Village Books Blog

Summer Reading

There seems to be no lack of summer reading lists around--NPR, nearly every newspaper, well, just about everybody has one.  There's a lot of great stuff on those summer lists but, I was particularly struck by the "How I'll Spend My Summer Vacation" blog post by VB's own Dave Wheeler.  His list has a special twist.

RIP Shaman Drum Bookstore

It's always a sad day for booksellers and those who love books when any bookstore announces it is closing its doors.  But this week was a particularly sad one for the world of books.  Shaman Drum Bookstore in Ann Arbor, arguably one of the best bookstores in the world, announced it will close at the end of June.  And, it was a particularly sad day for those of us at Village Books because Karl Pohrt, owner of the store, has been a colleague and friend for years.  He is one of gentle people who are the soul of bookselling.  There's not a person who Karl has interacted with over the year who is not better off for that interaction.  We have learned so much from Karl and his store.  The world is diminished by the passing of Shaman Drum.  Fortunately, Karl's passion for the printed word lives on.  I expect we'll be hearing of good things from Ann Arbor with Karl's fingerprints all over them.

Reflecting on BEA 2009

It was, if I've counted correctly, the 28th time we've attended our national convention and trade show.  So, wouldn't you think it would have become old hat?  Why does my heart still race and why am I so excited each year?  Well, in reflecting on who we saw and heard talk, I realize it is somewhat rarefied air we breathe at these events.  The author events were tremendous.  Even though I was disappointed that Pat Conroy couldn't attend because of health reasons, I was thrilled by all of the authors I did hear--Richard Russo, Tracy Kidder, Gail Collins, Jeannette Walls, Laurie Moore, Mary Karr and Pete Dexter (who stole the show and nearly had Russo rolling on the floor in laughter) just to name a few.  In addition to the buzz about these author's new books and others by Barbara Kingsolver, Tim Egan and, of course, Dan Brown, there was lots of talk about ebooks and print-on-demand (stay tuned for a very big announcement from Village Books soon). I'm always refreshed and renewed when I come home from Book Expo America.  And, this year is no exception.  Now, if I can just find time to read all of those advanced reading copies I picked up.