Christmas is almost here, and the flocks and hoardes have dwindled, while the customer service needs have increased.  Happens every year about this time.  But I have just a few moments to reflect on some the best sellers at Loganberry this month.  Mind you, we're not a typical new bookstore with skids of pop titles, but a few of these we were counting on, and had multiples available.  These are not necessarily in order. 

1.  Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder
Outselling all of the Robert Sabuda pop-ups this year is a simple little book featuring "scanimation" movement that delights young and old alike with its old-timey works in a modern techno package and cheap pricetag.  Customers tend to buy this in quantity, and we've now run out twice. 
2.  The Twelve Terrors of Christmas  by John Updike and illustrated by Edward Gorey 
The sweet-and-sour reprint of this sells for $9.95, but we sold out already.  We have the original actually, for a bit more... 
3.  The Elf on the Shelf by Carol Aebersold, Chanda Bell and Coe Steinwart 
This self-published, self-promoted and self-distributed book is hard to get your hands on if you don't go directly to the authors.  Luckily, I did, and sold half the case to a friend who's giving them to everyone she knows this year. We've got one left. 
4.  The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
No doubt the movie helps, but so does my display, discount, and free poster deal. 
5.  How to Traumatize Your Children by Knock-Knock
Knock-Knock is a card and game company really, but they put out a small series of "self-hurt" books, of which this title is a surprise hit. 
6.  Cartographia: Mapping Civilizations by Vincent Virga
The coffee table hit of the season.  A customer actually called and asked if I would "match Amazon's price."  Perhaps she didn't know that Amazon was out-of-stock at any price. (We are now too).
7.  The Four Seasons of Mary Azarian by Lilias Hart and Mary Azarian 
We've had this wonderful retrspective of Vermont woodcut artist Mary Azarian several times, and now we have the paperback edition at a remaindered price, which makes it pretty much irresistible. 
8.  The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden as well as The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan
These books are actually not related, but they do sell side-by-side and even as pairs
9.  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 
I'm not sure it ever got to the shelf, several times.
10.  The All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor
Was there recent publicity on this old classic?  We have a tribute page on the series under out Most Requested Books, but I haven't seen a rush on them like this for quite a while.
11.  The Bob Dylan Scrapbook 1956-1966  by Robert Santelli
We should have bought more Dylan and less Beatles at CIROBE.  Damn, I knew that. 
12.  The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
A perfect little stocking stuffer, now that it's back in stock.

APOLLO'S FIRE
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Harriett

A customer walked in yesterday and my greeting fell out of my mouth without thinking: "are you the famed Anna?"  I know Anna, or at least her voice, from numerous concerts at CWRU's Chapel, Court and Countryside early music series.  She earned her Ph.D. in music at Case, and sings with many different early music ensembles (there seems to be a rather small and academic world of early music performers).  This weekend she was back in town to sing with Apollo's Fire, and while I am disappointed that she was only in the chorus and didn't have a solo role, it was a great performance.  Yeah, I went -- Anna gave me tickets!  Nice customer...

BOOK REC:  THE WOMAN WARRIOR
Thursday, November 8, 2007

Title:  The Woman Warrior
Author:  Maxine Hong Kingston 
Reviewer: Jeneen [Annex Gallery artist, January 2008]

This book is a compelling memoir of a young Chinese-American woman growing up in California in a family that owns a laundry business. It is very powerfully written, with strong, simple sentences. However, the book is anything but simple. It is extremely poetic, and has passages that are dream-like, especially when ghosts are evoked. The book can be terrifying at times, and the main character claims vengeance. This is an intense, original, lyrical book that stays with you.

BOOK REC:  THE ATTACK
Saturday, October 20, 2007

Title: The Attack
Author: Yasmina Khadra (nom de plume of former Algerian army officer Mohammed Moulessehoul, author of three other novels published in English)
Publisher: Vintage Books (London), translated from the French by John Cullen, 2007.
Reviewer: Amy [of “Tell Me a Story” radio show]

The story of an Israeli Arab who works as a surgeon in a Tel Aviv hospital, representing integration at its most powerful and successful. Then Dr. Jaafie's world turns upside down when his beloved wife is found among the dead in a suicide bombing on Tel Aviv's streets. What begins as horror turns still more terrifying when the bomber is discovered and Dr. Jaafie returns to his Palestinian roots seeking answers. The author astonishingly represents every point of view so that the reader's world, like that of the protagonist, is constantly turned upside down and inside out. I couldn't stop reading, never stopped reassessing my own judgments about what and who is good, how to untangle the tangled web of longheld grievances.  good and bad, the entanglements of an impossible place and time. As the Literary Review wrote, the author is passionately moral but never sits in judgment--a rare treat. And the prose is as drop dead beautiful as the story is compelling.

BOOK REC:  THE DALAI LAMA
Friday, October 12, 2007

Title: The Universe in a Single Atom
Author:  His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Reviewer: Elaine  [Former Director of the Cleveland Green Building Coalition, currently moving to D.C. to work for the Green Chemistry Institute]

This is a joyful exploration of the intersection between science and spirituality.  As a scientific layperson, the Dalai Lama recounts his dialogues with scientists as he explores modern physics, neuroscience and others.  Fearlessly, he seeks out the most renowned  scientists from all over the world to delve into what on the surface fascinates him.

TOBACCO BAGS
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Customer:  Lee

My husband and I visited your store twice a few weeks ago.  He actually mentioned that our poorer gas mileage on the return trip might have been because the car was weighted down with books!  We’re from Kansas City, MO, so it may be some time before we’re actually back.

I subscribe to the blog, Curious Sofa Diaries, from a local “shabby chic interiors” shop, The Curious Sofa.  On Deb’s last blog entry, she showed a pair of Ralph Lauren pants with a little hanging tobacco pouch.  One of the books I bought from you was Soft Covers for Hard Times: Quiltmaking and the Great Depression by Merikay Waldvogel.  In it, the author shows a picture of a tobacco pouch and mentions that they were often collected by women to use in their quilts.  I left a comment that I had purchased this book at your shop and left your website address.  I just wanted you to know that if you got any calls from Kansas City, this may be the connection. 

I’m hoping to not have to go back to the Cleveland Clinic, but if we do, your shop will definitely be on our list of places to visit.

CUSTOMERS
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Harriett

Customers are funny.  Today's classic line was preceded by a less common disillusionment.  "Do you have a copy machine?"  It's an innocent question, and easy to answer, but the customer was quite taken aback that we do not, in fact, have full print services available at this used bookstore. 

Then he noticed we had books.  "Oh, these are old books.  Do you sell the old ones too?"  Yup, you got it now!  We sell books at this bookstore.  How many will you be needing today?