Archive for September, 2009
A new blog?
I recently came across three books which, in their own way, remind me of the pleasures and perils of a relaxing beverage (or two).
Vintage Classics is rereleasing a bunch of old favorites, and I picked up F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Flappers and Philosophers, which includes “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” and 19 other short stories. Flappers is Fitzgerald’s debut story collection from 1920, back when he and Zelda were painting the town red. In the sordid story of their marriage and unraveling lives, I have to admit to being on Team Zelda – if you haven’t read Zelda: A Biography, it’s well worth reading. (Nancy Milford also wrote the biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay, which I also loved.)
What is the connection between our next two books? 
Funny you should ask – The Interrogative Mood is a novel that I find is best read with a stiff drink close by. Every sentence – yes, each and every last one – is a question, veering wildly between the silly and the sublime. “Do you quite credit that there are burrowing owls? Would you like to be a harbormaster? In your view, is a gesture of charity genuine or is it a kind of deep moral tax write-off?” Definitely a book to be read while shamrocked.
What’s
that, you say? I heard Paul Dickson on NPR talking about Drunk: The Definitive Drinker’s Dictionary, and if you’re looking for new ways to mock your “polite” friends or “seafaring” relatives, this is for you. “Having a closer look at the footpath”? Feeling “Dean Martoonied”? At best a cautionary book; unless you want to be called “tight as a brassiere” you might be compelled to lay off the sauce.
- Karen
Add comment September 29, 2009
And the winner of The Lost Symbol is…
This was a lot harder than we thought – if only we had three copies of The Lost Symbol to give away, but alas we only got one. The winner is (drumroll): Donna Schroeder, for:
Invoking various angels and demons and cursing the weak illumination from the miniscule flashlight clutched between his teeth, Robert Langdon crawled into the dark recess beneath the hideously carved desk that occupied the center of the Oval Office and groped blindly for the object of his quest, the missing key from the antediluvian typewriter resting on the desk: the errant asterisk.
Donna gets bonus points for invoking the title of a previous Dan Brown book and using a six-syllable word. Congratulations, and thanks to everyone else who submitted for making this such a challenge to judge!
Add comment September 22, 2009
Fresh Blood (no, this isn’t about Stephenie Meyer)
There’s a fresh face at R.J. Julia’s. Lily Bartels is our new store manager, & we get the impression she’s as happy to be here as we are happy to have her. Formerly a bookseller at The Open Door in Schenectady, she’s mastered the gamut of managing: people, books, inventory – but insists that, even more than poring over spreadsheets, she really loves to share her passion for her favorite books on the sales floor.
I’m ecstatic to be back in a bookstore, and not just any independent bookstore, but R.J. Julia’s – it’s amazing.
I hope you’ll come in and introduce yourself, but until then, here is a little Q & A to help you get acquainted.
Are you good with plants? My oldest plant, named Bertrand, is 41-years-old.
How did you celebrate your 50th birthday? As a present to myself I changed my name to Lily; no, I won’t tell you what I 
changed it from.
Favorite concert: The latest Springsteen – I’ve seen him 15 or 20 times, & he always gets better.
Favorite word: Zimbabwe – sounds and feels wonderful coming off the tongue.
Is there a Mr. Bartels? Yes, I first noticed him 38 years ago at college, because he was the guy with the longest hair on campus. He used to work for a wine distributor, so two things we’ve always had lots of in our lives have been books and champagne.
Pet Peeve: People who are proud of their ignorance.
We’ll see you in the store soon!
4 comments September 18, 2009
One Bookseller’s (& Mom’s) Perspective
My son left yesterday for his second deployment to Iraq. I thought, after the last one two years ago, that I could not face another – and I was right. But, being a good bookseller, I sought some solace in reading and finding out. And After the Prophet has helped to at least put some perspective on the words and pre-conceived ideas that float around as I listen to the news.
This is a history of how and why there is this rift in Islam between the Sunni and Shia. Starting with the death of Muhammad in the seventh century, this divide remains and defines the resentment and hatreds that continue to today with no sign of stopping. I know nothing of this religion that my son has been put in the middle of, the hatred that he faces daily, but this wonderfully written history is somehow a help – knowledge is a defuser of fear. It may not make it better, but it may make it easier. My thanks to Lesley Hazleton for writing clearly for the layman, and making a difficult, complex subject comprehensible. I’ll let you know how the boy is doing….
Nancy
3 comments September 15, 2009
It was a Dark & Stormy Lost Symbol Contest
As you might be aware,The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown’s first book since The Da Vinci Code, is being released September 15th. We have one autographed copy coming our way, and of course we’re going to give it to one lucky customer. However, we’re going to make you work for it.
Here’s the deal: we want you to write what you think the first line of The Lost Symbol should be – and be as creative, funny, or weird as you like. Points will be given for posture and comportment. Employees of R.J. Julia, Random House, and Dan Brown are not eligible.
The only thing we know about the book is that Robert Langdon returns, and it’s set in Washington DC. Who knows, maybe zombies and vampires will figure prominently. Leave a comment below, or email books@rjjulia.com.
Karen
p.s. We’ll be giving you all a 30% discount for all pre-orders; click here to get a copy.
10 comments September 4, 2009
The Art of Handselling
Man, did I have a blast this Saturday working on the sales floor. As the adult book buyer, I spend most of my time holed up in my small but well-decorated office (see video for proof of my latent interior design talents). Ah, the glamor of being a buyer – to be honest, I probably spend 80% of my time looking for or rewriting my to-do lists in an effort to get organized.
So it’s especially fun to get on the sales floor, talk with real people (i.e., you), and help you find books we’re pretty sure you’ll love. My greatest triumph this weekend was handselling four copies of Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. And watch out for the petite woman with the long dark/silver hair – she won’t let you walk out of the store without a copy of A Gate at the Stairs in your hands. Now, the great thing about working for an independently-owned store is that you only have to talk about 1) stuff you know your customer will love, or 2) stuff that you really love (not stuff that the Home Office told you to love).
The word “handselling” has slightly sinister connotations, but it’s really pretty benign. All it means, at R.J. Julia’s, is showing you books that we think you will love, in a helpful but not pushy way, using the collective opinions of our booksellers and their shelftalkers to guide you to the perfect read. We’re also not afraid to un-handsell: “I don’t think you’ll enjoy this,” or “I tried this book and couldn’t get past the second chapter.” Last week a gentleman came up to the counter with the new hardcover Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Played with Fire; since he hadn’t read the first one, I had him put it back and buy the paperback instead. (It’s a good thing we don’t work on commission; the store was short some $20!) Then there’s the hazard of over-selling, which I’ve been guilty of; there’s a fine line between conveying passion vs mania.
When I’m recommending books, I try to break them down to two categories: the book that will change your life, and the book that won’t change your life, but will keep you really good company for a few days. Personally, I can only take so much Proust and Dostoevsky. (Who am I kidding, I can take very little Proust and Dostoevsky.)
The
n, there are the customers who turn the tables on us – when Natalie comes by, I end up buying a stack of books. When I see her headed toward the mystery section I groan – I know my wallet is going to be lighter by a couple of bills. She’s introduced me to the Bill Slider series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles; the first, Orchestrated Death, has just been reissued. And Natalie is why East of the Sun is in staff suggestions.
Enough of my yakkin’, what’s your favorite book to recommend to friends, and what do you love so much about it? I’m an unrepentant evangelist for The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. It’s simply the best book ever written; I want to develop amnesia so I can read it again for the first time. (Any volunteers to bonk me over the head? I thought so; the line starts in the parking lot.)
I can’t wait to hear from you!
Karen
ps. We are sooo high tech – click on title or picture to purchase books!
4 comments September 2, 2009
