t find stocked in the big bookshops? Like that English translation of a French murder mystery you recommended about a year ago (written by two women, something to do with the Eifel Tower), which is something I’d certainly like to come across in a bookshop!