The past few weeks, I’ve been hanging out at a Barnes &
Noble Café while my daughter takes an art class. With a half hour drive each
way, it’s time better served working than returning home.
The people watching is amazing, and I’m starting to
understand the whole hang-in-a-coffee-shop-and-write thing. I can get work done
in a busy environment – one that doesn’t include my barking dogs and laundry
calling out to be folded.
One problem, though, is all the cute goodies. Put me in a bookstore,
and I can spend money. Lavender notebooks? Count me in! Oooh, does someone have
a birthday coming up that I need a card for? And have you seen their
collectible/toy section? Yes, I’m a fan of buying an unknown item in the box
and getting a surprise.
This last week, I thought I’d buy a book from the Staff
Recommends section. Up near the new releases and hardback, I remember B&N
having some recommended reads, which often were new authors. A new book/author
has been known to kickstart my own writing.
I fantasized about the blog post I’d do: The first hardback
purchased … well, in I don’t know how long. (Aside from the ones from my
OCC/RWA chaptermates at meetings). Hopefully, it would be fabulous and
inspiring.
Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. Sure, there was
a new Danielle Steele, and while I read the grand dame of romance for years,
along with my grandmother, it’s been almost as long since I’ve picked one up.
Oh, then there was this little-known book Catching Fire, because the movie will
be releasing soon, and I can’t forget Charlaine Harris’s last Sookie book
(already read it).
Where was the recommended section? Finally I found a small
table off the queue. Two books sat there. Two! You know what they were?
William
Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher, and F in Exams: The Best Test Paper Blunders by Richard Benson. Ummm,
no thanks. Not interested in either one of those.
You know what I left with? Ribbon candy for stocking
stuffers, a Domo stuffed toy for my daughter, and a Haunted Disneyland book
(unofficial of course). No new fiction. With all the problems B&N and other
bookstores have been suffering, I felt guilty.
What happened to the recommended reads? It should be an easy
sell. Were the books not selling? Or, heaven forbid, the employees no longer
reading?
We’ll see if the selections pick up in the coming month. So
tell me, have a recommendation? What are you reading? (Of course, for those not
participating in NaNoWriMo.)
Until next time,
Louisa Bacio
No comments:
Post a Comment