Notes from the Shop

Middleburg Books, Middleburg VA

After announcing that I was starting a job at a new bookshop last fall, I haven't mentioned it much in the newsletter. Here is an update. Middleburg Books is in its sixth month and I am happy to report, working in a bookshop is the best! The shop has been embraced by both the local community and by the many visitors that come to Middleburg, VA.

A few observations:

The best selling fiction titles have been Lessons in Chemistry, The Postcard, The Covenant of Water, Small Things Like These, Council of Dolls, and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. The Thursday Murder Club Series and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers are consistent favorites in the mystery section. On the nonfiction side, we live in a beautiful area and titles dealing with nature and understanding animals remain in constant demand. Also we are close to Washington DC so political titles sell well.

It takes a while for a book to get some traction. Often I am reading books ahead of publication and am really excited about a new title, but it isn’t until people hear about it from multiple sources that it seems to take off. We will receive a great new book but it will languish on our shelves until an endorsement from NPR, the New York Times, or Washington Post appears or it becomes short listed for an award.

We have had numerous authors pop in unannounced to sign books and we even had one wedding engagement!

A few personal highlights:

• Starting a Supper Club. At the start of the year we began hosting monthly dinners based around a cookbook. This has been so much fun. On the night of the event, everyone brings a unique dish from the selected cookbook and we all sit down to wonderful food and conversation. We have cooked from this and this book. Both were full of delicious recipes. This is up next.

• Unboxing our new books. At least once a week when I am in the shop I get to help shelve our new titles. I love seeing what new books are arriving. We love to ooh and ahh at the beautiful covers.

• Showcasing beautiful editions of classics - especially the Chiltern and Penguin Clothbound editions. It is so fun watching people discover these books and add them to their personal collections.

• Helping people find the perfect book to give. For some people, buying books is a guilty pleasure; they have to talk themselves into it, but most people seem to enjoy giving books as gifts. I love helping people find just the right title for their friend or family member.

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Bookish News:

• The Atlantic is getting some traction with this list of Great American novels, works that seek to “paint the American soul.” This list of 136 books published in the last 100 years is wide ranging and a great conversation starter. Any titles missing here for you? I would remove Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath and put in East of Eden (but thats just me).

• One of the most popular titles in the shop at Christmas is The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, so I laughed when I saw this article about birds with crazy names.

• I loved listening to this podcast about the job of book cover design. I find this so fascinating. Again, working in a bookshop, I am even more aware of how cover art can make or break a book. We gush over captivating design and commiserate if a book has a cover that isn’t worthy of the story it is telling.

• This happened on March 15th: A lucky couple was picked to spend one night in the Library at St Paul’s Cathedral.

  

Recent Reads

James may just be the book of the year. It will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year. James is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but with Jim as the center, narrating his story. The book follows the classic closely for about half the book, and then diverges to focus on James. But right away you know you are hearing a different story, a story from a very intelligent adult rather than a slightly obtuse boy. Everett is so smart in this retelling - he lifts James up and expands his voice. He is intelligent and sympathetic. This story reminds us, in an up close and intimate way, how just existing as a slave was dangerous and soul crushing. Without overdoing it, he acquaints us with the day to day struggle of having no power, agency, or freedom in one’s own life. And Everett does this within the bounds of an American classic. Also this book is so good, it is unputdownable. I laughed, I gasped, I wanted to know what was going to happen. I am not going to give anything away here but just encourage you to read this book.

Also, I think it will help to have some familiarity with Twain’s original. You do not need to reread it, but read a summary of the story. This book holds a complicated position in the American literature canon; it was one of the first books ever banned. I found this article by Sarah Hildreth, of Fiction Matters, really helpful. She discusses some specifics to understand about Huck Finn before reading James.

In It was an Ugly Couch Anyway, author Elizabeth Passarella has put together the type of memoir I really enjoy. Small snippets of life, stitched together with a bigger event going on through the book. She joins Mary Laura Philpott, Shauna Niequist, Dani Shapiro, Ann Patchett, and Kate Bowler in writing a poignant essay collection. Passarella is a writer who lives in New York City, in a very small apartment with her husband and three children. This collection covers a period of time where they are trying to buy another apartment in the same building. Things don’t go as planned, but this is not a hijinks story, just well written essays sharing her life. Stories about work, covid, kids, parents, and the precariousness of our health. Her first essay centers around a large ugly couch that stayed in her family for a very long time. I enjoy Passarella’s sense of humor as well as how her faith centers her life. This is not a “religious book” but she does share about her faith in some of the essays. If you have enjoyed books by any of the authors I listed above, then you will enjoy this collection.

If you are interested in dipping your toes into middlegrade literature, I have a fabulous recommendation for you. Dave Eggers’s The Eyes & The Impossible just won the Newbery Medal. I love this story about a dog who lives in a large park, free and happy. He keeps an eye on all the comings and goings and he is fast, very fast. Eyes narrates the story and his observations will delight you. This story packages clever dialogue with an exciting story. While trying to help the Bison in the park, his animal friends are trying to keep him out of trouble. I don’t want to give too much away, trust me this is a wonderful story that I think anyone would love. The hardback edition has beautiful paintings throughout and makes a beautiful addition to any library, young or old.

Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting is a British novel about an aging advice columnist who fears her best years are behind her. After an incident on her daily commute, Iona begins to reach out and connect with those she shares a train with. Oddly, this book reminded me of the show The Outlaws (Amazon Prime), except no one here is a criminal. This fun read hit a lot of my sweet spots. First, it is set in London, which I always enjoy. Second, it has a widely varying cast of imperfect but endearing characters, and finally it takes everyone on a bit of a journey to becoming their better selves while creating meaningful bonds. If you have enjoyed books like All the Lonely People, Remarkably Bright Creatures, or even Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, this will be a great fit for you.